Dogs in the Dead of Night

Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions" #18

by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)

Jack and Annie are ready for their next adventure in the New York Times bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!

Beware of avalanches!

When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back in time to the highest pass in the Swiss Alps, they discover an ancient monastery filled with monks and Saint Bernard dogs. Annie can’t resist offering to train a wild young dog named Barry. Will Barry lead Jack and Annie to the mysterious flower they need to save a friend’s life? Or will he only lead them into danger? Before the night is over, Jack and Annie will be forced to use some crazy magic! Join everyone’s favorite brother and sister duo on an adventure that is scary and magical, and more fun than they’ve ever had!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chapter Books, Adventure, Middle Grade

115 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will Osborne.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooooo good!

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, Jack and Annie travel to the Saint Bernard Pass in the Alps during the 1800's. Here, they must find a flower to help Teddy, Kathleen and Penny. They are also given a potion that can make them change into anything they wish for for an hour. During this adventure, they come to the monastery founded by the saint who gave him name to the pass, where they breed Saint Bernard dogs. The fact tracker to this is Dog Heroes: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #46: Dogs in the Dead of Night

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am only sorry I did not discover the Magic Tree House series when I was a child, but am delighted to read these now. I always end with a smile on my face and increased love for the author.
A brother and sister discovered a magic tree house and have gone on many missions as assigned by strangers, or by Merlin. Each adventure travels in time and place. (Shhh-Don't tell the kids they will Learn from these books).
This time they travel to the Alps and get to know (very well) some St. Bernards.
I think you will enjoy these regardless of your age. The book says from age 7-10, but I say from 7-90.

[beauti bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

개로 변신하니 "놀자!!ㅋㅋㅋ"하는 부분 너무 좋아요~^^

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got two children nine years apart in age. I didn't love MTC read alouds the first time through either but both my kids have adored them. My rating is based on my six-year-old's excitement at his bedtime story and not mom's dread of more "Annie said" and "Jack said".

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been meaning to put the whole Jack and Annie ouevre into Goodreads for a while.

May absolutely loves these books. At 3 chapters a night, they tend to last for just under a week, providing a nice pause in longer collections.

My geeky/pulpy side likes recognizing all the tropes without the author following convention slavishly. I have a theory that Morgan LeFay (the magical librarian of Camelot and creator of the magic treehouse) is secretly a Time Lord and the treehouse is her TARDIS (bigger on the inside, travels in time and space, spins and makes rushing wind when traveling).

The books are arranged in smaller quartets with common, linked missions. This volume is the second in a mission to collect spell components to reverse a petrification spell gone awry (Merlin's pet penguin if you must know). May has already sussed-out a common theme in the components (flowers).

[Malorie (Firereader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I really enjoyed this because we love big working dogs. This story revolves around the St. Bernard rescue dogs of the St. Bernard Pass in the Great Alps. The mischievous dog Barry added a lot of fun and had us cheering at the end. I think anyone, especially dog lovers, would enjoy it.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 yr old is becoming a voracious reader and his teacher recommended this series so I picked up a few from the library. My son loves it. Magic and fun and adventure rolled into a chapter book that's easy to read, yet challenging enough that he's not bored. Many of these are educational as well, focusing on a particular point in history such as a president's reign, or a location, like Ireland in this one, which goes really well with his geography and history lessons. He's loving it, and already has said these are the books he wants to read for the challenge. Overall a great step into chapter books for the advanced reader.

[Jan Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scared faces rating 2.5 out of 5
It is a fun tale of meeting rescue a St Bernard dogs and Napoleon Bonaparte

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading these books with my youngest. We learn something new each book.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on a real priest/monk and a real dog. Very cool to learn that after reading this adventure. Also, Barry the dog is not like the other dogs but finds a place and learns to contribute. We enjoyed this one!

[Evan Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book

[molli amara simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My youngest says: 5 stars. It was really good. I liked especially the part about the Saints/St. Bernards.

Mom adds: I liked the love of dogs that comes through in the characters. Osbourne’s later books are getting better in the character development with more emotional details and coloring of her characters. There is more of a personal flavor and more interesting character choices and plot developments in these later books so far. Maybe beginning with the Louis Armstrong book but perhaps a book or two before that one as well.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken]

Eleanor says: I LOVED this book. It was a great one. I loved the puppy. His name was Barry. There was a real dog named Barry that lived there in the 1800s. I love magic tree house. I like this one because it was about a big puppy and I have a little puppy. My puppy’s name is Evie. She is way, way smaller than the St. Bernard.

[Jazzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice book. And the riddle was awesome! It actually got your mind working. And I loved it when Annie and Jack lived it for an hour.

[Kevin Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Pope Osborne=a great author

She writes a lot of Children's Books about Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House stories!

[Savani · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Dogs in the Dead of Night*, part of Mary Pope Osborne’s *Magic Tree House* series, transports readers to the snowy Swiss Alps, where Jack and Annie face one of their most heartwarming and thrilling adventures yet. With the ever-present mix of magic, history, and life lessons, this story delivers both excitement and touching moments, particularly through the loyalty and bravery of the St. Bernard dogs.

In this adventure, Jack and Annie are tasked with finding a special flower to help save Merlin's ailing penguin. Their magical journey takes them to the Great Saint Bernard Pass in Switzerland, where they encounter an avalanche, brave St. Bernard rescue dogs, and monks who care for the travelers in the dangerous, snow-filled mountains. The story kicks off with a classic perilous situation when Jack and Annie are buried by an avalanche, only to be rescued by three St. Bernard dogs and the local monks.

Osborne skillfully combines historical elements with her magical narrative. Readers learn about the importance of St. Bernard dogs in rescuing travelers during the 19th century. The setting in the snowy Alps is vivid, and the dangers of avalanches and harsh conditions add to the suspense of the story. However, Osborne balances these tense moments with heartwarming interactions, especially between Jack, Annie, and Barry.

Barry’s introduction brings humor and emotional depth to the story. Although at first he appears mischievous—stealing Jack’s bread and even tearing up his research book—Barry quickly proves himself to be a brave and loyal companion. The turning point in the story comes when Jack and Annie magically transform into dogs to search for the runaway Barry, highlighting the playful yet dangerous nature of their mission.

As they turn into dogs and face the elements, Jack and Annie are able to communicate with Barry, who leads them to a soldier buried under snow. This sequence combines action, teamwork, and the magical bond between humans and animals, a recurring theme throughout the book. The adventure culminates in a rescue mission, showing the importance of teamwork and trust.

Osborne weaves in historical cameos, including the appearance of Napoleon Bonaparte, which adds an extra layer of intrigue for readers who love learning about history. The monks, particularly Father Laurent, also play a crucial role in the story, offering Jack and Annie guidance and teaching them about the beauty of the Alps.

The ending of the book is especially touching, as Annie bids an emotional farewell to Barry, reminding him of his important duty to stay and save lives. The symbolism of the buttercup flower, representing the spirit of childhood, joy, and openness, ties the story together beautifully.

Salvatore Murdocca’s illustrations, as always, bring the snowy mountains and the brave St. Bernard dogs to life, complementing Osborne’s text perfectly.

*Dogs in the Dead of Night* is a delightful mix of adventure, history, and magic. It’s a tale about loyalty, bravery, and the unbreakable bond between humans and animals. Young readers will not only enjoy the thrilling adventure but also learn valuable lessons about courage and responsibility.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the magic treehouse series, not only in Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie found a magic treehouse. They soon discovered that in the magic treehouse there were lots of books and when they point to a picture in the book and make a wish to go there the magic treehouse just magically transports them there! They soon learned that the treehouse belongs to Morgan Le Fay from Camelot. Jack and Annie have helped Morgan with a humongous amount of missions in all places and time periods with the help of the magic treehouse. However in Merlin Missions it is not however Morgan that sends them on these missions. It is Merlin, a fantastic magician. During Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie make two friends named Teddy and Kathleen. They soon completed four missions that showed they could properly handle magic. On those missions, they were given a book of ten magic rhymes to use on four missions. Each rhyme can only be used once. Since they succeeded in those four missions, they were given the Wand of Dianthus. A magic wand that could create magic. Soon Merlin was not well, and not cheerful at all. Jack and Annie found four secrets of happiness for him, and now he is happy again. However the biggest thing that cheered him up was a little penguin named Penny Jack and Annie had gotten from their last mission to find the last secret of happiness for Merlin. That mission had taken place in Antarctica. Then, after those missions, they helped a girl named Augusta, Mozart, Louis Armstrong, and Charles Dickens. One adventure ago, they figured out that one of their dearest, cutest, animal friends have been turned accidentally to stone. Penny the penguin. To rescue Penny Jack and Annie have to find four items. An emerald has already been found, but Jack and Annie still need to go on three more missions to find all the things to rescue Penny. Today Jack and Annie are going on their second mission to find the second object to rescue Penny...

In this book, the mission all started, as always when Jack and Annie decided to visit the magic treehouse. In the treehouse, as always, Jack and Annie found some things their friends, Teddy and Kathleen, have left them. They found a note, a reasearch book, and a potion. The note said that the second thing they need to rescue Penny is a white and yellow flower found in Swiss Alps. The reasearch book was also about Swiss Alps. For the potion, Jack and Annie can take a sip and turn into whatever they want for one hour as long as they believe the magic. Their mission was very confusing. Jack pointed at the Swiss Apls book and wished to go there. In a flash, they appeared at Swiss Alps, the place their mission was going to take place. Swiss Alps is very cold. They were dressed in so called ‘winter clothes’ Jack and Annie decided to get started on their mission. Since it was very cold, Jack and Annie decided to find some shelter in the monastery. Home to monks. These monks have always welcomed cold and weary travellers so a Jack and Annie should be no problem. However, just as Jack and Annie set off towards the monastery, they were caught in an avalanche. Jack couldn’t find Annie, and Annie couldn’t find Jack. Snow covered and trapped everything. Snow clogged their nose, and covered their eyes and face. They couldn’t get up. They couldn’t speak and they couldn’t yell for help. But if they stay trapped in this avalanche forever, Jack and Annie will die. Plus, they will even fail their mission and Penny will no longer be rescued? Who will save Jack and Annie from this terrible avalanche?

[Jreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆3

For at least a full page I thought they saved napoleon himself and I was GAGGED.
Fun story, side characters were just ok in this one. We love the sibling relationship between Jack and Annie still.
I actually wanted to mention that, I like how much the siblings care about each other. You rarely if ever see that in children's media. Usually a younger sibling is seen as an adversary, these two are thick as thieves though.
I also wanted to point out how the two of them never point fingers at each other. When Barry rips up the book, Annie immediately apologizes and jack doesn't blame her. A lesser author would have had some dramatic fight between them by now but I think their absence of fighting and their ability to work through situations without turning on the other highlights their strength much more than bickering and learning a lesson would.
Great model for kids to read honestly.

☆3 ▪︎ 111 pages

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"Short December Reads" is a shelf dedicated to short books read after my reading goal for the year has been reached in order to be able to read these books without them counting toward my goal.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter was a huge fan of these books as a kid, but I had never read any myself. Fast forward many years, and this book fit a reading challenge prompt, so I thought, why not. I enjoyed the story with its touches of history and magic, and this one involved dogs which is a win in my book. These kids had some amazing adventures!

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[Liz Weimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primary (2-3)
Modern Fantasy

The Magic Tree House books are an awesome way to get children excited about reading about historical topics. Although there's some magic and fiction involved, Mary Pope Osborne does a great job of ensuring the historical information presented is accurate and appropriate for the age level. These books are engaging and exciting, and there are so many of them discussing a wide range of topics. This one is one of my favorites, with Jack and Annie journeying to the Swiss Alps and even interacting with Monks, what great exposure to new ideas and cultures! This book is now part of the Merlin Missions collection, meaning it is a more challenging read. There's a book for every age and level in this series!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Annie are transported to the Swiss Alps to discover the second item that will help Penny the Penguin come back to life. While there they are rescued by Saint Bernard dogs, they visit a monastery, train a feisty dog, transform into a Saint Bernard, meet Napoleon Bonaparte, and find the white and yellow flower that they need (the Glacial Buttercup).

Q really loved this one because animals were in the story. He thinks it would awesome to turn into a dog.

[Neal Hyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neal, 5yrs Old. Read Nov 2021
**SPOILERS**
The beginning: Annie and Jack are trying to save Penny to turn her back into a penguin from stone.
Middle: They travel to mountains. They meet Barry, a Saint Bernard dog. Jack and Annie become St. Bernard dogs too for an hour. They help a buried man.
End: They got the flower from the book that had the flowers in it. Barry went back to the monks. He was bad and good. First he ran away. Second he came back.

[Librariann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember if Will and I finished this one (I think we did) but suffice it to say that after this one he lost interest in Magic Tree House books at bedtime and now we practice BOB books and read Steam Train, Dream Train almost every night again.

He did like the part where Jack and Annie were dogs, though.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack & Annie visit the Saint Bernard Monastery in the pass of the Alps and are rescued by Saint Bernard dogs, befriend and help train the first "Barry" (there was since always a tradition to have one of the dogs named "Barry" at the monastery), briefly experience life as a dog, and very briefly met Napoleon Bonaparte!

[Sam B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it has a very good conflict. Very fast pace book, I recommend it to anyone who doesn't like a slow read. Very good fast read, I really recommend it to anyone who has little free time to pick it up and read it.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all magic tree house books because I learn so much! I just love reading them, so much that I read them every night! In this book I learned about rescue dogs. Thank you Mary Pope Osborn, thank you for writing magic tree house books.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
I started this series after reading the original Magic Treehouse series. I like how this series includes not just Morgan, but Merlin, Teddy, & Kathleen, too. I like how Jack & Annie get to participate in these books a little more than the original series by using magical items. I also like how these books are longer. It is more story to enjoy. I really enjoyed this book. Would recommend.

[Sage]

when I was little I bought a Saint Bernard stuffed animal at the DI and one day it just straight up vanished. I wonder where that little guy went.
Anyway there's lots of very good boys in this. 10/10 stars

[Daphne Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter rate this one Amazing, because there are dogs in it and something special happens that make them more fully understand dogs.

We continue to enjoy reading this series together.