Sea Monsters: A Nonfiction Companion to Dark Day in the Deep Sea (Magic Tree House Research Guide Series) »

Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce are sisters who grew up on army posts all over the world. Mary is the author of over 50 acclaimed books for children. Natalie has worked as a children’s librarian and as a teacher of English and E.S.L. This is their ninth book together.

Sal Murdocca has illustrated over 200 children’s trade and text books. He has taught writing and illustration at the Parsons School of Design. He lives and works in New City, New York with his wife, Nancy.

How are an octopus and a squid different? What kinds of creatures live in the deepest abyss of the ocean? What do scientists say some legendary sea monsters really are? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this Magic Tree House Research Guide: Sea Monsters.

Children's Literature

The "Magic Tree House" series has always appealed to young readers who enjoy acquiring facts while reading a story. Now these kids can gain more knowledge with the "Magic Tree House Research Guides" series, each of the books in this series is written as a companion to one of the chapter books. This volume on strange sea creatures is full of the kind of creepy-looking, razor-toothed, giant, or weird marine animals that were once thought to be sea monsters and are still fascinating to many youngsters. As with other "Magic Tree House" books, this one is short on style with strings of choppy, declarative sentences, but it is packed with facts. It is well illustrated, with both drawings and black-and-white photographs on every page. Jack and Annie, the protagonists of the chapter books, guide readers through fun facts and additional snippets of information. Back matter is extensive, with material that will be helpful to young report-writers as well as budding marine biologists. Included are tips on doing research at both libraries and aquariums, lists of suggested books, museums, aquariums, DVDs, and internet sites, as well as a detailed index. Reviewer: Barbara Carroll Roberts