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Dolphins at Daybreak is the ninth installment in the Magic Tree House series.

Synopsis[]

The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie deep into the sea, where they meet up with sharks, dolphins, and octopi as they search for the answer to an ancient riddle.

Contents[]

  1. Master Librarians
  2. The Reef
  3. Mini-Sub
  4. Fish City
  5. Two Eyes
  6. C-R-A-C-K
  7. Remain Calm
  8. Swim for Your Life!
  9. Ouch!
  10. The True Pearl

Plot[]

As Jack stared out the window at daybreak, he thought about a dream he had about Morgan le Fay and the magical tree house that could transport him and his sister, Annie, through time and space. Soon, Annie appeared in his room, excited to tell him that she had also dreamed about the tree house. She believed this dream was a sign that the tree house was back, and they were about to embark on another adventure. Before Jack could respond, Annie left. Their mother heard Jack leaving and reminded him not to get his shoes wet.

When Jack and Annie arrived at the tree house, Morgan was waiting. She explained that she had sent them the dreams to ask for their help. Merlin the magician had placed a spell on her, preventing her from collecting the books needed for the tree house library. Morgan wanted Jack and Annie to become Master Librarians and gather the books. To do so, they had to solve four riddles. She gave them an ancient scroll and a book called *Ocean Guide*, telling them they would know when they had solved the first riddle. As soon as Annie touched the book, the tree house began to spin and finally landed on a sandy beach where they read the scroll.

Rough and gray as rock,
I'm as plain as plain can be.
But hidden deep inside,
There's great beauty in me.
What am I?

As they explored the beach, they came across a coral reef and a small diving vessel, which the book called a “mini-sub.” Despite Jack’s warning not to touch it, Annie believed it could be the clue to solving the riddle. Jack told her to take off her shoes to avoid getting them wet before she climbed inside the mini-sub. While Jack read about the mini-sub, Annie pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and the vessel began to move. They tried to escape, but the door locked.

Annie quickly figured out how to control the mini-sub, and Jack urged her to drive back to shore. However, Annie wanted to continue exploring to solve the riddle. Jack agreed, and they ventured further into the ocean, observing various sea creatures, including two dolphins. Jack pressed a button that brought up the Ship’s Log, revealing that the mini-sub had a crack and was supposed to be taken to the junkyard. Just as they headed back to shore, an octopus trapped the vessel with its tentacles. Annie pleaded with the octopus to release them, but it squirted black ink into the water, a behavior Jack recognized as a defense mechanism. They then saw a shark through the window, and water started leaking into the vessel. Jack and Annie opened the door and swam out, with the shark following closely behind. When they stopped to float on their backs, the shark caught up, but just as all seemed lost, the two dolphins appeared and towed them to safety.

As they walked back to the tree house, Annie stepped on an oyster shell. Jack read in the book that oysters sometimes contained pearls, and they realized this was the answer to Morgan’s riddle. When they returned to the tree house, the riddle on the scroll had vanished, replaced by the word “oyster.” With the riddle solved, their adventure ended. Annie touched the book showing Frog Creek, and the tree house transported them back home. They reflected on all they had experienced and reassured their mother that they hadn’t gotten their shoes wet.

Notes on time and place settings[]

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