Dinosaurs Before Dark

Jack is eight and a half years old, and he is Annie’s older brother. He sees himself as the responsible sibling, trying to keep Annie out of trouble. He loves books and science, scrambling into the tree house once he learns that there are books inside, and uses the idea that he “could take notes like a scientist” to spur himself to meet dinosaurs (22). Through the course of the novel, he discovers that he can use his love of knowledge and reading to immerse himself in new settings and step outside of his comfort zone.

At the start of Dinosaurs Before Dark, he differentiates between himself and his sister by suggesting that he “liked real things” to her love of the imaginary (1). The tone of this comment foreshadows how the adventure will challenge Jack; time travel and dinosaurs are both impossible to him. Initially, he is hesitant about even leaving the treehouse, but both his brotherly concern for Annie and Annie’s insistence draw him out. To tackle his fear, his decision to take notes and examine the dinosaurs shows how he values knowledge and understands that while this trip is impossible in some ways, it is still an opportunity for him to learn.

Jack wields his knowledge to protect him and his sister from danger. Although nervous about all close interactions with dinosaurs, he often refers back to the dinosaur book for facts to give them context about the Anatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Pteranodon. He also helps Annie when a protective mother Anatosaurus pursues her by applying his knowledge, telling her that his suggestion to stay low and mimic chewing like what you do if faced with a mean dog. While seemingly ridiculous to compare a large dinosaur to a dog, Jack’s tactic works, and the dinosaur stops chasing Annie.

A crucial moment for Jack comes when he escapes the Tyrannosaurus rex and returns to the tree house. Trapped because he left his backpack with the dinosaur book on a hill, he is forced to venture out on his own to retrieve it. Annie saves him by sending the Pteranodon, but Jack feels conflicted for a moment, unsure if he is willing to go this far out of his comfort zone. He even wonders if he’s too heavy to get on, but he pushes himself to not “think! Just do it!” (58). For rational Jack, this decision to trust the Pteranodon shows how he is more willing to take a risk, and he is rewarded, loving the experience of flying on its back. The medallion makes Jack even more curious, and the fact that he is the one to find it is crucial, as he is also the one most likely to doubt the magic of the tree house. His revelation that someone was there before them up the mystery of who brought the tree house to Frog Creek, cluing him into the idea that there is a larger story at play. It is also this mystery that remains unsolved at the end of this novel, encouraging Jack and Annie to learn more about the tree house and why they were the ones to discover it.