Midnight on the Moon is the eighth installment in the Magic Tree House series.
Summary[]
Jack and Annie go forward in time and explore the moon.
The magic tree house lands in a space motel. The kids are curious about the building and the surrounding area. There is no one there to answer their many questions. Jack removes his moon book from his backpack. The book plus the motel's maps and posters answers some of their questions.
Jack and Annie help each other to don space suits. They explore the moon. The moon is a colorless, barren place. There are gray rocks and craters. Dust is everywhere, but there is no breeze, so the dust remains where it lay. Jack and Annie find a moon buggy. The pair goes on a wild ride on the moon surface. Jack and Annie view the American flag left by the astronauts during their moon exploration. They meet a mysterious moon man, as well. Best of all, the children find the final item needed to break the spell on their friend, Morgan le Fay.
Contents[]
- By Moonlight
- Space Motel
- Open Sesame!
- Moon Rabbits
- Hang On!
- High Jump
- The Moon Man
- One Star to Another
- Morgan
- Earth Life
Notes on time and place settings[]
- This is first and only adventure in which Jack and Annie visit the future.
- The research guide explains that the moon base they stay in was built in 2031. This may actually correspond to the Lunar Outpost, which NASA plans to construct between 2024 and 2037.
- Although the moon base is unoccupied, the research guide explains that it is still fully operational.
- As technology accelerates, however, the base will become obsolete when antimatter engines are developed. This technology will be developed around 2067 according to some estimates.
- Jack and Annie both spot the first American flag on the Moon, which proves that they landed in the Sea of Tranquility.
- This adventure took place during a full moon.
1. By Moonlight[]
Chapter:1
"Jack!" whispered a voice. Jack opened his eyes. He saw a figure in the moonlight. "Wake up. Get dressed." It was his sister, Annie. Jack turned on his lamp. He rubbed his eyes. Annie was standing beside his bed. She wore jeans and a sweatshirt. "Let's go to the tree house." she said. "What time is it?" asked Jack. He put on his glasses. "Don't look at your clock," said Annie. Jack looked at his clock. "Oh, man," he said. "It's Midnight. It's too dark." "No it isn't. The moon makes it bright enough too see," said Annie. "Wait 'till morning," said Jack. "No---now," said Annie "We have to find the fourth M thing. I have a feeling that the full moon might help us." "That is nuts," said Jack. "I want to sleep." "You can sleep when we come back home." said Annie. "No time will have passed." Jack sighed. "Oh, brother," he said. But he got out of bed. "Yay!" whispered Annie. "Meet you at the back door." She tiptoed out of Jack's room. Jack yawned. He pulled on his jeans and sneakers and a sweatshirt. He put his notebook and pencil into his backpack. Then he crept down the stairs. Annie opened the back door. Quietly, they stepped outside. "Wait---" said Jack. "We need a flashlight." "No we don't. I told you---the moon will light out way," said Annie. And she took off. Jack sighed, then followed her. Annie was right, thought Jack. The moon was so bright that he could see his shadow. Everything seemed washed washed with silver. Soon they left their street. Annie led the way into the Frog Creek woods. It was so much darker under the shadows of the trees. Jack, searching for the tree house. "There!" said Annie. The magic tree house was shining in the moonlight. Annie Grabbed the rope ladder and started climbing up. "Careful---go slowly," said Jack. He followed her up the rope ladder and into the tree house. Moonlight streamed through the window. It shone on the letter M that shimmered on the wooden floor. It shone on the three M things that rested on the M: a moonstone from the time of the ninjas, a mango from the Amazon rain forest, and a mammoth bone from the Ice Age. "We need just one more M thing," said Annie, "to free Morgan from her spell." Squeak. "Peanut!" said Annie. In the dim light, Jack saw a tiny mouse. She sat on a open book. "You didn't expect to see us this late, did you?" said Annie. She picked up Peanut. And Jack picked up the open book.
2.[]
Jack opened his eyes.
He looked out the window. The tree house had landed inside a large white room.
“What kind of training place is this?” asked Annie. “I don’t know,” said Jack.
The room was round. It had no windows. It had white floors and a curved wall lit by bright lights.
“Hello!” Annie called. There was no answer.
Where were all the astronauts and space scientists? Jack wondered. “There’s nobody here,” said Annie.
“How do you know?” said Jack. “I just feel it,” said Annie.
“We’d better find out where we are,” said Jack.
He looked at the page in the moon book. He read the words below the picture of the dome.
A moon base was built on the moon in the year 2031. The top of the dome slides open to let spacecrafts enter and leave.
“Oh, man—” Jack whispered. “What’s wrong?” said Annie.
Jack’s heart pounded with excitement. He could hardly speak. “We’ve
landed inside a moon base,” he said. “So … ?” said Annie.
“So the moon base is on the moon!” said Jack.
Annie’s eyes widened. “We’re on the moon?” she asked.
Jack nodded. “The book says the moon base was built in the year 2031,” he said. “So this book was written after that! Which means this book is from the future!”
“Oh, wow,” said Annie. “Morgan must have gone forward in time to borrow it from a future library.”
“Right,” said Jack. “And now we’re in the future, on the moon.”
Squeak, squeak!
Annie and Jack looked at Peanut. The mouse was running around in circles.
“Poor Peanut,” said Annie.
She tried to pick the mouse up. But Peanut hid behind the mango on the letter M.
“Maybe she’s nervous about being on the moon,” said Annie.
“She’s not the only one,” said Jack. He let out a deep breath, then he pushed his glasses into place.
“So what’s a moon base?” asked Annie. Jack looked at the book. He read aloud:
When scientists visit the moon for short periods, they eat and sleep in the moon base.
“A space motel!” said Annie.
“I guess,” said Jack. He read more:
The small base has a landing chamber and a room for storing spacesuits. Air and temperature controls make breathing possible.
“So that’s why we can breathe,” Jack said.
“Let’s explore,” said Annie. “We have to find the fourth thing for Morgan.”
“No, first we should study this map,” said Jack. He pulled out his notebook.
“You study it,” said Annie.
Jack copied the map. Then he drew in the tree house.
Jacks drawing of the treehouse
“Okay,” he said. He pointed at the X in his drawing. “We’re here.” Jack looked up. Annie was gone.
“Oh, brother,” Jack said. As usual, she had left without him. Before they could even make a plan.
Jack put the moon book and pencil into his pack. Carrying his notebook and backpack, he started out the window.
Squeak! Squeak!
Jack looked back at Peanut. The mouse was running back and forth on the M.
“Stay here and be safe,” said Jack. “We’ll be back soon.”
Jack swung himself over the window sill. His feet touched the floor of the landing chamber.
“Annie!” he called. There was no answer.
Jack looked at his diagram.
It showed only one way to go. Jack walked along the curved white wall to the stairs.
He climbed the steps to a hallway.
“Jack—hurry!” Annie was at the end of the hallway, standing in the airlock. She peered out a window in a giant door.
Jack hurried toward her. Annie stepped aside so he could look out the window, too.
“Oh, man,” said Jack. What he saw took his breath away.
He stared at a rocky gray land. The land was filled with giant craters and tall mountains. The sun was shining. But the sky was ink-black!
“Say hi to the moon,” Annie said softly.