Danger in the Darkest Hour facts for kids
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| Author | Mary Pope Osborne |
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| Illustrator | Sal Murdocca |
| Series | Magic Tree House |
| Subject | Second World War |
| Genre | historical fiction, children's fiction |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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2015 |
| Pages | 182 pages |
| ISBN | 9780553497724 |
| OCLC | 881824176 |
Danger in the Darkest Hour is an exciting adventure book. It was written by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Random House published it in 2015. This book is special because it's the first "Super Edition" in the popular Magic Tree House series. Mary Pope Osborne dedicated the book to her father. He was a soldier who fought in the Second World War.
Contents
A Secret Mission in 1944
Jack and Annie, the main characters, use their magical tree house. They travel to Glastonbury, England, on June 4, 1944. This date is very important in history. It's just before D-Day, a huge event in World War II.
Their friend Teddy tells them about their mission. Merlin, a powerful wizard, sent Teddy and Kathleen. Their job was to bring hope to British leaders. These leaders were fighting against the Nazis. The Nazis were a dangerous group who wanted to control Europe.
Kathleen sent Teddy a secret message. It was a riddle that even a special spy group couldn't figure out. The message said: "Come to me in the darkest time. A wand I need, and a magic rhyme. Three miles east of Sir Kay's grave. Cross the river to find a cave. Look for knights, and small, round cows- A crack in a rock beneath the boughs."
Jack and Annie's mission is to find Kathleen. They need to give her a special item called the Wand of Dianthus. They also need to give her a magic rhyme. Once they finish, they must tell Teddy, "The unicorn is free."
Parachuting into France
Teddy flies Jack and Annie to Caen, France, in his airplane. They parachute out of the plane. But then they realize something important: Teddy forgot to give them the magic wand!
They land in a French town called Bieville. This is where they are supposed to meet Teddy and Kathleen. But they quickly discover they have bigger problems. Nazi soldiers are after them!
They escape three Nazi planes. Then, they see several Nazi soldiers and a dog chasing them. Jack and Annie hide in a barn. Annie bravely calms the German Shepherd dog, named Fritz. The dog doesn't give away their hiding spot.
Inside the barn, they meet Gaston and Suzette. They are members of the French Resistance. This was a secret group of French people. They fought against the Nazis who had taken over their country. Gaston and Suzette share a meal with Jack and Annie. They tell them that their sons, Tom and Theo, were captured by the Nazis in Paris.
The next day, June 5, 1944, they learn something shocking. D-Day is tomorrow! This means they must finish their mission today. D-Day was the day Allied forces landed in Normandy, France. It was a major turning point in World War II.
Escaping the Nazis
Jack and Annie flash a "V for Victory" sign at a woman. This sign was a symbol of hope during the war. But Jack is a bit careless. Two people who support the Nazis see them.
A milkman helps them by driving them towards Caen. They talk about their next move. Suddenly, four cars full of Nazis drive up! Jack and Annie quickly buy train tickets. They need to get to the Mondeville cave. It's across the Orne River, and it's part of their mission.
On the way to the train, Jack and Annie see Nazis bothering an old man. This makes them very angry. They get on their train. Two Nazis check their belongings. They find French Resistance posters that Annie had taken. Just as the Nazis are about to arrest Jack, there's a big explosion! The French Resistance set it off.
Jack and Annie escape the train. They cross the Orne River. They try to relax with some lemonade at Sylvie's Bistro. They talk about the posters Annie took. Sylvie, the bistro owner, overhears them. She wants to talk.
Sylvie first asks about Tom and Theo, the sons of Gaston and Suzette. She then helps Jack and Annie with their mission. They learn that Tom and Theo are actually safe in Spain!
Finding Kathleen and the Children
Sylvie explains that "yellow knights" and "white calves" are names of apples. Her bistro is on a road called the Road of Rocks. She tells them to go to an empty chateau on that road. It has a small apple orchard. Jack and Annie ask Sylvie to send a telegram. It should say that Tom and Theo are free.
As Jack and Annie get close to their destination, they find a small crack in a rock. Inside, they find Kathleen! She is with a group of young children. Kathleen explains her mission. She was supposed to rescue two Jewish children. But when she arrived at the orphanage, there were ten children!
Kathleen has been protecting them. But she felt so hopeless about their situation. This despair drained her magic. Without the magic wand, she can't do any magic.
A Daring Escape
With no magic, Jack and Annie decide to use their own skills. Annie has a great idea. She suggests Sylvie send a message to Teddy. They need a bigger plane. Annie also suggests they steal a bakery truck parked nearby. They can use it to drive everyone back to Bieville.
Kathleen can't drive. Jack knows how, even though he's young and doesn't have a license. But he's not very confident. However, there's no other choice. Kathleen believes in him, and Jack doesn't want to disappoint her. So, he agrees to try.
Jack drives the group most of the way without any problems. But then they reach a Nazi checkpoint. This makes Jack very nervous. Kathleen pretends to cast a spell. She says it makes the truck invisible. Jack drives through the checkpoint. It seems like the Nazis don't see them!
Afterward, Kathleen admits she didn't actually cast a spell. She knew that if Jack acted confident, the Nazis would think it was just a normal bakery truck. They would let it pass. Jack is amazed that he fooled the Nazis. He drives them to Bieville without any more trouble.
Mission Accomplished
When they arrive in Bieville, they see a large, silver plane. It seems to have appeared out of nowhere. The plane flies the children across the English Channel to Glastonbury, England.
On the way, Kathleen's magic powers return. She casts a spell. Hundreds of "Tom and Theo are free" flyers float over France. These flyers spread hope.
In Glastonbury, the rescued children are taken to London by the SOE. This is the Special Operations Executive. It was a British spy organization during the war. Jack and Annie discover that the plane's pilot was Merlin! He created the plane to help them escape.
The two kids then return to Frog Creek. They think about how terrible war is.
