As I always say, my 8 year old niece brought me the first 2 of these books to read. She loves them and she wanted me to read them too so we can talk about them. I find them fun and informative for kids about different time periods and different things around the world. I decided on book 5 to start reading them aloud for my dogs enjoyment too. (I know, you may think I am crazy - but they like them. Well one gets rather scared sometimes, but the other loves to listen). I think the writing was practically the same as the rest. It is a good children's story and I would recommend it and this series to anyone who has children in their lives. I think these books are especially good for children who like to learn different things in an adventurous way. They may even help kids who do not like to read learn to love the written word. They could help kids improve their reading skills too along with their knowledge.I don't think my one dog that is sometimes nervous or anxious got too scared with this one. We have been reading them at bedtime though, and she may have dozed off a few times. I really enjoy reading these books. I like to think that it's nice and fun to read them aloud to my dogs. Plus like I said, it gives me something to discuss with my 8 year old niece when I see her. SPOILERS BELOWIn reviewing a book, the part I enjoy most is making notes on what I liked best and sometimes even least from a story. I like to make notes on things that occurred during the story, so that when I come back later (could be in a day, a week, a month, a year or even many years later), I can see what notes I made about a story and it helps refresh me on it. If I read my notes later, I am often able to remember the majority of the story.So here goes! With this book. I absolutely loved the Wild West Theme! I think Jack and Annie both found things they learned and enjoyed in the Wild West. I love Old West Stories. I loved the touch of adding the ghost in this story who plays the piano in the hotel "Lonesome Luke." I think it was only fitting that the "Ghost Town" had an actual ghost in it as well. I can see how the rustlers riding through and scaring the kids into hiding in the barrels could be somewhat scary for little kids. My one dog that sometimes gets scared did shake a little at this part, but she also dozed off a little later in the story too. Reading at the time of night when they have conditioned their bodies as bedtime may not be the best of ideas for them to get to hear the whole story. But hey, what can I say? They are dogs. Hearing my voice reading to them helps them settle in and they usually go to sleep quite easily during or after our readings instead of tossing and turning and panting and being up and down as on some other nights - so it works out well enough. I always recap each story to them when they are awake again so if they really do understand me they can get the gist of the story. :)I was pleased by the author's continuation of the kids being on a mission to find the answer to a riddle in this book. They are looking for answer number 2 of 4 in this book in order to see if they have what it takes to become master librarians. They have to be brave, be able to research, be smart and figure out the answer to 4 riddles before they can move up to becoming master librarians to help Morgan with her magical library. The hats, boots, and the ghost playing the piano were great add-ins for a wild west story. As I mentioned before, the rustlers coming through herding the wild mares along was the somewhat scary adventure point in the story. I was interested in the piece being added about the mare and her cold that was left behind. I especially liked after the rustlers had passed when the colt showed up and Jack reading about how Wild Mustang colts have to be with their mother. The bit about the wild mustang families being close and the bond between the Mare and her young being strong was a great educational element added to the story. It also was a great plot addition. Of course with Jack learning this through his quest for knowledge and always pulling facts out of the books they carry with them on their travels added to Annie's way of bonding with and talking to animals; it led the reader to expect nothing less than Annie and Jack wanting to reunite the colt with his mother. Annie likes to name the animals she meets, and she did so quickly and they were convinced they were going to take "Sunshine" back to his mother. This is added to the could-be scary run-in they have with Slim Cooley who first accuses them of being horse thieves. However, Slim believes them when they say they aren't horse thieves and they tell him of the rustlers who had just gone through the town. The three team up to help take "Sunshine" back to his mother and for Slim to get his mustangs back from the rustlers.When the three of them do make it to where the rustlers are keeping the mustangs, it gets a little intense as Annie stays with Sunshine, Jack stays with Dusty (Slim's horse) and Slim goes in to rescue Sunshine's mother. There are gunshots and the rustlers are mad and they all ride away on horseback as quickly as possible to escape. This is another part I figure may be a little too much conflict or action for some kids to handle. I bet it is scary to some children. However, they make it away safe and sound as usual! I like that the kids sitting at the camp with Slim talk him into letting the wild mustangs go free as they are born to do. He decides to make a positive life change and to become a writer instead. He helps them solve their riddle (not giving them the answer - but letting them find out for themselves that the answer is an echo) and says goodbye. The final piece of great information I liked in this book is that once the kids returned home to Frog Creek, they discovered that the book they were reading that took them to the Old West in the first place was written by Slim Cooley himself.
I read Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne. This book is about Jack and Annie going to the magic tree house and go to ghost town and Jack and Annie became friends to ghost cowboy. Cowboy, Annie, and Jack is try to kill bad cow boy. My favorite part in this book is ghost is playing piano and Jack said "hey" and ghost is stop and try to capture Jack and Annie but ghost cowboy is help Jack and Annie, and I have one more favorite part is Jack and Annie and cowboy is try to find treasure bad cowboy is try to kill Jack and Annie but bad cow boy is dead by accident and Jack and Annie find treasure. I think the reason the author wrote this book was children dream.I connected with this book ghost because I watched scary movie before. I learned this book about you work more then two people surely need team work. Jack,Annie and the cowboy is beat bad cowboy the bud cowboy can't beat the bad cowboy he's self. I recommend this book because I book this book have lot series and this book is teach me a lot. I read this book Ghost Town at Sundown I think this book is awesome because this book is short and I can read easy.
What do You think about Ghost Town At Sundown (2010)?
Loved the adventure of helping save a mare and reuniting her with her colt.And the whole part of inspiring a man to set 'em free and writing. I'm a sucker for the past being written for someone in the future. Like the movie about a son finding out he can talk to his fire fighter father in the past :)I do find it funny that Jack always gives in to Annie. He's the older brother and boys never do that these days. hahaits kinda unrealistic, but who cares about realism in a magical adventure series for kids ;)
—Rubi
Ghost Town at Sundown is about two young children who travel in a magic tree house through time to solve ridles foro the librarian Morgan LeFay, to become master librarians themselves. In this book they travel back to the Wild West to a ghost town and save a wild mustang and her colt from some wranglers. They also had to answer a riddle along the way and by helping out they ended up solving their riddle. I recommend this book for children to explore and learn about past times. It has many facts for children to learn about. It also lets children let their imagination run wild by trying to imagine that they are with Jack and Annie wherever they end up going.
—Staci
Jack and Annie are working on becoming Master Librarians and must solve riddles assigned to them by Morgan le Fay.In this book, the riddle is:...Out of the blue my lonely voice Calls out to you: Who am I? am I?...Jack and Annie travel to the Old West to a town called Rattlesnake Flats. It was a ghost town by 1880. While there, they see wild mustangs and with the help of a cowboy named Slim Cooley, they reunite a colt and his mother. Jack and Annie also meet a cowboy ghost named Lonesome Luke. He played "Red River Valley" on the piano in the saloon.And they found the answer to the riddle: an ECHO!
—Anna
