Hurricane Heroes in Texas Read online

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  This is a work of fiction. All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical and public figures, are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical or public figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2018 by Mary Pope Osborne

  Cover art and interior illustrations copyright © 2018 by AG Ford

  Excerpt from Texas copyright © 2018 by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks and A Stepping Stone Book and the colophon are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Magic Tree House is a registered trademark of Mary Pope Osborne; used under license.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Osborne, Mary Pope, author. | Ford, AG, illustrator.

  Title: Hurricane heroes in Texas / by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by AG Ford.

  Description: New York : Random House, [2018] | Series: Magic tree house ; #30 |

  Summary: “Jack and Annie travel in the magic tree house to Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900—the day of the worst natural disaster in US history”—Provided by publisher.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017049749 | ISBN 978-1-5247-1312-6 (trade) | ISBN 978-1-5247-1313-3 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 978-1-5247-1314-0 (ebook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Time travel—Fiction. | Hurricanes—Texas—Galveston—History—20th century—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | Tree houses—Fiction. | Galveston (Tex.)—History—20th century—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.O81167 Hum 2018 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  This book has been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System.

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

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  To all volunteers and first responders who rush forward to help others

  Cover

  Magic Tree House® Levels

  Other Titles

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Author’s Note

  Prologue

  1. Lone Star State

  2. Welcome to Galveston!

  3. Seek High Ground!

  4. The Flood

  5. Rose and Lily

  6. Escape

  7. A Safe Place

  8. Lighting the Way

  9. It’s Gone

  10. Hurricane Heroes

  Excerpt from Texas

  About the Author

  Dear Reader,

  In the summer of 2017, I began writing a book about the most devastating hurricane in the history of the United States. It happened in Galveston, Texas, in 1900. As I wrote about the monster hurricane, Texas was hit by another dangerous storm: Hurricane Harvey. Like Galveston more than a hundred years before, the people of Texas were slammed with powerful winds, record rainfall, and life-threatening floods. I could hardly believe it was all happening again—and just when I was writing this book! Both events were terrible disasters, but it is from tragedy that heroes rise. This book is inspired by the hope and courage of Texans.

  One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods. It was filled with books. A boy named Jack and his sister, Annie, found the tree house and soon discovered that it was magic. They could go to any time and place in history just by pointing to a picture in one of the books. While they were gone, no time at all passed back in Frog Creek.

  Jack and Annie eventually found out that the tree house belonged to Morgan le Fay, a magical librarian from the legendary realm of Camelot. Since then, they have traveled on many adventures in the magic tree house and completed many missions for Morgan.

  In Magic Tree House books #29–32, Morgan has given Jack and Annie a new challenge: they must learn important truths from heroes who have helped the world.

  On their last adventure, Jack and Annie learned a great lesson from baseball star Jackie Robinson. Now they are about to find out where Morgan will send them next….

  Jack and Annie sat on their front porch. They were waiting for their mom to take them to baseball practice.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  Raindrops spattered on the porch steps. A strong breeze shook the tree leaves.

  “Uh-oh,” said Annie. “Do you think a storm is coming?”

  “I can’t tell,” said Jack, looking up at the clouds.

  “Sorry, kids,” their mom called from inside. �
��Coach Dave just emailed—no practice today.”

  “Darn,” said Jack.

  “That’s okay,” said Annie. “Now we can go to the woods.”

  “The woods?” said Jack. “Why?”

  “I woke up with a feeling,” Annie said in a hushed voice. “Something really important is going to happen today. I thought it was baseball practice, like maybe I’d hit a home run or something. But now…” She smiled at Jack.

  “Really? You think…?” he said.

  “Yes! Hold on! I’ll get our stuff.” Annie hurried inside.

  A moment later, she returned with two small umbrellas and Jack’s backpack. She handed over the pack and one of the umbrellas. “Mom says as long as there’s no thunder and lightning, we can take a walk.”

  “Great,” said Jack. He pulled on his pack. “To the woods!”

  “To the tree house!” said Annie.

  Jack and Annie opened their umbrellas and headed out into the rain. They ran down the sidewalk, across the street, and into the misty Frog Creek woods.

  Raindrops fell softly as they hurried between the trees. The air smelled of wet leaves and damp earth.

  Finally, Jack and Annie came to the tallest oak in the woods.

  “Yay,” Jack whispered.

  Annie laughed. “Glad it rained today?”

  “Totally,” said Jack. He and Annie folded their umbrellas and climbed up the rope ladder.

  The magic tree house was dry and shadowy inside. A book was lying on the floor. A purple leather bookmark was sticking out from between the pages.

  Lying on top of the book was a necklace. It had a thin gold chain and a glass star. The star was no bigger than a penny. It gave off a soft yellow glow.

  “Wow, a little star!” said Annie, picking up the necklace. “I wonder what it’s for.”

  “Yeah, and where are we going?” asked Jack. He picked up the book.

  The cover showed a red, white, and blue flag with one big star. The title said:

  A History of Texas:

  The Lone Star State

  “Great. Back to Texas!” said Jack.

  “I love Texas,” said Annie. “Remember when we met Slim and saved Dusty’s colt?”

  “Yup,” Jack said in a low voice. Annie laughed. Jack was imitating their cowboy friend, Slim.

  Jack turned to the page with the purple bookmark. He and Annie looked at an old black-and-white photo of a city by the ocean.

  “Galveston, Texas,” read Annie. “I’ve heard of that city.”

  “Me too,” said Jack. “Did Morgan leave us a note?”

  “I don’t see one,” said Annie. “Is anything written on the back of the bookmark?”

  Jack turned the bookmark over. “Yes!” he said. Tiny writing was painted on the leather. He read aloud:

  The place you must go

  On this late summer day

  Is an island in Texas

  Between Gulf and bay.

  “We’re here to help!”

  Is what you must say.

  “Seek high ground now!

  Do not delay!”

  Jack looked up. “Why do people need help?” he asked. “And why should they seek high ground?”

  “Good questions,” said Annie. “Keep reading.”

  Jack read the next part:

  For those in the dark,

  Adrift and astray,

  A single bright star

  Can show them the way.

  “So that must explain this,” said Annie. She held up the necklace with the star.

  “But it’s so small,” said Jack. “And it’s not really bright. How can it show the way to anything?”

  “Go on, read the last part,” said Annie.

  Jack read the last lines of the rhyme:

  Learn from a hero

  Who is humble and brave,

  Who welcomes the hundreds

  Arriving on waves.

  “What does that mean?” asked Jack.

  “I don’t know,” said Annie. “Let’s go to Texas and find out all the answers.” She hung the star necklace around her neck.

  “Wait—do we have our Pennsylvania book to help us get back home?” said Jack. They looked around the tree house.

  “There—” said Annie. She pointed to the Pennsylvania book, in a shadowy corner.

  “Okay, all set,” said Jack. He placed his finger on the picture of Galveston, Texas.

  “I wish we could go there!” he said.

  The wind started to blow.

  The tree house started to spin.

  It spun faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  Soft rain fell on the roof of the tree house. A gentle breeze shook the tree leaves outside.

  “Old-fashioned clothes,” said Annie.

  She and Jack were both wearing stockings, leather shoes, and shirts with sailor collars. Annie wore a cotton skirt, and Jack wore knee pants. Their two small umbrellas had changed into one large black umbrella with a bamboo handle. Jack’s backpack was now a thick canvas knapsack.

  “We wore clothes like these when we went to San Francisco in 1906,” said Jack. “Maybe we’ve come to the same time.”

  He and Annie looked out the window.

  The tree house had landed in a spreading oak tree in someone’s backyard. From the window, Jack and Annie could see all the way across the city of Galveston. They saw wooden houses, fancy-looking mansions, stables and barns, horse buggies, and street trolleys.

  “This could definitely be the early 1900s,” said Annie. “No cars or trucks anywhere.”

  “Right,” said Jack. He pulled out their Texas book and found Galveston in the index. He read aloud:

  The city of Galveston, Texas, was built on a long, narrow island between the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay.

  “Exactly what our rhyme says—an island in Texas between Gulf and bay,” said Annie.

  Jack kept reading:

  In the late 1800s, Galveston was the third busiest seaport in the United States. Ships from all over the world docked there. The thriving city had almost 40,000 residents. It was also a popular tourist resort.

  “That’s us—a couple of tourists,” said Annie. “Come on. Let’s explore the city.”

  “Okay,” said Jack. “But the main thing we have to do is find the people Morgan wants us to help.”

  Jack put their Texas book in his knapsack. Annie grabbed their old-fashioned umbrella.

  “Wow, this is heavy!” she said.

  “Toss it to the ground,” Jack said.

  Annie lowered the long folded umbrella out the window and dropped it. Then she and Jack climbed down the rope ladder. As they stepped onto the soggy grass, the rain fell harder.

  Jack picked up the umbrella and opened it. It was heavy! And awkward! But its black canopy easily covered both of them.

  “Hey, people are home in that house,” said Annie. “Hear them?”

  Not far from the oak tree was a blue house with a wide front porch. It was set about five feet off the ground on brick pillars.

  From an open window came the cries of a baby, and then a woman’s voice singing:

  Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.

  Papa’s going to buy you a mockingbird….

  “She has a pretty voice,” said Annie.

  “Yeah, but let’s hurry out of her yard before she discovers us—and the tree house,” said Jack.

  Holding the huge umbrella over them, Jack walked with Annie to the gate of an iron fence. Then they slipped out of the yard onto a street.

  “Look, we’re on Avenue L,” said Jack, pointing to a street sign. “When it�
��s time to get back to the tree house, we’ll need to come back here.”

  “Got it,” said Annie. “Blue house, iron fence, Avenue L.”

  Rain pelted their umbrella as Jack and Annie started down the avenue. The street was lined with spreading oaks and wooden houses. Nearly all the houses had wide front porches and were set on brick pillars. Small children were playing in rain puddles.

  A gust of wind nearly ripped the umbrella out of Jack’s hands. The wind blew the rain sideways, soaking their clothes. A horse and buggy clattered past, and mud spattered their shoes and stockings.

  “Yikes, let’s get inside somewhere,” said Annie.

  “Good idea,” said Jack.

  Jack and Annie walked faster, until they turned the corner of Avenue L and 25th Street. Heading down 25th, they passed a blacksmith shop, a shoemaker, and a hatmaker.

  Annie stopped in front of the Lone Star Café.

  “Should we go in there?” she asked.

  “Yes!” said Jack, and he closed their huge umbrella.

  A bell jangled over the door as Jack and Annie entered the crowded café. The warm, damp room smelled of coffee and bacon.

  Jack and Annie sat at a table near a rain-streaked window. They watched others hurry into the café—men in cowboy hats and suits and women in flowered bonnets and long skirts. Everyone seemed cheerful as they shook the rain from their umbrellas and hats.

  “So who exactly are we supposed to help in Galveston?” said Jack. “And where’s ‘high ground’?”

  “I’ll ask,” said Annie. She turned to a gray-haired couple at the table next to them. “Excuse me, where is ‘high ground’ in Galveston?”

  “ ‘High ground’ is that way, missy,” said the elderly man, pointing to the right. “We call it ‘uptown.’ ”

  “The lowest ground is along the Strand,” said the woman in a squeaky voice. She pointed to the left. “It’s the street that runs beside the Gulf. But that’s a funny question. You’re not from here, are you?”