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Rosie and the Dance of the Dinosaurs
Rosie discovers that having nine fingers can be an asset as she faces the challenges of an upcoming piano recital and the absence of her father who moved away to find a new job
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Betty Ren Wright
98 books297 followersBetty Ren Wright was an award-winning author of children's fiction including The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 5, 2021
The 1st Betty Ren Wright book I've read that sadly does not have any ghosts 👻👻 This book was mild on the mystery and definitely for middle-grade readers, but don't listen to the haters! It wa still an enjoyable read!
Basically our protag Rosie gets a coffin-shaped dresser and it belonged to an old dude now dead. In addition to Rosie having nightmares of the old dude trying to come out of the wardrobe (😱😱😱), there is some creeper stalker guy outside her window and signs of someone sneaking in the house when noones home. Hence the MIDNIGHT MYSTERY.
What I do love is that BRW writes in such an endearing and imaginative manner for young adults. Like, the protag talks to her beloved stuffed bear and he talks back, and even though you know this is just an imaginary exchange, its still such a sweet snapshot of childhood 🥺🐻❤
3 out of 5 knocks from INSIDE your coffin shaped dresser....hug your teddy bear a little tighter but not to fear! The mystery is a lot more benign than your old dead dude nightmares.
Basically our protag Rosie gets a coffin-shaped dresser and it belonged to an old dude now dead. In addition to Rosie having nightmares of the old dude trying to come out of the wardrobe (😱😱😱), there is some creeper stalker guy outside her window and signs of someone sneaking in the house when noones home. Hence the MIDNIGHT MYSTERY.
What I do love is that BRW writes in such an endearing and imaginative manner for young adults. Like, the protag talks to her beloved stuffed bear and he talks back, and even though you know this is just an imaginary exchange, its still such a sweet snapshot of childhood 🥺🐻❤
3 out of 5 knocks from INSIDE your coffin shaped dresser....hug your teddy bear a little tighter but not to fear! The mystery is a lot more benign than your old dead dude nightmares.
July 24, 2018
This was originally published as Rosie and The Dance of the Dinosaurs (a title I actually like better)./ Rosie is reeling from her Dad's transfer to Milwaukee for his job, leaving her and her mom behind and upset. She is struggling to play a complex piano piece for an upcoming recital and life. Then to make matters worse, someone is lurking in their yard and been sneaking into their house. A nice solid story of a young girl dealing with big changes in her life.
December 19, 2016
Rosie Carpenter has a lot to worry about. Her father has moved away to work in a better job, but her mother refuses to leave the family home. Her piano recital is coming up, and she is stuck on one particularly tricky section of her piece, The Dance of the Dinosaurs, a problem which she attributes to the fact that she only has nine fingers. On top of these problems, she is also convinced a prowler has been visiting her house. Once she heard the door slam, and another time, she actually saw someone run into the night! More than anything, Rosie just wants things to go back to normal, but she’s convinced that will never happen unless her dad comes home.
The Midnight Mystery by Betty Ren Wright is an Apple paperback published in 1991. The story was originally published in 1989, under the title Rosie and the Dance of the Dinosaurs. While the original title sounded perhaps too juvenile for its intended audience of ages 9 to 12, the 1991 title is even worse because it barely describes what the book is actually about. Almost nothing in the story takes place at midnight, and the mystery is really only one element of Rosie’s life that figures into the plot. I’m not sure what else I would have called the book, given its many disparate storylines, but I think Scholastic could have done a better, or at least more accurate, job of it.
What really got my attention as I was reading the story was how passive and weak Rosie’s mother seemed. The story seems to buy into an antiquated notion that without a man in her life, a woman is completely defenseless. I thought it was strange that Rosie’s mother couldn’t cope with even the smallest problems, like a bat or a mouse getting into the house, and I thought it was equally annoying that she refused to move to Milwaukee with her husband when he got a new job. It is true that Rosie also found these things annoying, but she also seemed to accept them as normal behavior for a woman whose husband is away, and that didn’t feel authentic to me.
The story builds up a fair amount of suspense, but I was disappointed when the prowler’s identity was finally revealed. The big revelation isn’t exciting enough for all the build-up the reader is given. The resolution of the piano recital story line is much more satisfying, and though I didn’t necessarily buy it, I appreciated the effort to shine a ray of hope on the family situation as well. I think the story simply took on too much to be able to tie everything up in a satisfying conclusion.
Betty Ren Wright is 85 years old now, and her most recently published book - Princess for a Week - is already 6 years old. Though I can’t specifically remember reading any of her books as a kid, I do remember her name as an author some of my teachers might have recommended. Her best-known book seems to be The Dollhouse Murders, which actually sounds pretty good to me now, even if I wouldn’t have touched it with a ten-foot pole as a kid. Unfortunately, while many of her titles sound like good, scary horror stories, The Midnight Mystery is about as tame as it could be, and it would be likely to disappoint avid mystery readers and horror fans.
The Midnight Mystery by Betty Ren Wright is an Apple paperback published in 1991. The story was originally published in 1989, under the title Rosie and the Dance of the Dinosaurs. While the original title sounded perhaps too juvenile for its intended audience of ages 9 to 12, the 1991 title is even worse because it barely describes what the book is actually about. Almost nothing in the story takes place at midnight, and the mystery is really only one element of Rosie’s life that figures into the plot. I’m not sure what else I would have called the book, given its many disparate storylines, but I think Scholastic could have done a better, or at least more accurate, job of it.
What really got my attention as I was reading the story was how passive and weak Rosie’s mother seemed. The story seems to buy into an antiquated notion that without a man in her life, a woman is completely defenseless. I thought it was strange that Rosie’s mother couldn’t cope with even the smallest problems, like a bat or a mouse getting into the house, and I thought it was equally annoying that she refused to move to Milwaukee with her husband when he got a new job. It is true that Rosie also found these things annoying, but she also seemed to accept them as normal behavior for a woman whose husband is away, and that didn’t feel authentic to me.
The story builds up a fair amount of suspense, but I was disappointed when the prowler’s identity was finally revealed. The big revelation isn’t exciting enough for all the build-up the reader is given. The resolution of the piano recital story line is much more satisfying, and though I didn’t necessarily buy it, I appreciated the effort to shine a ray of hope on the family situation as well. I think the story simply took on too much to be able to tie everything up in a satisfying conclusion.
Betty Ren Wright is 85 years old now, and her most recently published book - Princess for a Week - is already 6 years old. Though I can’t specifically remember reading any of her books as a kid, I do remember her name as an author some of my teachers might have recommended. Her best-known book seems to be The Dollhouse Murders, which actually sounds pretty good to me now, even if I wouldn’t have touched it with a ten-foot pole as a kid. Unfortunately, while many of her titles sound like good, scary horror stories, The Midnight Mystery is about as tame as it could be, and it would be likely to disappoint avid mystery readers and horror fans.
February 5, 2025
honestly more of a 2.5 but im reading Way outside my age range here. its BRW so its still enjoyable, but this was lacking in the mystery department.
wish there had been a little bit of comeuppance for Mary Jean, wish there had been maybe a second smaller event for Rosie to overcome her disability with
otherwise a fine middlegrade book; discusses family strain due to job responsibilities/layoffs and personal struggles in regards to physical limitations. those both have good messages and are done well for their intended audience so maybe i should rate this higher but i really cant forgive the mid to none mystery 😅
wish there had been a little bit of comeuppance for Mary Jean, wish there had been maybe a second smaller event for Rosie to overcome her disability with
otherwise a fine middlegrade book; discusses family strain due to job responsibilities/layoffs and personal struggles in regards to physical limitations. those both have good messages and are done well for their intended audience so maybe i should rate this higher but i really cant forgive the mid to none mystery 😅
July 12, 2024
This is a charming middle grade book about a girl who is tasked to learn to play a song on a piano for a recital. She struggles to do so because she was born with nine fingers. She also struggles with the absence of her father who lives in a different town. This book is primarily about overcoming obstacles that you face. The mystery is just a little side story.
March 4, 2020
I read this one in the 6th grade, and certain scenes still stick out in my memory.
February 4, 2021
I was disappointed in this one. I was looking for more mystery, but the mystery seemed to be an after-thought. It wasn’t really noticeable.
March 22, 2026
Did not finish. Thought it was going to be scary. Perhaps I’m not the target demographic
August 14, 2012
This was one of the books that scared me the most as a kid. The cover alone made it so I didn't want to camp out in the backyard anymore! Part of the story is the main girl's (I think her name was Rosie) struggle with learning to play a piano piece with only nine fingers.
The mystery comes in when Rosie sees a figure sneaking around her yard at night. Someone also goes through her stuff...
The mystery comes in when Rosie sees a figure sneaking around her yard at night. Someone also goes through her stuff...
October 14, 2016
This book covered many emotions: fear, jealousy, friendship, embarrassment, family stresses, dreams and school angst. Great book for such a short one. It should be a good one to keep a young person interested.
July 23, 2023
Very charming story!
March 29, 2008
"It was hard for Rosie because she didn't believe in herself"
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews