The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

295 pages

"Something strange is happening at the Clarksville City Zoo. Late at night, monkeys are scaling the walls and searching the neighborhood--but what are they looking for?

Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?" -Dust Jacket

Of course they will. Otherwise there wouldn't be much of a story! I would say this book is good for kids age 5-11. I don't think my tween would have gotten into it. As an adult, I thought it was just okay. I would have liked a little more suspense and more antagonists. The sasquatches just didn't cut it as the only bad guys. My daughter liked that one of the characters has the same name as her. My girls thought it was fun that the kids could ride on the animals. I sort of wished the animals in the secret zoo could talk since the whole story is based on magic anyway. It would have been cool to hear what Blizzard (the polar bear) was thinking, or Podgy (the penguin) when he flew. I liked the monkey chase, which was about the only truly suspenseful part of the book. It's the first in a series and the ending left you with more options for the second book. The Action Scouts have been enlisted to become Crossers--people who can venture between the Inside and the Outside. We'll probably get the next book sometime, although I'm not sure I'll read it out loud to the kids, maybe just let them read it. My youngest seemed into it enough to want me to read it out loud though.