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The Secret Zoo #1
The Secret Zoo
When three friends link a girl's disappearance to unusual activity at their local zoo, they discover that each exhibit holds a hidden passage to a secret zoo kingdom. To rescue their friend, the children must band with the animals, enter this mysterious world, and embark on an exciting adventure in the first book of an epic series for middle-grade readers.
295 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2007
12101 people are currently reading
4014 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Chick
21 books147 followersThe idea of The Secret Zoo came to me when I was just nine years old. I wondered what it would be like if zoo exhibits had secret passages that allowed kids to get in and animals to get out. Over twenty years, this idea matured in complexity and length until it had become an epic story, to be told in ten full-length novels. When I'm not exploring the worlds in my head, I spend time speaking to likeminded peers at elementary schools across the nation. If you would like me to come visit your school, please contact info@BryanChick.com for more information or go to www.TheSecretZoo.com. Come visit my Facebook page at for updates at www.facebook.com/TheSecretZoo
Thanks for checking out my books!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 705 reviews
November 9, 2011
While my children hung on every word of this book when I read it to them, I have reservations about recommending it to friends. I have been spoiled by high quality children's literature, so I was very disappointed by the lackluster character development, the excessive use of the term "rear end," and several aspects of the plot. It read like a bad children's movie, the kind that goes straight to DVD. That being said, my children are dying to hear the second volume.
April 17, 2017
cute, full of animals & mystery & magic.
January 16, 2021
Enjoyed!
March 17, 2009
I lead a book club with my son's class each year. He is in 4th grade. Our group read The Secret Zoo this winter. All 7 kids loved it! I assigned pages each week and they complained every week about having to wait to read on. They stopped me in the halls to discuss what they thought was going to happen next.
They story is unique and very well told. While some parents may be put off by the "missing child" in the beginning of the story, we must remember that adult imagination is far more dark than a child's imagination when it comes to that topic - it never occurred to my group that she wouldn't be found, safe and sound. They were more excited about how she would be found. The vivid descriptions get the kids started in the right direction, but then let imagination take over.
The 4 heroes of book have traits with which every kid can identify. The characters bring a lot of humor to the books, especially Ella and Richie. My son was laughing out loud at times. The resolution is intense, but the humor and quick pace keeps it from getting too frightening.
The concept of the story really intrigued my group. I know when I took my son to the zoo a couple weeks after reading it, he found all sorts of potentials "secret zoo" entrances.
So, I have 7 kids anxiously awaiting the start of book club next year so they can find out what the Adventure Scouts are up to next. They've passed the book on to friends so my book club may be a little larger next year! Kids excited about reading - isn't that every parents dream?!
FYI - I also read The Secret Zoo aloud to my 1st grader and she loved it, too!
They story is unique and very well told. While some parents may be put off by the "missing child" in the beginning of the story, we must remember that adult imagination is far more dark than a child's imagination when it comes to that topic - it never occurred to my group that she wouldn't be found, safe and sound. They were more excited about how she would be found. The vivid descriptions get the kids started in the right direction, but then let imagination take over.
The 4 heroes of book have traits with which every kid can identify. The characters bring a lot of humor to the books, especially Ella and Richie. My son was laughing out loud at times. The resolution is intense, but the humor and quick pace keeps it from getting too frightening.
The concept of the story really intrigued my group. I know when I took my son to the zoo a couple weeks after reading it, he found all sorts of potentials "secret zoo" entrances.
So, I have 7 kids anxiously awaiting the start of book club next year so they can find out what the Adventure Scouts are up to next. They've passed the book on to friends so my book club may be a little larger next year! Kids excited about reading - isn't that every parents dream?!
FYI - I also read The Secret Zoo aloud to my 1st grader and she loved it, too!
February 18, 2009
I am a third grade teacher, and I read this book to my class. It was an absolute hit...and we can't wait for the second book to be published. The adventure that transpires throughout the book is magical and amazing! Bryan's vivid descriptions allow you to visualize each scene and be part of the action! All of my students LOVED this book...and thought Bryan was the most awesome author ever! We had the opportunity to have him come and speak to our 3-5 graders, and he gave such a powerful message to the children. Imagination when you are younger involves pretending through play, and when you get older you imagination has a new home...playing with a pencil and paper to make your imagination come alive through writing! What a great message to send to all children! I would encourage all children to read this book...and to invite Bryan to your school!
March 11, 2021
The Dreaded One-Star Rating!
I think this was written by an actual child. An early indication of this is when Ella describes her slippers:
In his profile, the author says the idea for this series came to him when he was nine years old and while reading this I wondered if maybe that's when he wrote it, too. I'm not trying to be mean; I think he does have a potential idea. Unfortunately, it wasn't written very well and in fact made me laugh out loud on several occasions because of inconsistencies and strange, unnecessary details.
First of all, the plot was largely hidden behind too much action and little character development. If I were a younger person reading this I might not be bothered by how fast everything was happening without anything actually happening, but I am not a younger person. The timing was a mess. Another mess was all the bad metaphors and random descriptions of things that are common knowledge--like ghosts and why zoos are closed at night. Why do we need an explanation of what a ghost is as if no one knows? This is a book written for children, but childen aren't this dumb?
Probably the hardest obstacle to overcome was the frequent changes in point of view. The chapters are very short to begin with but that's not a problem in-and-of-itself. The problem was the fact that each of these short chapters jumped back and forth between Noah and Ella as narrators. I can see having a few chapters for one character and then switching to the other, but it was insanely asinine to read a few paragraphs of one scene and then abruptly switching over to another scene with totally different characters within three pages. I think it was supposed to be suspenseful and full of cliff-hangers to keep you excited, but it made me want to tear my hair out.
After reading this, I am seriously confused about several things:
1. Where are all the adults? We never meet Noah's parents. Not one time. Adults are nothing but plot-devices. Apparently no one cares that their kids keep disappearing after school to visit the zoo and don't think to ask where they've been or seem all that concerned by Noah or Ella or Richie staying overnight in the zoo even though Megan has been missing.
2. Do the kids have accents? More than once the spelling of common words were shortened to drawl (like your to yer and you to ya). The spellings were inconsistent and every once in a while another character (including in a message Noah reads) reverts to using texting acronyms. I honestly can't tell if this is supposed to be a physical trait or is simply the author trying to appeal to kids growing up in a media-driven generation.
3. Does this take place in the real world, or does it take place in a world where superpowers are real? Does Ella have magic? This might seem like an odd question to ask, but there's this part in the book where Ella does this:
4. How much does Podge weigh? Is he a superhero? When we first meet Podge the penguin, Noah describes him as looking around "sixty pounds." Later on he must have forgotten because he asks Podge how much he weighs. Then despite being "a fat bird who couldn't fly" he carries at least two kids on his back and learns how to fly, which adds to my earlier question about superpowers.
5. Where can I buy Richie's shoes? Three times Richie's shoes are hit by the sun, "causing his running shoes to reflect the sunlight" and are so disarming the bad guys are blinded for minutes.
6. What does this mean:
I only kept reading for the laughs I got out of the writing. If there were more plot and maybe written by another person I think maybe this idea is a good one? I can't tell anymore.
I think this was written by an actual child. An early indication of this is when Ella describes her slippers:
...they were like two pink Chihuahuas begging for a snack.A funny image, certainly, but not good writing.
In his profile, the author says the idea for this series came to him when he was nine years old and while reading this I wondered if maybe that's when he wrote it, too. I'm not trying to be mean; I think he does have a potential idea. Unfortunately, it wasn't written very well and in fact made me laugh out loud on several occasions because of inconsistencies and strange, unnecessary details.
First of all, the plot was largely hidden behind too much action and little character development. If I were a younger person reading this I might not be bothered by how fast everything was happening without anything actually happening, but I am not a younger person. The timing was a mess. Another mess was all the bad metaphors and random descriptions of things that are common knowledge--like ghosts and why zoos are closed at night. Why do we need an explanation of what a ghost is as if no one knows? This is a book written for children, but childen aren't this dumb?
Probably the hardest obstacle to overcome was the frequent changes in point of view. The chapters are very short to begin with but that's not a problem in-and-of-itself. The problem was the fact that each of these short chapters jumped back and forth between Noah and Ella as narrators. I can see having a few chapters for one character and then switching to the other, but it was insanely asinine to read a few paragraphs of one scene and then abruptly switching over to another scene with totally different characters within three pages. I think it was supposed to be suspenseful and full of cliff-hangers to keep you excited, but it made me want to tear my hair out.
After reading this, I am seriously confused about several things:
1. Where are all the adults? We never meet Noah's parents. Not one time. Adults are nothing but plot-devices. Apparently no one cares that their kids keep disappearing after school to visit the zoo and don't think to ask where they've been or seem all that concerned by Noah or Ella or Richie staying overnight in the zoo even though Megan has been missing.
2. Do the kids have accents? More than once the spelling of common words were shortened to drawl (like your to yer and you to ya). The spellings were inconsistent and every once in a while another character (including in a message Noah reads) reverts to using texting acronyms. I honestly can't tell if this is supposed to be a physical trait or is simply the author trying to appeal to kids growing up in a media-driven generation.
3. Does this take place in the real world, or does it take place in a world where superpowers are real? Does Ella have magic? This might seem like an odd question to ask, but there's this part in the book where Ella does this:
With the grace of a gymnast, she jumped, twirled, kicked, and heaved her way up the tree. Within seconds, she reached the branch twenty feet in the air.(In all seriousness this was my favorite part in the whole book. It had me laughing for days because you can't tell me that's not crazy.)
4. How much does Podge weigh? Is he a superhero? When we first meet Podge the penguin, Noah describes him as looking around "sixty pounds." Later on he must have forgotten because he asks Podge how much he weighs. Then despite being "a fat bird who couldn't fly" he carries at least two kids on his back and learns how to fly, which adds to my earlier question about superpowers.
5. Where can I buy Richie's shoes? Three times Richie's shoes are hit by the sun, "causing his running shoes to reflect the sunlight" and are so disarming the bad guys are blinded for minutes.
6. What does this mean:
"[Ella] would see Little Bighorn again. She would see a lot of him indeed.1.5/5
I only kept reading for the laughs I got out of the writing. If there were more plot and maybe written by another person I think maybe this idea is a good one? I can't tell anymore.
October 9, 2019
I liked it at the start but got brunt out towards the middle the concept is really good, but it may also be one of those books that are good at the beginning but are bad in the middle and get better.
June 3, 2021
AR POINTS: 7.0 READING LEVEL: 4.7
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What a great introduction to fantasy adventure reading for kids age 8-12, grades 3-7. This is the first of six in The Secret Zoo Series. I purchased this first book for one of my grandies. If she enjoys it, then we'll see about getting the rest of the series.
Megan has gone missing, and has been missing now for three weeks. Megan and her older brother, Noah, live right next to the Clarksville City Zoo, with a fourteen foot tall brick wall between their house and the zoo. They have built a clubhouse 25 feet up into the tree so they are able to watch the zoo animals anytime they want.
For some reason, Megan begins to secretly visit the zoo, studying and taking notes on all the different animals in different parts of the zoo near closing time when she suddenly disappears.
Noah is visited in the middle of the night by a strange Kingfisher bird named Marlo who leaves a note for him to visit Mr. Tall Tail, the monkey at the zoo. From there he begins to receive bits and pieces of notes written by Megan on her special stationary from different zoo animals that send clues to his sister's last whereabouts. Noah is convinced that the zoo animals have something to do with Megan's disappearance. But he will need the help of their best friends, Ella and Ritchie.
They discover that inside the zoo are tunnels that lead to a whole new mystical secret zoo deep inside. There, people and animals all get along. There, they discover animals that were supposedly extinct but were alive and well. There, they are able to communicate with the animals. Megan could be anywhere inside this Secret Zoo, but their greatest fear is that she could have ended up inside the Dark Lands, which has been sealed closed with the vicious sasquatches, for over eighty years. Noah and his friends would enter the Dark Lands, risking their very own lives in hopes of finding Megan.
What kid wouldn’t love an adventure like this one? There was a fairly slow spell at the end of the book. The author was a little long-winded in explaining the history of the Secret Zoo and how it came about. But, if a kid can get past that and back onto the adventure, then good to go.
--------------------
What a great introduction to fantasy adventure reading for kids age 8-12, grades 3-7. This is the first of six in The Secret Zoo Series. I purchased this first book for one of my grandies. If she enjoys it, then we'll see about getting the rest of the series.
Megan has gone missing, and has been missing now for three weeks. Megan and her older brother, Noah, live right next to the Clarksville City Zoo, with a fourteen foot tall brick wall between their house and the zoo. They have built a clubhouse 25 feet up into the tree so they are able to watch the zoo animals anytime they want.
For some reason, Megan begins to secretly visit the zoo, studying and taking notes on all the different animals in different parts of the zoo near closing time when she suddenly disappears.
Noah is visited in the middle of the night by a strange Kingfisher bird named Marlo who leaves a note for him to visit Mr. Tall Tail, the monkey at the zoo. From there he begins to receive bits and pieces of notes written by Megan on her special stationary from different zoo animals that send clues to his sister's last whereabouts. Noah is convinced that the zoo animals have something to do with Megan's disappearance. But he will need the help of their best friends, Ella and Ritchie.
They discover that inside the zoo are tunnels that lead to a whole new mystical secret zoo deep inside. There, people and animals all get along. There, they discover animals that were supposedly extinct but were alive and well. There, they are able to communicate with the animals. Megan could be anywhere inside this Secret Zoo, but their greatest fear is that she could have ended up inside the Dark Lands, which has been sealed closed with the vicious sasquatches, for over eighty years. Noah and his friends would enter the Dark Lands, risking their very own lives in hopes of finding Megan.
What kid wouldn’t love an adventure like this one? There was a fairly slow spell at the end of the book. The author was a little long-winded in explaining the history of the Secret Zoo and how it came about. But, if a kid can get past that and back onto the adventure, then good to go.
September 21, 2020
295 pgs. This book is full of fantasy and adventure for some elementary kids who discover the local zoo has more to offer than they ever imagined. When Noah's sister Megan goes missing, the community is shocked and saddened. It seems no one can find her and there is no hope. Noah will not give in to despair. He is committed to finding his sister and will not let anything stop him. The beginning and end of the book were quite exciting. The middle will drag a bit...but don't give up. Keep reading. You will love the descriptive writing style of the author. I am happy to promote this one to fifth-graders - boys and girls alike. You will get carried away with all the animal antics and amazing things that will take place...all from Mr. Chick's imagination. I can't wait to read book 2...
August 15, 2022
Noah's younger sister, Ella, has been missing for three weeks. The entire town has been looking for her with no success. Noah and his friends, Richie and Ella, have seen some strange happening from the Clarksville City Zoo, and they suspect that Ella may be hidden somewhere in the Zoo. So the three friends known as the Action Scouts begin to search the zoo late at night. With help from some of the animals, the Action Scouts discover an underground secret zoo! Will they find Ella before it's too late?
I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this marvelous mystery inside a zoo that is filled with animals of all descriptions, mysterious hidden paths, dangerous tunnels and caves, lots of fantasy, and tons of excitement. This is the first in a 6 book series that I believe middle schoolers and junior high students would absolutely enjoy.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this marvelous mystery inside a zoo that is filled with animals of all descriptions, mysterious hidden paths, dangerous tunnels and caves, lots of fantasy, and tons of excitement. This is the first in a 6 book series that I believe middle schoolers and junior high students would absolutely enjoy.
August 21, 2011
Chick, Bryan. The Secret Zoo. New York, NY: Harper Collins (Grenwillow Books), 2011. Print. pp310
OMG!!!!!!!!!When your sister gets lost in the middle of the night, what would you do? Well, Noah’s sister Megan has disappeared somewhere during the middle of the night. They have been trying to find her for many days but could never find a trace of her anywhere. The Secret Zoo by Brian Chick is a mystery packed thrilling book which for my opinion is an amazing book. So the story started like that Megan Noah’s sister missing. So Noah thought that the Clarksville City Zoo which was a couple minutes down the street had to do with his sister’s disappearance because she told him that she saw monkeys escape from the zoo. Noah didn’t believe her but when he thought of it him and his friends Ella and Richie “The Action Scouts”, went to the zoo and started to investigate. Later they figured out that the animals were leaving cryptic notes from Megan’s diary to them and they were actually clues to help find Megan. Some animals that helped them were a rare bird called Marlo, a Polar Bear called Blizzard, a Penguin called Podgy, a Rhino named Little Bighorn and some Prairie Dogs. During they were on this adventure I felt like I was in the book with them which was cool. As the story goes on they get closer and closer to find Megan. These Zoo security guards where trying to stop them from going any further. Then one security guard named Tank was pretending to be bad but he was good and told them to get on the “Inside:” .They kept following the clues until they found secret curtains In their exhibits and they thought it was decoration but when they went inside they got shocked on what they found. It was a secret city filled with people and animals, and then there were police monkeys that were chasing them with one of the security guards. They got chased to the Forest of Flight where all the birds lived including Marlo. Suddenly al the birds flew around and started to help them, escape from the monkeys. When they escaped they were confronted by Tank and this guy named Mr. Darby which is the guy who knew the answers to where to find Megan. First he told the story of how the Secret Zoo was made and where could Megan is. He thought that she was trapped in the bad realm where the mythical creatures the Sasquatches live. So they planned a meeting with all the animals to get in the bad realm but I can’t tell you the rest because you have to read yourself to find out. Some hints are that they get in the bad realms and confront the sasquatches and it is a really fun part of the book. This book is sort of the Harry Potter series or the Percy Jackson series because it involves fantasy and creatures.
This book is a part of the series, and right now there are two books in the series; this one and the second one is called The Secret Zoo: Secrets and Shadows. I think that the author Bryan Chick is also making a third one which is so cool! The author Bryan Chick had originally had the idea for this book when he was only nine years old. He wondered what would happen if zoo exhibits had secret doors that allowed children to go inside and also animals to come outside which happened in the story. He lives with his family in Clarkston, Michigan. You can go online at www.thesceretzoo.com to check more stuff about the series. I liked this book because it was always exciting and something would always happen. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and mystery types of books.
October 23, 2020
This was a very tedious read. The tone is very immature and my 10/11 year-old and I spent most of the book rolling our eyes at how ridiculous it was. The writing style itself is horrendous, in my opinion, and as I narrated it for him (we read together), I often skipped entire paragraphs and paraphrased sentences.
First, every chapter ends on some type of cliffhanger, and mind you, the chapters are only 1-3 pages long. Oy! EVERYTHING is so exaggerated and drawn out that it's absolutely asinine. For example, every time the characters found a scrap of paper, you had to wait until the next chapter or two to find out what it said. This wouldn't be major except that they find about 5+ notes like this before you even get anywhere in the plot! It takes about 3 chapters for the main character to get a message from the mailbox, despite him standing there the entire time in the middle of the night. The author drew the scene out so long that by the time the message is delivered, you're completely over it.
The "secret zoo" concept was a lot more interesting than the actual delivery. When it is FINALLY revealed, it is a giant flop; completely impractical and not even remotely interesting. The explanation on how it came about is unrealistic and inconsistent. The author apparently wanted to smash a dozen different plots and ideas into one story and the result is an incomprehensible storyline that has no real climax. The entire format of the story is a jumbled roller coaster without any direction. In the end, the main characters are saved by willing their penguin friend to fly (*insert giant eye rolls from both myself and my son here*) This might have been something I'd be willing to accept, if not for the fact that they're supposed to be real, earthly animals, not fantastical creatures.
Overall, if your kid is young enough, they might forgive the flaws and enjoy the story despite its canned and bland humor, non-existent character development and bogus afterthought additions to the plot. My younger 7 year-old daughter listened to the audiobook on Audible and enjoyed it (though I personally disliked the narrator) and she thought it was ok, but was not at all interested in reading the sequel.
First, every chapter ends on some type of cliffhanger, and mind you, the chapters are only 1-3 pages long. Oy! EVERYTHING is so exaggerated and drawn out that it's absolutely asinine. For example, every time the characters found a scrap of paper, you had to wait until the next chapter or two to find out what it said. This wouldn't be major except that they find about 5+ notes like this before you even get anywhere in the plot! It takes about 3 chapters for the main character to get a message from the mailbox, despite him standing there the entire time in the middle of the night. The author drew the scene out so long that by the time the message is delivered, you're completely over it.
The "secret zoo" concept was a lot more interesting than the actual delivery. When it is FINALLY revealed, it is a giant flop; completely impractical and not even remotely interesting. The explanation on how it came about is unrealistic and inconsistent. The author apparently wanted to smash a dozen different plots and ideas into one story and the result is an incomprehensible storyline that has no real climax. The entire format of the story is a jumbled roller coaster without any direction. In the end, the main characters are saved by willing their penguin friend to fly (*insert giant eye rolls from both myself and my son here*) This might have been something I'd be willing to accept, if not for the fact that they're supposed to be real, earthly animals, not fantastical creatures.
Overall, if your kid is young enough, they might forgive the flaws and enjoy the story despite its canned and bland humor, non-existent character development and bogus afterthought additions to the plot. My younger 7 year-old daughter listened to the audiobook on Audible and enjoyed it (though I personally disliked the narrator) and she thought it was ok, but was not at all interested in reading the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2014
It's just a sweet book for young adults about a group of kids who stumble across secrets at the zoo. There are friendly animals-like Podgy the penguin who can fly, Dodie the Dodo bird, Blizzard the Polar Bear and Little BigHorn the Rhino to name a few. It's fun to see Noah set out to rescue his missing sister Megan after she mysteriously disappears leaving only a few clues behind. His friends Ella and Richie join him on the adventure into a new amazing world hidden below the neighboring zoo.
This book stands alone, but is a great opening to the series. It's appropriate for the young reader about the 8-12 range though an early advance reader would enjoy it too. It was easy for an adult like me to whip through the easy to read and understand writing and the easy to follow plot. But I still enjoyed it!
This book stands alone, but is a great opening to the series. It's appropriate for the young reader about the 8-12 range though an early advance reader would enjoy it too. It was easy for an adult like me to whip through the easy to read and understand writing and the easy to follow plot. But I still enjoyed it!
March 7, 2011
This was such a fun adventurous story. It is all about a zoo but not just any ordinary zoo it is the Secret Zoo. The heroes of the story are both the children and the animals. Each with their own special abilities. I love the authors vivid descriptions of the animals habitats and especially the one of the Forest of Flight. It is just like I would picture it to be when at the zoo. I also loved the fact that these were not talking animals but they sure do say a lot in their own way. Some may be put off by the fact that there is a missing girl but the resolution turns out just fine. Although this is the first in a series it did not end leaving the reader hanging.
March 4, 2024
We rushed through this book because the author is coming to visit our school this month. We read some at home and we listened to some in the car. Boys 7 & 9 loved the audio recording on Audible, and they got really into the characters. I personally loved the message of protecting and loving your siblings above all else.
March 25, 2022
I have been looking for new books lately and my 9-year-old gave me this one and said she loved it and I should read it too. She also wants the other book in the series. After this one, I will be getting the rest for her lol. Can see why kids love it so much, who doesn't love animals? Good pace, easy to read, and an easy to follow. Fun twists along the way for the younger crowd too. Has a little dark side to it as well, in case any parent is reading it to their kids, so they have something to keep them interested as well.
September 29, 2025
I read this because I needed a younger kids book for a genre reading challenge. Im so glad I choose this book!! Its adorable, sweet, funny, and caught my attention quickly. Full of animals, magic, and whimsy 💚
April 20, 2025
Read this to my son (5yo). It was okay, the writing was very choppy and didn’t flow very well, which made it frustrating to read. It felt a bit like walking with mud on your shoes. But he liked the story line and enjoyed, so 3 out of 5.
April 3, 2020
Cute story full of mystery and magic. Whole family really enjoyed it
July 4, 2011
Noah, his sister Megan, and friends Richie and Ellie built their Action Scouts clubhouse in a tree in Noah and Megan's backyard, next to the Clarksville City Zoo. One night when Megan believes she spies monkeys atop neighborhood roofs, she becomes very curious and begins a journal. And then Megan mysteriously disappears.
Just when Noah believes he will never see his sister again, a bright blue bird leaves him a message to visit the monkeys at the zoo. More clues and pieces from his sister's journal lead Noah to believe his sister had been observing the zoo before disappearing there. With the help of the other Action Scouts, Noah begins to search the zoo and observe the puzzling behaviors of the animals. A tip from a zoo worker and some of those unique animal behaviors help the Action Scouts enter a separate and different zoo--the hidden zoo.
A cleverly different adventure story, it is definitely action-driven. The reader will not find much character development, but there is a story here of friendship and sibling relationships. And even the animals have personality! Character development aside, there's a lot to like in this book and readers who favor adventure stories will be pulled in by the suspense, especially in the portion of the book that has two storylines going in alternating chapters, and by the interaction of the animals with the humans. And they will want to know about the mysterious character in the shadows--what does he want?
Just when Noah believes he will never see his sister again, a bright blue bird leaves him a message to visit the monkeys at the zoo. More clues and pieces from his sister's journal lead Noah to believe his sister had been observing the zoo before disappearing there. With the help of the other Action Scouts, Noah begins to search the zoo and observe the puzzling behaviors of the animals. A tip from a zoo worker and some of those unique animal behaviors help the Action Scouts enter a separate and different zoo--the hidden zoo.
A cleverly different adventure story, it is definitely action-driven. The reader will not find much character development, but there is a story here of friendship and sibling relationships. And even the animals have personality! Character development aside, there's a lot to like in this book and readers who favor adventure stories will be pulled in by the suspense, especially in the portion of the book that has two storylines going in alternating chapters, and by the interaction of the animals with the humans. And they will want to know about the mysterious character in the shadows--what does he want?
May 11, 2021
Audiobook
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Fun adventure book about kids who notice a whole lot more than the adults around them -- and the trouble they get in when they let their curiosity lead them.
Megan notices odd happenings in the zoo next door to her house, starting with monkeys traveling across the rooftops of the neighborhood. When she investigates, she disappears. That's just the prologue.
Noah, her brother, and their two best friends, Richie and Ella, are determined to figure out what happened to Megan. And when some of the animals in the zoo start acting strange -- starting with bringing the children fragments of journal entries in Megan's handwriting -- the tension and danger and clues mount. It takes some courage and determination and a lot of sneaking around and risk, but the children finally get behind the scenes and discover the Secret Zoo behind the zoo.
Then things start moving fast. So fast that most of the book's action takes place in one night. There's danger everywhere, and a big handful of narrow escapes, but nothing that will keep the kids up at night. Or impressionable adults. Guaranteed you and the children listening with you will cheer when Noah, Megan, Ella and Richie make it safely home. And ready for more adventures.
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Fun adventure book about kids who notice a whole lot more than the adults around them -- and the trouble they get in when they let their curiosity lead them.
Megan notices odd happenings in the zoo next door to her house, starting with monkeys traveling across the rooftops of the neighborhood. When she investigates, she disappears. That's just the prologue.
Noah, her brother, and their two best friends, Richie and Ella, are determined to figure out what happened to Megan. And when some of the animals in the zoo start acting strange -- starting with bringing the children fragments of journal entries in Megan's handwriting -- the tension and danger and clues mount. It takes some courage and determination and a lot of sneaking around and risk, but the children finally get behind the scenes and discover the Secret Zoo behind the zoo.
Then things start moving fast. So fast that most of the book's action takes place in one night. There's danger everywhere, and a big handful of narrow escapes, but nothing that will keep the kids up at night. Or impressionable adults. Guaranteed you and the children listening with you will cheer when Noah, Megan, Ella and Richie make it safely home. And ready for more adventures.
February 23, 2009
As an educator of many years, I was exceptionally happy with how enthralled my students were with the book, "The Secret Zoo." The suspense in the story captivated the students and they didn't want to put the book down. This book was a great addition to my Fantasy lesson plans. The students are anxiously waiting for the 2nd book to come out.
My school was fortunate enough to have the pleasure of having a visit from the author. His presentation to the students was far superior than any other that I have seen. He kept the students engaged and energetically walked them through his writing process. His visit was far better than other notable authors including Jonathan Rand.
I highly recommend reading the Secret Zoo along with scheduling a visit to your school with the author. It is money definately well spent!
My school was fortunate enough to have the pleasure of having a visit from the author. His presentation to the students was far superior than any other that I have seen. He kept the students engaged and energetically walked them through his writing process. His visit was far better than other notable authors including Jonathan Rand.
I highly recommend reading the Secret Zoo along with scheduling a visit to your school with the author. It is money definately well spent!
May 18, 2011
Loved, loved this book! You know it's a great children's book when you want to keep going to see what happens after you're finished reading to your kids for the night. I've been reading it to my 8 year old daughter for the past few weeks. The adventure is great, the kids are heroes, the animals are very cool and hilarious!
It has a great underlying message about the role humans play in preventing animal extinction. The missing child part was tough to take as a parent (there were parts I couldn't read through my tears) but it was written in a way that doesn't traumatize the young audience.
The ending left an opening for a sequel and I hope Mr. Chick is busily writing. I can't believe this is his first book published.
It has a great underlying message about the role humans play in preventing animal extinction. The missing child part was tough to take as a parent (there were parts I couldn't read through my tears) but it was written in a way that doesn't traumatize the young audience.
The ending left an opening for a sequel and I hope Mr. Chick is busily writing. I can't believe this is his first book published.
May 29, 2011
This is a great book! I don't noramlly read kids books, but this one caught my eye one day at work and I just had to check it out! Although the book is definitely a quick read for tenns and adults, it is very well written and well thought out. The beginning was wonderfully mysterious and suspenseful; it gave me shivers reading it. I also like how Bryan Chick starts out giving you a very tiny hint and then starts the actual story from a point a month later. All the characters were delightful and I was very pleased that the animals were intelligent, but not overly anthropomorphic. I would recommend it for kids who love adventure and mystery as well as for adults who don't mind picking up a kids book once in a while. I can't wait to read the next one.
November 28, 2023
Read this aloud with my kiddos, and we all loved it!
I love that the plot isn't dumbed down for kids. There are still plot twists and a ton of suspense, just in an engaging kid friendly way.
The descriptions are beautiful, the world building is fantastical, and the story is exciting. This is a great middle grade novel about a boy named Noah who goes looking for his missing sister. Enlisting the help of his friends Ella and Richie, they follow the clues and discover so much more than they imagined.
I love that the plot isn't dumbed down for kids. There are still plot twists and a ton of suspense, just in an engaging kid friendly way.
The descriptions are beautiful, the world building is fantastical, and the story is exciting. This is a great middle grade novel about a boy named Noah who goes looking for his missing sister. Enlisting the help of his friends Ella and Richie, they follow the clues and discover so much more than they imagined.
June 26, 2020
Leaving aside all ethical questions and concerns about zoos as an institution, I read this to my son, aged 4, and we both really enjoyed it. I think the ideal reader would be 8 or 9 years old, though, because there were a few moments that were too violent and some others that were too complex for a 4 year old.
The broad concept, of a conspiracy involving animals and people, and the feature of magic unfolding slowly in a story for kids, really work well.
The broad concept, of a conspiracy involving animals and people, and the feature of magic unfolding slowly in a story for kids, really work well.
June 22, 2017
I thought Bryan Chick did an awesome job. The book was exciting and mysterious. The main characters are Noah, Megan, Ritchie, and Ella. The problem is Megan goes missing in the middle of the night. Find out what happened in The Secret Zoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 19, 2021
I find it difficult to believe that "The Secret Zoo" is actually a series.
The writing is awful! The U.S. Constitution forbids "cruel and unusual punishment".
To make any child read this book fits that crime.
The writing is awful! The U.S. Constitution forbids "cruel and unusual punishment".
To make any child read this book fits that crime.
April 26, 2022
Megan and Noah live near the Clarksville City Zoo. One night, Megan is looking around with her binoculars when she notices monkeys running around like crazy at night. She tries to point it out to her brother, Noah, but he dismisses her observations. Determined that something is going on, Megan begins taking as many notes as she can about the zoo.
It's not too long after that night that Megan has disappeared. When the official search turns up nothing about her potential whereabouts, Noah begins to suspect that the zoo is somehow connected to Megan's disappearance. She becomes even more convinced of this when he is visited by a bird, who delivers a message for him to visit Mr. Tall Tail at the zoo.
That visit opens up enough questions that Noah gets his friends, all members of The Action Scouts, involved in the investigation and search. However, not everyone at the zoo seems to want to help, and some are outright hostile to the kids. Will Noah and his friends be able to find Megan? And just what is going on with all the animals?
This was such a fun story. The characters were fairly well-written for a middle-grades book, and the mystery the kids begin to uncover was really neat. I don't want to give away too much about what is actually happening at the zoo, but I will say that I really loved how involved the animals were in helping Noah and the Action Scouts find Megan.
For this book, I listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Patrick Lawlor, did a wonderful job with the book. His narration really pulled me into the story and, though I was intending to just listen to it a little bit at a time and spread the book out over a few days, found that I could not do that. It was so good that I had to keep listening, to the point that I had listened to the entire story before I had even realized it.
So, if you like middle grades stories with mystery, and mischief - both of the human and animal variety - then this is probably a story you will enjoy.
It's not too long after that night that Megan has disappeared. When the official search turns up nothing about her potential whereabouts, Noah begins to suspect that the zoo is somehow connected to Megan's disappearance. She becomes even more convinced of this when he is visited by a bird, who delivers a message for him to visit Mr. Tall Tail at the zoo.
That visit opens up enough questions that Noah gets his friends, all members of The Action Scouts, involved in the investigation and search. However, not everyone at the zoo seems to want to help, and some are outright hostile to the kids. Will Noah and his friends be able to find Megan? And just what is going on with all the animals?
This was such a fun story. The characters were fairly well-written for a middle-grades book, and the mystery the kids begin to uncover was really neat. I don't want to give away too much about what is actually happening at the zoo, but I will say that I really loved how involved the animals were in helping Noah and the Action Scouts find Megan.
For this book, I listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Patrick Lawlor, did a wonderful job with the book. His narration really pulled me into the story and, though I was intending to just listen to it a little bit at a time and spread the book out over a few days, found that I could not do that. It was so good that I had to keep listening, to the point that I had listened to the entire story before I had even realized it.
So, if you like middle grades stories with mystery, and mischief - both of the human and animal variety - then this is probably a story you will enjoy.
July 7, 2017
Cute book. Younger MG readers really seem to like it.
The plot layout is episodic, with one exciting thing happening, then something else happening as an immediate follow up. The larger arc of the story, (a missing girl), mostly stays in the background. Overall, the kids make things happen, and those decisions move the episodes along.
There are real zoo animals, and those animals interact with the characters, and kids love that.
This plot is not complex. Another reader mentioned this book as one that their 4th grader loved. I'd say, that seems like the perfect age group. Even younger would be fine, as there are plenty of mini plot ups and downs, without the reader needing to track a larger plot in the background.
A fun, simple read.
The plot layout is episodic, with one exciting thing happening, then something else happening as an immediate follow up. The larger arc of the story, (a missing girl), mostly stays in the background. Overall, the kids make things happen, and those decisions move the episodes along.
There are real zoo animals, and those animals interact with the characters, and kids love that.
This plot is not complex. Another reader mentioned this book as one that their 4th grader loved. I'd say, that seems like the perfect age group. Even younger would be fine, as there are plenty of mini plot ups and downs, without the reader needing to track a larger plot in the background.
A fun, simple read.
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