The Secret Zoo: Traps and Specters

The Secret Zoo #4

by Bryan Chick

The fourth book in the action-packed and highly imaginative The Secret Zoo series, about a group of middle school friends who discover a hidden zoo in their very own neighborhood! The zoo's archenemy, the evil DeGraff, is closing in for the first time since he was driven out of the Secret Zoo. On Halloween night, Noah and his friends must battle terrifying sasquatches that have attacked their own elementary school. Little do they know the sasquatches are a trap! When DeGraff captures three of Noah's friends, can the kids ally with their rivals in order to save every person and animal in the zoo—all while dodging the town's police? An entertaining and fast-moving series that's perfect for reluctant readers and will appeal to fans of Dan Gutman, Michael Buckley, and Andrew Clements. School Library Journal said, "Fans of fantasy, animal fiction, and adventure will enjoy this fast-moving story."

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Animals, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Juvenile

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2012

About the author

The 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!

Reviews

[Alexandra Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another adorable book in the series! This book definitely got a little more intense and I honestly wasn’t 100% into the violence talk at the end of this book. It definitely made it more realistic, but for school aged children, I think there could have been a more appropriate way to go about it. Guns scare children, especially with how the world is right now so just be mindful of that in this edition! There are a lot of twists throughout this book which keeps the story interesting. My class is excited to read the next book in the series!

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this series to my 8 and 10 year old and we love it! This book has been the scariest for my youngest at times but never so much that she asks me to stop. We were on the edge of our seats during action scenes waiting and hoping for the Scouts to be free of danger. We finally get confirmation on who's helping DeGraff. The Descenders make a hard decision and it doesn't sit well with the Scouts who try to stop it. My son and I both shed a tear over that and hope that all will be well. And as always, the biggest cliffhanger of all comes in the last chapter leaving us to speculate on the answers. Why does Darby always wear sunglasses? We used to have a theory but this book killed that theory....but left us with new questions. I am loving hearing my kids' theories and talking about all the plot points with them!

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Noah, Megan, Ella, and Richie continue to work as scouts for the Secret Zoo, the mystery and suspense ratchet up along with the danger. DeGraff, the Shadowist, has now been spotted on the streets and he is drawing closer and closer to the Zoo. The Specters are now getting involved in order to protect the animals and the scouts.

I think readers age 9-12 will really like this one as not only has DeGraff made an appearance now but also the Sasquatches are getting more involved and more dangerous. My grandson is really enjoying this series as we both read and discuss the books.

[Micayla Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 This book really ups the ante on the threat! Surprisingly dark, the action and stakes are high and well written! Unlike the other books that are more mysterious in nature with it's ending, this book goes for a shocking and saddening end I wasn't expecting and didn't see coming! Made me really excited to read the next one! There are a lot of things set up in this one that aren't resolved by the end. Like the second well in the Koala Kastle and the Specters. I really feel sorry for Ella in this book. You really get the feeling of helplessness in this one. The scouts are bullied in school. Richie is actually punched in this one. He is also locked in his locker. Wide Walt empties Ella's backpack and she begins to cry. The stress of fighting the Shadowist and dealing with her parent's divorce gets to her. I am impressed with the maturity that Richie shows when he deals with bullying in this book. He knows that the zoo is their priority and defends Ella. The books in this series are mostly written as if you were watching a movie. This usually works really well for a series intended for children. It makes it really easy to read and imagine. The characters are very consistent. That being said, this is the first time that it becomes a bit of a problem. During the last half of the book, the perspectives change very rapidly with very little happening in each chapter. This would be great in a movie where you could show multiple characters doing things at the same time, but it makes for a very disjointed reading experience. I think it'd be better if the author would've condensed some of the events all into one chapter and then move onto the others. The romance between Noah and Solana is awkward, but I believe this was intentional. The ending of this book really made me dislike the Descenders. And Charlie. You are made to feel a bit sorry for them after they are attacked. Poor Tank and P-Dog. The scene where the scouts try to defend Blizzard is heart breaking! Even Mr. Darby's intentions are thrown into question. It is nice to see Little Bighorn do more. I think it was a bit of an oversight that the author introduces yet another character with the last name Jones, even though Ella's last name is Jones. They aren't related either.

[mandyfujita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the series of the Secret Zoo. Noah, his sister Megan, Ella and Richie are friends that have been helping to protect the Secret Zoo that is in their neighborhood. For a year they have been Crosstraining to protect the zoo against The Shadowist - DeGraff. He is the person who the secret society fears most.

In this adventure, another type of group in the secret zoo is explored called the Specters. They are camoflauged with chameleons to blend into any environment. The protection of the zoo goes beyond the zoo and extends to children's neighborhood. In this book the sasquatches are the main fighters wrecking havoc in the peaceful neighborhood.

I didn't particular care for this story. I bad guy seems to be too powerful for the society to handle.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ten year old son and I read this book together. Luckily, we finished this book over Christmas break as we couldn't put it down and we read far past his bedtime each evening. "The Secret Zoo" series of books is a great read for both boys and girls as there are strong male and female characters that each reader can identify with. We love the adventures that the scouts and Descenders have in this series and are looking forward to book #5 (which we will certainly begin tomorrow night). How can one not love Blizzard the polar bear and Little Big Horn the rhino? We are hopeful that there will also be a book #6. I highly recommend this book for 3rd through 5th grades and beyond. I truly enjoy my time immersed in children's literature with our son!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th book of The Secret Zoo series, Traps and Specters, was better than the 3rd. The girls had more dialogue and I appreciated the action a lot more.

I did not appreciate the multiple two page chapters about half way through the book (Halloween). I believe he was trying to show multiple points of view rapidly like you'd see in a movie, but it just made it disjointed for me.

I also did not enjoy the flirting between Noah and one of the Defenders. Seemed very awkward and thrown in there just to have some romance. Don't think it helped the story line at all.

This book has the most action so far, three major action scenes which make reading the book go by quickly. There is some sad moments at the end, but they give the reader something to care about and help you to want to read the next book to see how it all resolves.

Overall, I'd say this one is my second favorite of the first four, but it's definitely been a journey getting here.

[Riah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had me right up to the end. Suddenly, it got so dark that my kids ended up in my bed because they were slightly traumatized by unexpectedly grotesque descriptions, gun violence, and animals sacrificing themselves for the greater good. We don't shy away from big feelings. My kids (7 and 9) have read a lot of deeper, heavier books - Harry Potter series, Narnia series, 2.5 books in the LoTR series, Wings of Fire, etc. BUT the unexpected and sudden shift this one took exacerbated the "violence", and really felt like a betrayal.

I liked the previous books in the series, but this one left a really really bad taste in my mouth. I'll give it a 3 bc the writing was decent until the end. As a parent I'd lower my rating to 2, but my kids both voted a 4 and wanted to warn readers that they thought it was scary. We compromised.

If i had known about this book, i would've avoided the whole series though. Honestly.

[Rachell hogan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darker and not as Satisfying than the previous books

OK book with exciting moments but an unsatisfying ending - words of my 10 year old

As for me who reads this to him at night, I felt this was a missed opportunity to flesh out the characters, the final reveal of the antagonist close up was oddly disappointing and it left me feeling the next book is just going to be darker and sadder with very little light relief which I'm not sure we're up for. Despite being part of a series the story arcs should complete but the don't so we're left with unanswered questions.

Also the inconsistent chapter lengths drive me nuts.

[Huzaifa Mirza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traps and Specters (The secret zoo #4)
Bryan Chick

This book is a marvelous story about four zoo scouts along with their Decender allies, they have to battle scary sasquatches at the elementry school that they go to. though they didn't know that they sasquatches had a plan of their own and that they were about to end up in a thrilling roller coaster.

My favoraite charectar is Noah, he is always on the go and trying to stay on top of pack. His bravery and risks were very exhilirating. I also liked the part at the end when the scouts were hiding because of the sasquatches and that Noah was whining in a low profile because Ella wouldn't stop breathing on his face.

[Staci Vought · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one with Jack. He says: The hairy monster that looks like a grizzly bear but isn’t is REALLY cool. The description of DeGraff is EW! The description of his nose holes is gross! Keep it up!

I say: Another exhilarating adventure in the Secret Zoo! The descriptions of the Shadowist made my skin crawl. Bryan Chick is awesome!

[Cherish Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3☆ Got something out of, but wouldn’t read again)
Good suspenseful book. I thought that the villain was very scary, probably too much so for a children's book. It is not a good stand alone book. the books in this series start where the previous books leave off. If you read it as a stand alone, you'll be confused.

[Jessie Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself more emotionally invested in this book than I expected to be! I love the Action Scouts and the Descenders! Together they are hilarious! This book is the perfect addition to the series!

[Rui Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

Enjoyed as much as his previous books in the series, but For the first time my grandchildren were a little scared of the end of this book. We ended up giving them a synopsis instead of just reading the end of the book to them.

[Gabriele · Rating 5 out of 5]

should read the serous it is really good. It was created because of the Detroit zoo in Michigan. lots of adventures in the book always want to keep on reading really short chapters but lots of chapters each chapter it is different characters so it switch and you want to find out what happened.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this series with my son and this is the best of them so far! I even got a little choked up at the end. Not my cup of tea as far as novels go but he’s enjoying them greatly and it’s a great bedtime bonding experience. Very suspenseful!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series does not disappoint! I may have even shed a few tears in this one!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please have a box of tissues with you when you are close to the end!

[Caroline Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and Sad

There is so much action, but the ‘sacrifice’ part was so sad. (I hope they are okay, please don’t let them die.) The writing was beautiful and the girls came in as ‘warriors’ as well.

[Jessica Correia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a great series to read with your kid(s) this is it. We laughed, cried and had hours of conversation about the plot.

[Belva Shelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the animals and their loyalty to the scouts.

[Daniel Pearse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot thickens in the 4th iteration of the Secret Zoo. This series has interesting world building, and finally starts to flesh out the main antagonist.

[Jessica Fairley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good. The end was very sad, but everything else I liked.
-Reid, age 8

[Marnie Bebej · Rating 4 out of 5]

More action in this book.

[Krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Poopoo Jhonson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way cooler book way cooler animal

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this series is so fun.

[Tanner Clabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little childish because i did get this book when i was in sixth grade, but it was very good it made me continue to read it and stay focused. The rising action takes up the majority of the book until the last couple pages where the climax and falling action took place, making you continue to read it. Very good book.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaaaaaah, Blizzard!!!

Things definitely take a turn for the darker and more exciting here--the events that the Scouts have been training for are starting to come to pass. I'm looking forward to book 5 when it comes out...