The Zoo Crew

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #14

by Carolyn Keene, Macky Pamintuan (Illustrator)

This camp is WILD!

Nancy, George, and Bess are attending a three-day overnight camp at the local zoo. They'll get to spend lots of time with all of the animals and learn about them too. The best part is, they will be helping the zookeeper make toys for the animals -- just like real staffers!

But when the toys the girls make by day are disappearing at night, it looks like everyone is a suspect! Can Nancy tame this wild case, or will the zoo animals be without anything fun to do?

Genres: Mystery, Chapter Books, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Novels, Detective

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.

Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.

Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just. No.

Appallingly managed zoo run by incompetent people who are not adequately looking out for the safety and well-being of either the animals or children (at overnight camp) in their care. Children jump to conclusions, are often rude to one another, etc. Only redeeming value is the poor son of the zoo owner who persevered with his clever and helpful inventions (enrichment toys for the animals) despite his father being unsupportive.

We've only read a few in this series and I hope most of them aren't like this. I'm wondering if these might be very uneven. I don't know if "Carolyn Keene" is the same author throughout the series or if it's being written by a variety of authors. IMO skip this and read Pony Problems instead if you want an animal-based Clew Crew mystery.

[Julesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and enjoyable book for very young readers of Nancy Drew. It includes adorable illustrations. The Clue Crew is 8-year-old Nancy, Bess and George. While attending overnight zoo camp, they try to find out who is stealing the handmade toys for the zoo animals. I plan to read all the books in this Clue Crew series.

[Olivia Amann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!It is a great book filled with lots of mystery and action! i defenitly think you should read this book! it is about some children who go to a zoo camp and they tour around the zoo and learn about the animals and see all of the different types of animals! they also make toys and help keep the animals habitats and all of their supplies clean and they even get to solve a mystery!

find out how the mystery is solved and even what the mystery is!

Read this book!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much the same as the other books...which isn't a bad thing.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. 2 Animal books in a row! This story is about Nancy and the crew at Zoo camp. They sleep there etc for 3 days and each day they have a different job. The animals are all apart of a research project and someone is stealing the prescribed toys from the animals. Maybe I was more distracted reading this, but I just wasn't as interested. I also wonder if there really is zoo sleepover camps for 8 year olds!?

[Ayleen Cabrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew and the Zoo Crew by Carolyn Kenne is a mystery novel for young readers. Although the book is a very predictable storyline. Nancy, Bess, and George attend an overnight zoo camp, and try to figure out who is stealing the toys from the zoo animals. It does expose the readers to different animals and did have details to help the reader envision it in their minds.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy, George and Bess spend a few days at the local zoo for an educational camp. Project Wildebeest is in dire need of help from the Clue Crew. Our sleuths get to work.

This is what it is, a chapter book. Reads very young middle grade. I still liked it…..it’s a mystery and it’s great for the younger generations to fall in love with mysteries.

[Adriana Bosma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! I really enjoyed it.

[MayBelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel like this book was to easy so i trended it for something more challenging.

#MayBelleslife

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one made me laugh at some of the phrases in some of the conversations. One of the characters had the same name as my mom, and she was a suspect. But she didn't do it!

[Tanisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's pretty funny

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was adorable as always!

Also, I would have loved to live in a zoo for three days as a kid... or, you know, even now as an adult.

[Kelly Choy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The culprits were so obvious in this one.

[Abhinayam ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood fave.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was strange when all of the toys went missing. I thought it was fun when they were making treats for the animals.

[Eliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy, Bess, and George are going to an overnight camp at the zoo. But the toys they make for the animals go missing.

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, implausible, cool setting. The Clue Crew breaks rules in their sleuthing but most kids know reality from fiction.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our youngest (9) gave it "a solid 5, it was really good."

[Ayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

took me a while but it was good!

[J.C. Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a mystery. It's a good book for anyone over the age of 8. It has nice words for all readers and I think that everyone should read it. I gave it a four star because it was kind of boring but it was a good book.

~Edy

[Caprice Hokstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first "Clue Crew" book. I had hoped Nancy Drew was going to stay true to her tradition and her "clue crew" would be helpers who looked to her as a mentor. Alas, Nancy Drew is no longer 18 and driving a convertible. Now she's 8 and her "clue crew" are peers the same age. She still wants to solve mysteries, but these mysteries are clearly written for much younger kids. Simon and Schuster says it is aimed at ages 6-9.

Apart from its nonconformance to my wishes, it is fine for what it is. The chapters are very short and the whole book can easily be read in one sitting. The mystery was age-appropriate, but not very stimulating for an adult. A little too predictable and boring for my taste, but at least it was better than the Grisham book that was supposedly for 9-12 year olds.

Not sure I have the strength to read another one, even though I checked out plenty from the library.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this mystery book didn't have too many mysteries, it was very predictible. By the middle of the book I knew the ending and didn't want to finish it, because I knew the ending. But I liked the detail they used, it made me think I was living throught the whole thing.

In the book Nancy,Bess, and George, The Clue Crew, went on a summer camp at the zoo. When they got there the zookeapers found out that animals toys were being stolen every night and asked the clue crew to find out who was stealing them. So the clue crew went around the zoo, trying to find clues to find out who stole the toys.
Will they clue crew find out who was stealing them? Read the book to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have really enjoyed the books in the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series of books for younger readers. This was a fun mystery, although the various projects were a bit strange; they really weren't explained well and seemed to only serve to add some drama to the story. The zoo theme was interesting and our girls enjoyed that Nancy and her friends got to stay overnight at the zoo and help care for the animals.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very funny book. it was very discriptive!! it was a mystery after a mystery after a mystery but it never got comfusing. It was about a clue crew that went to a zoo summer camp and a lot went wrong but it ended happily ever after. It is 89 pages so if you are wanting to read a short book with discription this book is for you!! READ IT!!!!

[Liz B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nancy Drew series is very popular in 1st grade and Nancy and her crew are on the case when they go on an overnight sleepover camp at the zoo. Many of the toys they are making during the day are mysteriously disappearing at night. Will they be able to solve the mystery?

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery was very structured and predictable. I loved it! Because I was able to use it as a literature circle book for my struggling 3rd grade readers, and they were EXCITED to predict and solve the mystery themselves before finishing the book!

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Malcolm says, "I like solving mysteries. I really liked when they saw the chimps doing human things."

[Shaikha Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK BUT NOT SOOO NICE

[Ngoclan Nguyen]

good