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FunJungle #6
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks
In the latest novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve his most improbable mystery yet—with a victim that’s 65 million years old.
Teddy was all set for a campout at his friend Sage’s family ranch—but then Sage gets terrible news: The skull of a rare dinosaur that was being excavated on his property has mysteriously vanished overnight in the middle of a rainstorm, even though it weighed 500 pounds. Not a single footprint has been left behind. Since the dinosaur was top secret, the police don’t believe anyone outside the dig could have stolen it.
A T-rex skull can sell for millions of dollars, and everyone is a suspect—including J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle.
Meanwhile, Teddy’s old foes, the Barksdale twins, have gotten into trouble with an illegally purchased anaconda, and Teddy’s girlfriend Summer wants to find out who’s behind the local trade in black market reptiles. The two cases will drag Teddy into more danger and chaos than ever before, in this mystery that’s stranger than fiction.
Teddy was all set for a campout at his friend Sage’s family ranch—but then Sage gets terrible news: The skull of a rare dinosaur that was being excavated on his property has mysteriously vanished overnight in the middle of a rainstorm, even though it weighed 500 pounds. Not a single footprint has been left behind. Since the dinosaur was top secret, the police don’t believe anyone outside the dig could have stolen it.
A T-rex skull can sell for millions of dollars, and everyone is a suspect—including J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle.
Meanwhile, Teddy’s old foes, the Barksdale twins, have gotten into trouble with an illegally purchased anaconda, and Teddy’s girlfriend Summer wants to find out who’s behind the local trade in black market reptiles. The two cases will drag Teddy into more danger and chaos than ever before, in this mystery that’s stranger than fiction.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2020
1121 people are currently reading
1228 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
April 12, 2020
Teddy Fitzroy is surprised when his friend Sage reveals that he found a Tyrannosaurus Rex skull on his ranch. But now that skull has gone missing. It’s large and heavy, so who could have stolen it? And how did they do it? Meanwhile, he’s gotten a call from the Barksdale twins about their new exotic pet. Who is selling these dangerous animals?
This book really does have two storylines, and it balances both well. We do get a couple of lectures about endangered animals, but they don’t slow down the action for long. And with everything happening, there is plenty of action. When Teddy pieced together the clues, I couldn’t believe I missed them myself. The characters are great as always, and some of the situations Teddy found himself in made me laugh out loud. These books are aimed at middle schoolers, but anyone who enjoys a fun mystery should definitely pick them up.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This book really does have two storylines, and it balances both well. We do get a couple of lectures about endangered animals, but they don’t slow down the action for long. And with everything happening, there is plenty of action. When Teddy pieced together the clues, I couldn’t believe I missed them myself. The characters are great as always, and some of the situations Teddy found himself in made me laugh out loud. These books are aimed at middle schoolers, but anyone who enjoys a fun mystery should definitely pick them up.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 11, 2020
An excellent, fun-filled, suspicion-laden read by the masterful Stuart Gibbs!! He's one of my favorite young adult/middle-grade, mystery authors. His books are humorous, clean fun even for an old person (me! ;). They're great for a simple, quick read with enjoyable characters. I like Teddy, and I appreciate his candor and intelligence and sense of well-being. :)
May 1, 2020
This was another one of Stuart Gibbs' fantastic series FunJungle!
I loved it! These mysteries never disappoint! I still love all of the characters and animals. I love the message this book brings into the spotlight. It makes me realize some of the awful things that happen to animals all around the world.
I have to hand it to Stuart Gibbs, this mystery was the greatest. I have to hand it to myself... because I figured out that
Highly Recommended!!
I loved it! These mysteries never disappoint! I still love all of the characters and animals. I love the message this book brings into the spotlight. It makes me realize some of the awful things that happen to animals all around the world.
I have to hand it to Stuart Gibbs, this mystery was the greatest. I have to hand it to myself... because I figured out that
Highly Recommended!!
March 11, 2020
Digital ARC provided by both Edelweiss and NetGalley—
Stuart Gibbs just keeps on writing middle grades fiction that resounds with my 5th grade library patrons in large numbers and with my stronger 4th grade readers almost as much. Spy School is still my favorite out of his four series, but FunJungle never fails to entertain both me and my students. Teddy never wants to get involved in the animal related mishaps that seem to befall the FunJungle zoo/amusement park in an alarmingly frequent way, but his daughter of the owner/rich/beautiful girlfriend seems to be able to convince him to investigate the catastrophes every time. In Tyrannosaurus Wrecks, there are two serious problems happening simultaneously: a huge Tyrannosaurus skull has gone missing from his friend's ranch turned archeological dig site and the illegal sale of exotic mammals and reptiles is on the rise in their area. Teddy and Summer are great characters who both exhibit intelligence, curiosity, determination, and yet also seem like two kids that could be in any middle school classroom. Supporting characters like Jim and Tim, the completely ignorant bullies who need Teddy's help in this installment should make readers laugh often at their stupid, and frequently dangerous, decisions. Marge the over-weight and over-wrought security guard is also back for a few funny moments, too. A strong plus for Gibbs' books is his keen ability to describe settings and action sequences in a vivid way using vocabulary that is rich and filled with words both familiar and more challenging. In reviews of other Gibbs books, I have noted that occasionally he uses high level words without enough contextual clues to determine meaning, but I did not find that to be true at all in Tyrannosaurus...although the word "bespoke" did come up again. I guess after using it in at least 3 of his books, his fans should probably know what that means by now. I do.
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks is highly recommended for readers of realistic fiction that pushes the envelope of "realistic" and action/adventure mysteries in grades 4-7ish. While many 8th graders may feel like they have outgrown his novels, his faithful fans even in those higher grades will want to read this one. As always, Mr. Gibbs keeps his books free of profanity and sexual content. The violence in them is of the car chase/crash and broken furnishings kind.
Final note: I am truly curious about whether Buc-ees of Texas is happy to be spoofed in this one or if they are put off by the not always positive stereotyping of its "gas-tinations." (That's my husband's word for the world's biggest gas stations and their tendency to be a destination in and of themselves.)
Stuart Gibbs just keeps on writing middle grades fiction that resounds with my 5th grade library patrons in large numbers and with my stronger 4th grade readers almost as much. Spy School is still my favorite out of his four series, but FunJungle never fails to entertain both me and my students. Teddy never wants to get involved in the animal related mishaps that seem to befall the FunJungle zoo/amusement park in an alarmingly frequent way, but his daughter of the owner/rich/beautiful girlfriend seems to be able to convince him to investigate the catastrophes every time. In Tyrannosaurus Wrecks, there are two serious problems happening simultaneously: a huge Tyrannosaurus skull has gone missing from his friend's ranch turned archeological dig site and the illegal sale of exotic mammals and reptiles is on the rise in their area. Teddy and Summer are great characters who both exhibit intelligence, curiosity, determination, and yet also seem like two kids that could be in any middle school classroom. Supporting characters like Jim and Tim, the completely ignorant bullies who need Teddy's help in this installment should make readers laugh often at their stupid, and frequently dangerous, decisions. Marge the over-weight and over-wrought security guard is also back for a few funny moments, too. A strong plus for Gibbs' books is his keen ability to describe settings and action sequences in a vivid way using vocabulary that is rich and filled with words both familiar and more challenging. In reviews of other Gibbs books, I have noted that occasionally he uses high level words without enough contextual clues to determine meaning, but I did not find that to be true at all in Tyrannosaurus...although the word "bespoke" did come up again. I guess after using it in at least 3 of his books, his fans should probably know what that means by now. I do.
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks is highly recommended for readers of realistic fiction that pushes the envelope of "realistic" and action/adventure mysteries in grades 4-7ish. While many 8th graders may feel like they have outgrown his novels, his faithful fans even in those higher grades will want to read this one. As always, Mr. Gibbs keeps his books free of profanity and sexual content. The violence in them is of the car chase/crash and broken furnishings kind.
Final note: I am truly curious about whether Buc-ees of Texas is happy to be spoofed in this one or if they are put off by the not always positive stereotyping of its "gas-tinations." (That's my husband's word for the world's biggest gas stations and their tendency to be a destination in and of themselves.)
Read
April 13, 2021"Oh my God these cliffhangers!"
Usually, the 6 and 5 year old lose interest and I end up reading mainly for the 10 and 9 year old but not with this story. The kiddos were all riveted and looking forward to reading the rest of the FunJungle series.
Usually, the 6 and 5 year old lose interest and I end up reading mainly for the 10 and 9 year old but not with this story. The kiddos were all riveted and looking forward to reading the rest of the FunJungle series.
December 11, 2023
I had a review in here and LITERALLY had an exchange with the author. I have no idea where it went. Weird and kind of a bummer.
May 24, 2020
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks follows Teddy Fitzroy as he attempts to solve two crimes. Teddy lives in a place called FunJungle. FunJungle is a amusement park / zoo. It is owned by J.J. McCracken, a rich businessman.
The book starts with Teddy and his friend Xavier catching a internet sensation (and criminal) called the Zebra Spanker. The Zebra Spanker had been breaking into zoos around this United States and spanking their zebras.
After all that has occured, his other friend, Sage, tells him about a T-Rex skeleton that had been found on his parents ranch. The T-Rex skeleton had been stolen, and because Teddy had solved lots of mysteries before this takes place, Sage goes to him for help.
The other crime is a suspicious illegal pet store that has been selling dangerous pets to people around Teddy's hometown. The problem with this mystery is not that they don't know who is doing the selling, its how to bust the criminal.
One thing I like about the FunJungle mysteries, is that they are always difficult to solve. I usually can figure out the mysteries within the first few chapters of mystery books.
Another thing I enjoy, is that they always are written to bring attention to certain problems in the animal world.
The one thing I didn't like about this story is that it seemed a little less believable than the rest of the mysteries. It just does not make sense that the fake professor would pay out a receptionist just for the small chance that she would get access to a dig site where she could maybe steal some bones that may be expensive.
I also like that these books always have an additional mystery that you can follow along with the actual story. In this one it was the illegal animal dealing business (which I kind of assumed from the beginning that it was Snakes Alive.)
One last thing I want to do before I end this review, is make a guess as to what the next book in this series will be. I believe that either Summer and Teddy will have a large fight and work against each other to solve a crime, or Teddy (or Summer) will be strongly suspected to be the criminal.
The only reason I guess this is because this type of series usually goes in that sort of direction after a few books.
I do strongly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys fun and sort of educational mysteries.
-Sam Kuntz
The book starts with Teddy and his friend Xavier catching a internet sensation (and criminal) called the Zebra Spanker. The Zebra Spanker had been breaking into zoos around this United States and spanking their zebras.
After all that has occured, his other friend, Sage, tells him about a T-Rex skeleton that had been found on his parents ranch. The T-Rex skeleton had been stolen, and because Teddy had solved lots of mysteries before this takes place, Sage goes to him for help.
The other crime is a suspicious illegal pet store that has been selling dangerous pets to people around Teddy's hometown. The problem with this mystery is not that they don't know who is doing the selling, its how to bust the criminal.
One thing I like about the FunJungle mysteries, is that they are always difficult to solve. I usually can figure out the mysteries within the first few chapters of mystery books.
Another thing I enjoy, is that they always are written to bring attention to certain problems in the animal world.
The one thing I didn't like about this story is that it seemed a little less believable than the rest of the mysteries. It just does not make sense that the fake professor would pay out a receptionist just for the small chance that she would get access to a dig site where she could maybe steal some bones that may be expensive.
I also like that these books always have an additional mystery that you can follow along with the actual story. In this one it was the illegal animal dealing business (which I kind of assumed from the beginning that it was Snakes Alive.)
One last thing I want to do before I end this review, is make a guess as to what the next book in this series will be. I believe that either Summer and Teddy will have a large fight and work against each other to solve a crime, or Teddy (or Summer) will be strongly suspected to be the criminal.
The only reason I guess this is because this type of series usually goes in that sort of direction after a few books.
I do strongly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys fun and sort of educational mysteries.
-Sam Kuntz
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2020
“All the trouble with the tyrannosaur started the same day Xavier Gonzalez and I helped apprehend the Zebra Spanker.”
Teddy is determined not to get mixed up in any more dangerous investigations. But his best friend, Sage, needs his help. It seems they have found the bones of a Tyrannosaurus on Sage’s family farm. But someone has stolen the skull. How can anyone steal something that weighs 500 tons? The police seem to think it’s not worth investigating, but Sage implores Teddy to get involved. The money from the dinosaur bones could save Sage’s family’s ranch. How can Teddy refuse?
At the same time, Teddy gets multiple phone calls from Tim and Jim Barksdale, the two meanest and dumbest bullies at school. It seems their anaconda has just eaten their cat and they are hoping Teddy can tell them how to get the cat back. Really? What are these two doing with a 15-foot anaconda?
Before he knows it, Teddy is not only up to his eyeballs in suspected fossil thieves but also in the illegal reptile business. Just another day for Teddy Fitzroy. As Summer says “There’s never a dull moment with you, is there?”
Move over Indiana Jones! Here comes Teddy Fitzroy! This book is a nonstop action adventure with plenty of humor that will keep students turning pages until the very end.
Teddy is determined not to get mixed up in any more dangerous investigations. But his best friend, Sage, needs his help. It seems they have found the bones of a Tyrannosaurus on Sage’s family farm. But someone has stolen the skull. How can anyone steal something that weighs 500 tons? The police seem to think it’s not worth investigating, but Sage implores Teddy to get involved. The money from the dinosaur bones could save Sage’s family’s ranch. How can Teddy refuse?
At the same time, Teddy gets multiple phone calls from Tim and Jim Barksdale, the two meanest and dumbest bullies at school. It seems their anaconda has just eaten their cat and they are hoping Teddy can tell them how to get the cat back. Really? What are these two doing with a 15-foot anaconda?
Before he knows it, Teddy is not only up to his eyeballs in suspected fossil thieves but also in the illegal reptile business. Just another day for Teddy Fitzroy. As Summer says “There’s never a dull moment with you, is there?”
Move over Indiana Jones! Here comes Teddy Fitzroy! This book is a nonstop action adventure with plenty of humor that will keep students turning pages until the very end.
July 31, 2022
It's a fun series.
May 18, 2024
Love this series so much❤️❤️
I actually figured out who stole the T Rex skull before Teddy did hahaha😂😂
I actually figured out who stole the T Rex skull before Teddy did hahaha😂😂
March 3, 2021
I loved this book! Big game was my absolute favorite in the funjungle series but this was not far behind. The books are funny and entertaining and you cant predict what’s going to happen either.
March 1, 2020
Teddy has done it again! Or should I say Stuart Gibbs, author? Tyrannosaurus Wrecks is fast paced, funny, smart, and just plain fun! Teddy has happens onto a new mystery about a missing T-rex skull found on a friend’s farm. And while he does not want to get involved, he chooses to help his friend, Sage, so his family does not lose their cattle ranch. Suspects are plentiful. There is also the side story of the exotic illegally trafficked animals being sold that Teddy’s girlfriend, Summer, helps to solve. This is an excellent addition to the Fun Jungle series. I look forward to sharing it with my students when it is released.
April 5, 2025
It was amazing just like all of Stuart Gibbs’ books are!
July 26, 2024
I mean another one day read once I began. The two plot lines of the missing skull of Minerva and the illegal reptile trafficking balance out perfectly.
October 21, 2020
An enjoyable read.
Read
March 19, 2021Good
July 1, 2020
An exciting mystery for middle grade/young adult readers who crave solving a case(s) that is/are tangled and full of suspicion. Stuart Gibbs is the master of entertaining stories and a cast of characters that are engaging and smart.
When Sage invites Teddy to his family's ranch, no one suspects trouble. Somehow someone stole a 500lb. dinosaur skull worth millions in the middle of a rainstorm without leaving any clues! Sage's family was hoping/counting on the dig to help them save their cattle ranch. Teddy reluctantly agrees to help solve the mystery.
Meanwhile his old frenemies, the Barksdale twins contact Teddy. Their cat was swallowed by an anaconda and they want to know how to get their cat back. Teddy's famous girlfriend Summer wants to help solve the T-rex case, but also wants to stay out of the public eye.
Readers learn about smuggling and illegal trafficking of exotic pets, but this does not hurt the story. In fact, the two cases will keep readers guessing and Teddy is in more danger than ever before.
This is books 6 in the Funjungle series, but readers do not have to read the books in order, but really, why wouldn't they want to read them all?
Highly recommended grade 5 and up and anyone who loves mysteries.
When Sage invites Teddy to his family's ranch, no one suspects trouble. Somehow someone stole a 500lb. dinosaur skull worth millions in the middle of a rainstorm without leaving any clues! Sage's family was hoping/counting on the dig to help them save their cattle ranch. Teddy reluctantly agrees to help solve the mystery.
Meanwhile his old frenemies, the Barksdale twins contact Teddy. Their cat was swallowed by an anaconda and they want to know how to get their cat back. Teddy's famous girlfriend Summer wants to help solve the T-rex case, but also wants to stay out of the public eye.
Readers learn about smuggling and illegal trafficking of exotic pets, but this does not hurt the story. In fact, the two cases will keep readers guessing and Teddy is in more danger than ever before.
This is books 6 in the Funjungle series, but readers do not have to read the books in order, but really, why wouldn't they want to read them all?
Highly recommended grade 5 and up and anyone who loves mysteries.
December 11, 2020
Obviously, I'm in the minority here with my 2-star review but I just don't see the appeal. This was my first FunJungle read and any reference to previous events and relationships from other books was stated as if it were a footnote (such as "she's my girlfriend"). The concept & plot of Tyrannosaurus Wrecks were interesting enough but I felt the writing was formulaic and dull. Information on animal conservation came across as a heavy-handed lecture rather than being seamlessly woven into, and complementing, the story.
October 30, 2020
Just like the FunJungle series that I've read, it's adventurous. Again, Teddy agrees( more like half), but instead putting him in danger once again. Including all types of joy, awareness, feeling worried for Teddy, even feeling surprised when Teddy found out who stole the scull, even though it was not obvious. I enjoyed the book very much!
April 3, 2020
While I thought that the idea and plot of the book were well done, I was disappointed that the crime had not been committed at funjungle itself, but at another place entirely. I didn't like the fact of how Vance Jessup (sorry if I misspelled his name) just pops up, and I personally think he could have also been left out of the book altogether. I also thought that some characters were toned down (Marge for example),while others were almost like main characters, like TimJim.
I did love the idea with the dinosaur skull being stolen, but again, I thought that the focus should have been more on Funjungle.
In comparison to the other books in the series, this one was a little bit below of what I had expected, but still enjoyable.
I did love the idea with the dinosaur skull being stolen, but again, I thought that the focus should have been more on Funjungle.
In comparison to the other books in the series, this one was a little bit below of what I had expected, but still enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2020
I think it’s a really really wild wild book 📖 . I love fun-jungle
Read
February 27, 2021DNF - fatphobia
March 27, 2021
really really good!
April 12, 2023
A very satisfying ending.
June 1, 2021
Ok so this book is super good and it touches on more intense topics than the rest of them.
October 16, 2020
Another middle grade novel whose series I started when I read middle grade books I think that the funjungle books are better than the spy school series now. Huh weird.
January 5, 2020
I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book seems to me a little like what might happen if you crossed Carl Hiassen's middle grade books about conservation, and animal protection with John Grisham's Theodore Boone. In this story, Teddy gets roped into two separate situations that seem to be involving criminal activity, neither of which are getting the attention they need from the appropriate law enforcement agencies. First, Teddy's friend has found a Tyrannosaurus on his family's ranch, and just as the family feels it could be the answer to their prayers to save the 12,000 acre ranch, the 500+ pound skull goes missing from the dig site. Meanwhile two local ne'er-do-well brothers seem to be mixed up in an illegal reptile smuggling ring. The boys call Teddy looking for help wrangling their Anaconda who has eaten their cat.
Though this story fell a little flat for me, it will undoubtedly be one kids really enjoy. The story moves quickly and for kids who like animals (dinosaur and otherwise), they'll find lots of interesting info in the book as well.
This book seems to me a little like what might happen if you crossed Carl Hiassen's middle grade books about conservation, and animal protection with John Grisham's Theodore Boone. In this story, Teddy gets roped into two separate situations that seem to be involving criminal activity, neither of which are getting the attention they need from the appropriate law enforcement agencies. First, Teddy's friend has found a Tyrannosaurus on his family's ranch, and just as the family feels it could be the answer to their prayers to save the 12,000 acre ranch, the 500+ pound skull goes missing from the dig site. Meanwhile two local ne'er-do-well brothers seem to be mixed up in an illegal reptile smuggling ring. The boys call Teddy looking for help wrangling their Anaconda who has eaten their cat.
Though this story fell a little flat for me, it will undoubtedly be one kids really enjoy. The story moves quickly and for kids who like animals (dinosaur and otherwise), they'll find lots of interesting info in the book as well.
June 20, 2020
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (funjungle #6) by Stuart Gibbs, 321 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2020. $18.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some mild danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
As if solving mysteries involving live animals isn’t dangerous enough, Teddy’s latest mystery involves a missing dinosaur skull. The skull was unearthed on the ranch of his friend Sage, but during a violent rainstorm one night the skull disappeared. As a favor to his friend, Teddy gets involved. Not only that, but the Barksdale brothers contact Teddy for help with their (illegal) anaconda has eaten their mother’s cat. Now Teddy has to also track investigate a exotic retile smuggling ring. With his trademark aplomb, Teddy and his extended circle will again need to show local law enforcement - and the crooks - to take them seriously.
I think the climactic scene in this book is my favorite of any Stuart Gibbs book – and Gibbs is a master at hijinks! Gibbs fans will have a field day with this.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some mild danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
As if solving mysteries involving live animals isn’t dangerous enough, Teddy’s latest mystery involves a missing dinosaur skull. The skull was unearthed on the ranch of his friend Sage, but during a violent rainstorm one night the skull disappeared. As a favor to his friend, Teddy gets involved. Not only that, but the Barksdale brothers contact Teddy for help with their (illegal) anaconda has eaten their mother’s cat. Now Teddy has to also track investigate a exotic retile smuggling ring. With his trademark aplomb, Teddy and his extended circle will again need to show local law enforcement - and the crooks - to take them seriously.
I think the climactic scene in this book is my favorite of any Stuart Gibbs book – and Gibbs is a master at hijinks! Gibbs fans will have a field day with this.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
December 22, 2020
An excellent combination between mysteries and animals. I had a fun time reading this, and I even learned some interesting new facts about animals! Another thing I liked about this was that there were 2 stories in 1. Teddy had to solve 2 mysteries, which was cool. Also, like most other Stuart Gibbs books, this book provides many laughs, which was another reason why I enjoyed this book so much. If you like animals and mysteries, this book is for you!
Summary:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews