the secret zoo book review

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The Secret Zoo

Bryan Chick Chris Sheban (Illustrator) Chris Sheban - cover artist (Illustrator) Second Wish Press ( October 2007 ) Softcover $5.99 ( 245pp ) 978-0-9791887-3-2

When nine-year-old Megan mysteriously disappears, her older brother, Noah, sets out on a rescue mission. His only clues are a story Megan told before her disappearance and a tattered page of her journal left on Noah’s pillow by a strange blue bird.

Following close behind in this adventure are Noah’s best friends, Ella and Richie; together they call themselves the Adventure Scouts. On a rollercoaster of adventures, the Scouts are led into the fantasy world of the City of Species where they encounter animals with mysterious talents and spectacular abilities, as well as community of humans who live in harmony with these amazing creatures. But their rescue mission is nearly thwarted by the ancient sasquatch community inhabiting the Dark Lands outside the City of Species!

In his first novel, newcomer Bryan Chick introduces young readers to the first of seven Adventure Scouts, and easily bridges the gap from mystery to fantasy. Inspired by his own childhood zoo experiences, the author masterfully transforms simple animals into magical creatures, made both lovable and threatening by their “humanness.” Chick’s creatively crafted zoo animals communicate mysteriously, with both characters and readers alike.

With a humorous twist, Chick cleverly names the Secret Zoo animals, giving prairie dogs names such as Hot Dog, Chili Dog, and Dog Tag. In vividly described encounters with these special animals, the Scouts uncover additional clues to Megan’s disappearance. Chick’s characters and animals spring to life with beautiful imagery, and leave readers anxiously awaiting the sequel. This fast-paced novel will appeal to both youthful and mature readers. The intricately designed plot will keep readers turning pages, while moving between the fantasy world of the Secret Zoo and reality.

Reviewed by Amy Falberg December 11, 2007

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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The Secret Zoo Book Review – Author Interview

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The Secret Zoo Book Review – Author Interview – review of The Secret Zoo book series and interview with series author, Brian Chick. The Secret Zoo book series  is about a group of children that live next door to the zoo. Mysterious events ensue and the suspense thickens as the children get entangled in the magic and mystery of The Secret Zoo. Author Bryan Chick resides in Clarkston, Michigan with his wife and three children, and has currently written three books for his popular The Secret Zoo series. I interviewed Bryan Chick about The Secret Zoo.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms –  Are you a life-long Michigan resident? How are you enjoying Clarkston?

Bryan Chick – Author of The Secret Zoo Series –  I’ve lived in Michigan all my life. I grew up in Waterford and moved three miles away to Independence Township, which is just a great area with great schools. I’ve lived in my home for something live 15 years now. Michigan is an awesome place. I’m a fan of the different seasons, and I’m one of those strange sorts who enjoys 12-inch snowfalls and breaking my back shoveling the driveway. The past winter was a big disappointment!

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms –  Was the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak an inspiration behind your writing The Secret Zoo?

Bryan Chick – Author of The Secret Zoo Series –  Definitely. The primary components of The Secret Zoo (the settings, the characters, the premise) was imagined in my childhood during trips to the Detroit Zoo with my mother and grandparents. My overactive imagination reassembled the basic elements of the zoo into a wild fantasy world. You could say I sort of ‘lived’ the Secret Zoo when I was growing up. People from Detroit can easily pinpoint the zoo exhibits that inspired some settings in The Secret Zoo, especially in the first book.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – You say that since you were nine years old, you wondered what it would be like if zoo exhibits had secret passages that allowed kids to get in and animals to get out. How did this initial thought formulate into several books?

Bryan Chick – Author of The Secret Zoo Series –  Everything about the Secret Zoo world was developed from this question. More and more ideas kept coming to me—and still continue to come! Now the book series is outlined as 15 books, and I have a spinoff series in the works as well.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – The Secret Zoo is meant for children aged 9-12. How many do you have currently in the series and do you plan to write more?

Bryan Chick – Author of The Secret Zoo Series –  I’m currently reviewing the copyedit for Book 4, Traps and Specters, which is scheduled to be published on Sept 25. Book 5, Raids and Rescues is written and scheduled for publication in 2013. I’m working right now on the first book of the spin-off series, tentatively titled, The City of Species. I have plans for another Young Adult spin-off, but that one is a long way off.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – What kind of response have you gotten from The Secret Zoo series from kids and parents?

Bryan Chick – Author of The Secret Zoo Series –  Just incredible. I’ve visited more than 200 schools now and the teachers really love the books. Kids like them because the stories are fast and fun, and parents appreciate their kid-friendliness. It’s a great book for relunctant readers, espcially boys. In a publishing world where too much emphasis is focused of reaching professional reviewers, I opted to target the readers instead. I think it was a great choice.

Bryan Chick’s The Secret Zoo website . The Secret Zoo Facebook page .

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Escapism of the bookish sort.

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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Review: the secret zoo.

3 comments:

The cover has been enticing me for several weeks, and I'm glad you enjoyed the book, but I think I'll pass. I'm so swamped that I'm reluctant to add anything to my TBR list unless it screams "Read me, read me!"

The cover is gorgeous, pity it didn't live up to your expectations.

I love this book! It’s really good! Read it! Trust me

The Secret Zoo

By Bryan Chick

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

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

Book Reviews (6)

I really love The Secret Zoo. Really, I love a lot of books.

This book is the best!

I loved this book so much! It was adventurous and had mystery at every turn. My favorite part was when they discovered way the secret zoo and why it had too be kept a secret. the only thing that I didn't like was how it ended on a cliff hanger.

Overall, this is an awesome book because this book has animals in it - I am an animal lover. This is a fantasy book and I am a fantasy book lover. Hope you guys like it!

I decided to read this book because it looked so entertaining that it caught

This is an awesome book!!! Its very creative : fans of fantasy and adventure will love this. Animal lovers will also like this book. Enjoy!

I actually met the author of this book. I love his series

The Secret Zoo: Secrets and Shadows

Browse all books.

Book #2 in The Secret Zoo Series

“We will need you as Crossers, and we will need you not only to be brave—but to be fearless.” Mr. Darby paused, giving the scouts time to digest his words. Then he continued. “I want you to think before answering. Can you accept this challenge?”

Only weeks after their return from the Secret Zoo, Noah and his friends must go back—and face their biggest challenge yet. With monstrous sasquatches freely attacking the denizens of the zoo and the evil Shadowist at large, the fate of the world is at stake.

As Crossers, Noah, Megan, Richie, and Ella would help protect the zoo from these dangers. But do they have what it takes to complete their training? And what other secrets are hiding in the shadows?

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• The Secret Zoo Summary

by Bryan Chick

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Julia  Wolf

Crushed by guilt and worries, Noah struggles to find out where his younger sister could possibly be and what happened to her. Although the boy has nothing to do with her disappearance, he still feels that Megan’s absence is partially his fault. If only he would listen to her, when she tried to tell him about something important she noticed in the zoo, then nothing of that could happen.

According to Noah, the only one way to return his sister and solve the secret of the local zoo is to start the investigation by himself. The further he goes the stranger it gets. The boy starts receiving extracts from Megan’s diary which are brought either by a bird or hidden in the most peculiar places in the zoo. He also notices that the zoo guards look rather suspiciously and feels that they might have something to do with his sister’s disappearance. Later on, he tells about his investigation his two best friends, Ella and Richie. Now, when he has needed support and help, Noah acts decisively. With the help of Tank, one of the guards, he sneaks into the zoo at night. Worrying about him, his friends follow the boy some time later.

After many unbelievable adventures and with the help of various animals, they get inside of the hidden and definitely magic world, which is linked to the zoo. They learn that their local zoo is an unusual one, for it was created to help animals in every corner of the world. Unfortunately, since bigfeet got there too, the peaceful existence of the place was disturbed. As it turns out to be, it was they, who kidnapped Megan. After many struggles, the trio manages to save Noah’s sister and establish peace in the zoo over again. The adventure is finished and the kids happily return home.

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The Secret Zoo Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Secret Zoo is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What did Charlie Red do when he saw the Scouts in the City of Species?

Charlie Red yelled Code red into his walkie talkie and continued to repeat that there was a security breach in Sector 17.

The Secret Zoo

Chapter please? In addition, you are referring to the first book in the series?

what is the conflict in secret zoo book 3?what obstacles are there

After many unbelievable adventures and with the help of various animals, they get inside of the hidden and definitely magic world, which is linked to the zoo. They learn that their local zoo is an unusual one, for it was created to help animals in...

Study Guide for The Secret Zoo

The Secret Zoo study guide contains a biography of Bryan Chick, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Secret Zoo
• Character List

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The Secret Zoo Series, Complete 6-Book Set Paperback – January 1, 2017

• Language English
• Publisher Generic
• Publication date January 1, 2017
• See all details

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B086P4DGHZ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Generic (January 1, 2017)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.7 pounds
• Best Sellers Rank: #161,532 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

About the author

Bryan chick.

I’m the author of The Secret Zoo series, which has sold almost a million copies and been translated into numerous foreign languages. I have two new series being released in 2024: The Super Sports Society (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and Wayfinders (Blackstone Publishing). If you liked The Secret Zoo, you’ll like both of these series!

Some facts about my books. The idea of The Secret Zoo came to me when I was just nine years old. And I worked on Wayfinders for five years! A bunch of stuff in The Super Sports Society really happened, which goes to show the strange life I’ve had. A Turd Tank, really? Yes.

I live in Clarkston, Michigan with my wife and four kids. When I'm not writing, I'm usually hanging out with like-minded peers at schools around the nation.

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