The Secret Zoo Book

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?

Publishers Weekly

Chick debuts with an action-packed and breathless story about teamwork, first published in 2007 by the author's Second Wish Press. When Noah's sister, Megan, disappears, he and his friends Ella and Richie come across Megan's notes and journal entries, which lead them to the Clarksville City Zoo. When the trio is separated, the action intensifies as readers follow their separate paths through the zoo's exhibits, which disguise a secret land in which animals and humans coexist blissfully ("They'd entered a city that seemed to have been built by the most potent pieces of a hundred imaginations)". With the help of new friends that include Podgy the penguin and Blizzard the polar bear, the group tunnels through this maze, encountering some less-friendly creatures and shifty security guards who insist that "the fate of the world depended on keeping the secrets of the zoo safe." While the writing is not as complex or magical as the premise, the story should appeal both to animal-lovers and a broader audience. While many threads are resolved, Chick lays the groundwork for later books. Ages 9-12. (June)