Secrets and Shadows (The Secret Zoo Series #2)

by Bryan Chick

Overview

Book two in this fast-paced and exciting series for middle grade fantasy, mystery, and animal buffs.

Noah and his friends thought they had seen it all during their first journey into the Secret Zoo—but it was only the beginning. Now they must train to become Crossers, members of a secret society who freely travel to the Secret Zoo and back, helping to defend its borders. But now that the monstrous sasquatches are on the loose and the evil Shadowist is plotting destruction, will Noah, Megan, Ella, and Richie have what it takes to survive?

The author originally had the idea for The Secret Zoo when he was nine and wondered what would happen if zoo exhibits had secret doors that allowed kids to go inside—and the animals to come outside. He brings that sense of adventure and excitement to this story, making it a favorite for home and classroom reading along with such middle grade fantasy favorites as The One and Only Ivan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062069580
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Series:	Secret Zoo Series , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	584,933
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bryan Chick is the author of the Secret Zoo series. He originally had the idea for the series when he was a nine-year-old and wondered what would happen if zoo exhibits had secret doors that allowed children to go inside . . . and the animals to come outside. Bryan Chick lives with his wife and four children in Clarkston, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–7—Noah, Megan, Ella, and Richie are called into service again to help Mr. Darby, the leader of the Secret Society, and other members of the Secret Zoo. He asks the scouts to help him round up some wayward sasquatches, promising that they will only be in the Secret Zoo for two hours, so the four friends reluctantly agree to return. It has been only two weeks since they were there to rescue Megan in The Secret Zoo (Second Wish, 2007). They arrive through a rather bumpy route—tire swings that drop hundreds and hundreds of feet underground. This is only the beginning of their zany adventures. It's quite obvious that the teenagers who are sent to escort them into the library of the Secret Society do not like them. The head teen informs them that they are to remain in the Secret Zoo for a year. This is a world in which humans and animals coexist peacefully, and the library is unlike anything they have ever experienced. Even though there are books and a librarian, the patrons are predominately animals. The library is also designed with waterfalls, trees, greenery, and many floors. The four friends are well developed characters, and readers will identify with the great bond they have and relate to their anxiety, curiosity, and just plan chutzpah. Descriptions are delightful, and children will envy the close relationships that the scouts have with the animals in the Secret Zoo. Fans of fantasy, animal fiction, and adventure will enjoy this fast-moving story.—Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

School Library Journal

The four intrepid heroes ofThe Secret Zoo(2010) return for another adventure in this new animal-packed fantasy series.Having discovered that their local zoo is a kind of front for a magical world in which animals and people coexist in harmony, Noah, Ella, Richie and Megan are tapped to become Crossers—people who go between The Secret Zoo and the world outside.Their acceptance triggers the ire of a group of odd-looking teens called the Descenders, who clearly blame the foursome for the escape of the murderous Sasquatches yet are charged with their training.Chick wallows in exposition, spending an inordinate amount of time discussing the past and showing how one travels in and out of the zoo and too little time exploring the mystery of the Descenders and the evil Sasquatches.While the tension between the preteen protagonists and the teens is both tangible and interesting, this installment feels more like novel-length worldbuilding than a story in itself.(Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews