Belly Up

Belly Up
Stuart Gibbs
Simon & Shuster, 2010 294 pages
Grades 4-7
Mystery
Funjungle series #1

Teddy is the only kid living at Funjungle, the multi-billion dollar zoo/theme park. Teddy's mother is a primate expert and his father is a wildlife photographer, so they sleep in a trailer on the outskirts of the facility and he has his run of the park. He happens to be on the scene when the park's mascot and main attraction, Henry the Hippo, goes "belly-up". Naturally, the operations manager and the PR guy want to sweep the death under the rug and dispose of the corpse quickly and quietly, but the veterinarian insists on an autopsy.  Teddy sneaks into the auditorium where the autopsy is being performed and witnesses suspicious behavior. Was Henry actually murdered? Teaming up with the billionaire owner's daughter, the two tweens set off to uncover the truth. The problem is, whoever murdered Henry wants to keep the evil deed a secret and Teddy's very life is in danger.

First in the Funjungle series, I thought I read this book already. Nope-I read the second, Poached, which was equally fun and can be read out of order. Appealing to both mystery and animal lovers, this series tick a lot of boxes. The mystery is get-able and Gibbs provides enough quirky suspects to make it interesting. The action never stops as Teddy falls into one dangerous situation after another. This is also a friendship story, as Teddy overcomes his perceptions of rich-girl Summer and learns to trust and appreciate her for who she is. The kids are smarter than the adults and the mystery is solved by kid-power and the sheer tenacity and quick wits of the tweens. The parents are supportive and helpful, showing readers that they can turn to adults with their problems, even though they are also strong and capable. A murdered hippo is a sad situation, yet Henry was not very likable and by the end a silver lining is offered to appease the death for animal lovers. A perfect summer read that gets kids thinking and is also great fun.