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Belly Up

by Stuart Gibbs

A suspicious death at FunJungle

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Regular price $29.52 USD Sale price $17.71 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A suspicious death at FunJungle

When Henry the hippopotamus dies at the newly opened FunJungle, twelve-year-old Teddy Roosevelt Fitzroy doubts the official explanation of natural causes. With Summer McCraken, he investigates the zoo’s possible suspects while facing pressure to stop asking questions. The mystery unfolds within a zoo where animal welfare and the interests of its management are in conflict, giving the investigation both a whodunit puzzle and a setting shaped by competing priorities. The book’s juvenile-mystery framing, young investigators and threats to other animals establish the stakes without taking the case outside the world of FunJungle.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Young readers interested in mysteries and detective stories.
  • Readers who enjoy investigations led by young protagonists.
  • Readers drawn to stories set in zoos and involving animals.

Themes

Mystery and investigationAnimal welfareCompeting interests and accountability

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

12 year old Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Fitzroy has got a murder on his hands and trouble on his tail. Henry, the hippopatamus at the brand-new nationally known FunJungle, has gone belly up. Even though it's claimed he died of natural causes, Teddy smells something fishy and it sure ain't the polar bear's lunch. Dealing with the zoo's top brass proves to be nothing but a waste of time. They want to see any trace of Henry's death disappear like yesterday's paper. So Teddy sets out to find the truth. With the help of Summer McCraken, a fiesty girl with secrets of her own, the two narrow down their prime suspects. Is it Martin Del Gato, FunJungle's head of operations who hates kids and hates animals even more? Or J.J McCraken, the owner of FunJungle and and hates animals even more? Or J.J McCraken, the owner of FunJungle and Summer's father, who has more concern for the dough he's raking in than the animals in the zoo? As their investigation goes on, Teddy gets squeezed on all sides to quit asking questions or Henry won't be the only animal in the zoo to turn up dead. The deeper Teddy and Summer get, they had better make sure they want to know what they want to know because when it comes to hippo homicide, the truth can't be kept in a cage!
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