India Opal’s mama left when she was only three, and her father, “the preacher,” is absorbed in his own loss and in the work of his new ministry at the Open-Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. 9-13)Ī 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice. In his authorial debut, screenwriter Gibbs combines details of the inner workings of zoos with some over-the-top action for an entertaining read. Overall, the story is great fun, despite a sometimes plodding approach to the narrative that is too reminiscent of a report. Not a typical child, Teddy has amassed a considerable knowledge of arcane facts of human nature as well as animal behavior in his travels. Teddy sneaks into the autopsy and later strikes up a friendship with Summer, the daughter of the billionaire owner, in his efforts to solve the mystery of who killed Henry. Action opens at Hippo River with the death of mascot Henry the Hippo, a beloved creature despite an irascible personality. Stateside, the family lives at FunJungle, the world’s biggest and newest state-of-the-art zoo and theme park, the pet project of a Texas moneybags whose daughter inspired him. Twelve-year-old Teddy is a world traveler with a wildlife-photojournalist father and a mother who does gorilla research.

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs