What do you think?
Rate this book
FunJungle #1
Belly Up
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 dislikes kids 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 one to turn up dead. The deeper Teddy and Summer get, the more the danger mounts—because when it comes to hippo homicide, the truth can't be kept in a cage!
294 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2010
1555 people are currently reading
7054 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,313 reviews
April 16, 2020
first, look at the cover. now, look at the endpapers:
how are you going to say "no" to that?? you're not. because not only is it a beautifully designed book, the story itself is great, and if i could stand to be around children, i would give them this book, because it is both fun and good for them, like flintstones vitamins.
i saw this on a cart in the basement at work while i was waiting for the elevator, and the colors attracted me. me being me, i yanked it out from the middle, causing a minor book avalanche. i sort of cleaned it up (sorry, kids department), but then the elevator came, and i ran on, clutching the book to my chest like some indiana jones prize, cackling guiltily to myself. i immediately emailed ariel to find out what she knew about it, and not only did she know the designer, but she sent me a copy of my own because she is truly the best.
like this book.
i really love this book. not only is it a great story about the world's best possible theme park-zoo, where the animals are respected and kept in enclosures which mimic their natural environments (with real snow! in texas!), but there is a great mystery at the center of it all - and why?
this is not a kiddie-kid book, it is not cutesy, but it is still fun; no mean feat. i think it would work really well read aloud, plus it has tons of animal facts that bring the animal kingdom alive for the little ones, and teach them about how to properly comport themselves at the zoo, and how to respect the animals and to recognize certain behaviors to know what is danger and what is not.
there is also a lot of poop in this book. and who doesn't like poop? i know plenty of adults who are fascinated by,and quite taken with, their own poop, but kids still like poop jokes, right? it is always appearing in a natural context, not scatology for scatology's sake, but there is a serious amount of poop in this book. moving on...
for you purists - there is absolutely no anthropomorphism here. it is a zoo story, with true animal facts and everything is done very respectfully and truly. i didn't know what to expect going into this - if there was going to be a kangaroo detective and a badger with a magnifying glass, but it was handled in the best way possible.
also, the last chapter is called "who did it", in case you get lazy. but you won't because it is a really great read. and not "a really great kids read". this spans age groups, provided you aren't the biggest of all possible book snobs.
just nice work all around.
a round of applause for simon and schuster...
and hippos!!
i was totally going to write a proust review tonight, but i got so excited by this that proust has to wait. i am not in the mood to write measured and intelligent right now - just summertime fun!
how are you going to say "no" to that?? you're not. because not only is it a beautifully designed book, the story itself is great, and if i could stand to be around children, i would give them this book, because it is both fun and good for them, like flintstones vitamins.
i saw this on a cart in the basement at work while i was waiting for the elevator, and the colors attracted me. me being me, i yanked it out from the middle, causing a minor book avalanche. i sort of cleaned it up (sorry, kids department), but then the elevator came, and i ran on, clutching the book to my chest like some indiana jones prize, cackling guiltily to myself. i immediately emailed ariel to find out what she knew about it, and not only did she know the designer, but she sent me a copy of my own because she is truly the best.
like this book.
i really love this book. not only is it a great story about the world's best possible theme park-zoo, where the animals are respected and kept in enclosures which mimic their natural environments (with real snow! in texas!), but there is a great mystery at the center of it all - and why?
this is not a kiddie-kid book, it is not cutesy, but it is still fun; no mean feat. i think it would work really well read aloud, plus it has tons of animal facts that bring the animal kingdom alive for the little ones, and teach them about how to properly comport themselves at the zoo, and how to respect the animals and to recognize certain behaviors to know what is danger and what is not.
there is also a lot of poop in this book. and who doesn't like poop? i know plenty of adults who are fascinated by,and quite taken with, their own poop, but kids still like poop jokes, right? it is always appearing in a natural context, not scatology for scatology's sake, but there is a serious amount of poop in this book. moving on...
for you purists - there is absolutely no anthropomorphism here. it is a zoo story, with true animal facts and everything is done very respectfully and truly. i didn't know what to expect going into this - if there was going to be a kangaroo detective and a badger with a magnifying glass, but it was handled in the best way possible.
also, the last chapter is called "who did it", in case you get lazy. but you won't because it is a really great read. and not "a really great kids read". this spans age groups, provided you aren't the biggest of all possible book snobs.
just nice work all around.
a round of applause for simon and schuster...
and hippos!!
i was totally going to write a proust review tonight, but i got so excited by this that proust has to wait. i am not in the mood to write measured and intelligent right now - just summertime fun!
December 1, 2010
Fans of ’s books and will enjoy this middle grade mystery set at FunJungle, an exotic animal amusement park. When Henry the Hippo, the mascot of the newly-opened park, goes belly up, 12-year old Teddy thinks it would be fun to sneak into the autopsy. He’s been around animals his whole life, since his mom is a gorilla researcher and his dad a wildlife photographer, and he’s intrigued by Henry’s seemingly untimely demise.
When he overhears that the hippo’s death might be a murder and that park officials plan to cover it up, he decides to solve it himself. But someone at the park wants to keep him quiet � can Teddy avoid the same fate at the hippo? This amusing read has a strong character in Teddy, a likeable 12-year old who will appeal to animal lovers. Not too scary but with plenty of suspense, this is a good choice for upper elementary and early middle school grades.
When he overhears that the hippo’s death might be a murder and that park officials plan to cover it up, he decides to solve it himself. But someone at the park wants to keep him quiet � can Teddy avoid the same fate at the hippo? This amusing read has a strong character in Teddy, a likeable 12-year old who will appeal to animal lovers. Not too scary but with plenty of suspense, this is a good choice for upper elementary and early middle school grades.
March 28, 2016
Kids think butts are hilarious. That's a fact.
Hippo-butt features prominently in this story, which is probably why my kids loved it so much when we read it together. It actually contains a lot of good information about animals but they didn't really notice they were learning because of the hippo that shoots poo at tourists and the cigar-smoking midget clown and other things that make kids giggle. There are also lots of opportunities to do funny voices.
Hippo-butt features prominently in this story, which is probably why my kids loved it so much when we read it together. It actually contains a lot of good information about animals but they didn't really notice they were learning because of the hippo that shoots poo at tourists and the cigar-smoking midget clown and other things that make kids giggle. There are also lots of opportunities to do funny voices.
February 24, 2020
Ugh. Okay. Buckle up.
I'd been reading some heavier books, so I decided to try out this book. It's a middle grade novel set in a zoo. When the zoo's mascot hippo dies, the main character, a thirteen year old boy, decides to investigate, suspecting it's a murder.
Overall, it was such a cute and fun story! It also had lots of fun facts about animals and how zoos work, which was fun. I laughed out loud a couple times, and it was just such a silly and entertaining story.
But.
As much as I wanted to love it, it had some issues. The biggest one was the serious fat-phobia. Like, from page one, SO many fat jokes. Mainly focused on a security guard, who is consistently referred to as Large Marge. She is perpetually suspicious of the main character Teddy, which I didn't mind having as an antagonist, but Teddy constantly compares her size to the zoo animals (rhinos, hippos, etc.). For one thing, it was just such a cop-out source of humor for kids, so it wasn't even good writing in that way. But more importantly, can we stop using body size as a source of humor?? I just wince every time I think about kids reading this and laughing at a plus-sized woman. And then using Teddy's insults against a classmate. Ugh. I loved most of the rest of the book and want to read the rest of the series, but I won't because I really can't stand this aspect of the book.
Also, it had a weird bit about little people and using them for humor? One of the "suspects" was a little person, and at first I was like 'Okay, cool, representation!' But then Teddy called him a midget several times (come on) and also the hippo was prejudiced against little people? Like it kept attacking them, which seems like a weird choice? Again, just more humor at the expense of people who have been consistently underrepresented and always the butt of the joke and worse.
So, I liked the story in general. But there were some aspects that made it bad enough that I won't read the rest of the series.
I'd been reading some heavier books, so I decided to try out this book. It's a middle grade novel set in a zoo. When the zoo's mascot hippo dies, the main character, a thirteen year old boy, decides to investigate, suspecting it's a murder.
Overall, it was such a cute and fun story! It also had lots of fun facts about animals and how zoos work, which was fun. I laughed out loud a couple times, and it was just such a silly and entertaining story.
But.
As much as I wanted to love it, it had some issues. The biggest one was the serious fat-phobia. Like, from page one, SO many fat jokes. Mainly focused on a security guard, who is consistently referred to as Large Marge. She is perpetually suspicious of the main character Teddy, which I didn't mind having as an antagonist, but Teddy constantly compares her size to the zoo animals (rhinos, hippos, etc.). For one thing, it was just such a cop-out source of humor for kids, so it wasn't even good writing in that way. But more importantly, can we stop using body size as a source of humor?? I just wince every time I think about kids reading this and laughing at a plus-sized woman. And then using Teddy's insults against a classmate. Ugh. I loved most of the rest of the book and want to read the rest of the series, but I won't because I really can't stand this aspect of the book.
Also, it had a weird bit about little people and using them for humor? One of the "suspects" was a little person, and at first I was like 'Okay, cool, representation!' But then Teddy called him a midget several times (come on) and also the hippo was prejudiced against little people? Like it kept attacking them, which seems like a weird choice? Again, just more humor at the expense of people who have been consistently underrepresented and always the butt of the joke and worse.
So, I liked the story in general. But there were some aspects that made it bad enough that I won't read the rest of the series.
July 1, 2018
My kids really liked the characters and suspense of this book. I read it out loud and I'm glad I did because I've never read a middle school age book that has so much profanity!! I had to edit / change atleast a dozen words. Why GIBBS WHY?!
Yes, the body humor was hilarious for my boys (especially the part where the hippo poops at visitors) but the profanity just ruined it for me. We are reading the entire series but I will be making it PG rating by changing as I read out loud.
Yes, the body humor was hilarious for my boys (especially the part where the hippo poops at visitors) but the profanity just ruined it for me. We are reading the entire series but I will be making it PG rating by changing as I read out loud.
September 8, 2020
A wonderful start to one of my favorite series, but there's something about this book that isn't as good as the other ones. The narration is also incredibly childish at times. Definitely didn't enjoy it as much as my first read.
March 30, 2019
Belly Up was not what I was expecting. I was expecting hilarity. Sure it has a dead hippo on the cover, but the cartoonish of it, plus the colors... Actually, Belly Up is rather morbid. It’s still great fun, but fun in the what’s-gonna-happen-next way, not in the oh-look-monkies! kind of way.
Chapter 1 of Belly Up met my expectations. There’s a mischievous kid in a zoo, dodging the adults who want to put an end to his fun. And then there’s poop. Lots and lots of poo. Poo continues to make appearances throughout the novel, but it’s in this first chapter than poo really makes its grand entrance. I think I could argue that poop is actually the protagonist of this novel.
That first chapter sets the stage for what ends up being a very different book. The story becomes increasingly darker as it goes on. There are still bits of humor from beginning to end, but they’re mixed in with a larger story that focuses on murder, attempted murder, and some all-out grossness. Seriously, the climax of this novel makes that fair scene from as sweet as cotton candy.
Belly Up is a classic whodunit story told in a zoo. (And Agent Poop is on the case.) I’m not a big fan of the mystery genre for any age, so I’m not the intended audience, but I felt the formula was implemented well. The reveal was not surprising (I actually called it very early in the book) and the reason wasn’t entirely organic to the plot, but neither of these flaws kept the chase from being a fun ride. The characters were engaging. And there are animals, of course. This novel certainly succeeds as an entertaining mystery for children, especially those who laugh at poop.
For those with objections to strong language, please note that this book uses language that may seem misplaced in a children’s book. These include multiple utterances of words such as bastard, ass, hell, and damn. Yeah, I’ve heard worse in a PG movie, but I still thought someone might want to know.
Chapter 1 of Belly Up met my expectations. There’s a mischievous kid in a zoo, dodging the adults who want to put an end to his fun. And then there’s poop. Lots and lots of poo. Poo continues to make appearances throughout the novel, but it’s in this first chapter than poo really makes its grand entrance. I think I could argue that poop is actually the protagonist of this novel.
That first chapter sets the stage for what ends up being a very different book. The story becomes increasingly darker as it goes on. There are still bits of humor from beginning to end, but they’re mixed in with a larger story that focuses on murder, attempted murder, and some all-out grossness. Seriously, the climax of this novel makes that fair scene from as sweet as cotton candy.
Belly Up is a classic whodunit story told in a zoo. (And Agent Poop is on the case.) I’m not a big fan of the mystery genre for any age, so I’m not the intended audience, but I felt the formula was implemented well. The reveal was not surprising (I actually called it very early in the book) and the reason wasn’t entirely organic to the plot, but neither of these flaws kept the chase from being a fun ride. The characters were engaging. And there are animals, of course. This novel certainly succeeds as an entertaining mystery for children, especially those who laugh at poop.
For those with objections to strong language, please note that this book uses language that may seem misplaced in a children’s book. These include multiple utterances of words such as bastard, ass, hell, and damn. Yeah, I’ve heard worse in a PG movie, but I still thought someone might want to know.
January 4, 2016
This heart-warming and life-changing story about a boy and his free time will surely captivate and inspire the reader. This book should be required reading for all humans on planet earth. The power of the author's words can stir up deep emotional connections between ourselves and the book's main character. Hemingway, Shakespeare, and Dickens have nothing on whoever wrote this book. Put it next to the Bible on your bookshelf and your collection will be complete! Laugh, cry, stand in awe. No emotion goes untouched when reading this touching tale. Your measly, pathetic, tiresome existence will soon have meaning. Just read this damn book.
March 8, 2024
This was quite a fun children's book that I wish I'd seen when it was new because it's possible my son would have enjoyed it when he was 10 (hard to say, though, but as an adult he likes the Chet and Bernie books).
Mean and nasty, even for a hippo (as the book correctly points out, this is the second most dangerous animal in Africa after the water buffalo,) Henry the Hippo not only ends up dead, but he's been murdered. Twelve year old Teddy--lives in a trailer with his parents on zoo grounds with certain other staff members--aided by 13 year old Summer, daughter of the billionaire who built the place, is the only one willing to find out who committed the murder. Teddy, due to his mother's research and his dad's photography, spent his first 10 years in Congo around African animals.
There is humour, a good mystery, danger and a fun cast of characters in this book.
Mean and nasty, even for a hippo (as the book correctly points out, this is the second most dangerous animal in Africa after the water buffalo,) Henry the Hippo not only ends up dead, but he's been murdered. Twelve year old Teddy--lives in a trailer with his parents on zoo grounds with certain other staff members--aided by 13 year old Summer, daughter of the billionaire who built the place, is the only one willing to find out who committed the murder. Teddy, due to his mother's research and his dad's photography, spent his first 10 years in Congo around African animals.
There is humour, a good mystery, danger and a fun cast of characters in this book.
September 26, 2024
Funjungle is een nieuwe serie, Poten omhoog! is het eerste deel. Je leest het verhaal vanuit Theo. Theo woont in de dierentuin, maar moet zichzelf de hele dag vermaken. Het boek is geschreven voor kinderen van 10 jaar en ouder en ik denk dat veel kinderen zich prima in kunnen leven in Theo.
Voor lezers die houden van mysteries oplossen, voor lezers die graag verhalen met dieren lezen, voor lezers die graag een boek met wat spanning lezen. Voor mijzelf waren dat drie vinkjes ✅✅�. Het boek is best dik voor een kinderboek, namelijk 300 bladzijden, maar ik heb me prima vermaakt met Theo en zijn onderzoek.
Een leuk detail vond ik dat alle dieren die een naam kregen, dat de naam met de eerste letter van het dier begon, zoals Nils het nijlpaard.
Poten Omhoog! is een eerste deel van een serie. Je leert alle (mogelijke) hoofdpersonages kennen en ontdekt hoe de dierentuin in elkaar steekt. Je leeft met Theo mee. Hij maakt nieuwe vrienden en ook nieuwe vijanden. Maar lukt het hem om uit te zoeken wie Nils het nijlpaard heeft vermoord?
30 september verschijnt het tweede deel in deze serie: Gekidnapt!
Bedankt voor het opsturen van dit exemplaar @pelckmans.be
Voor lezers die houden van mysteries oplossen, voor lezers die graag verhalen met dieren lezen, voor lezers die graag een boek met wat spanning lezen. Voor mijzelf waren dat drie vinkjes ✅✅�. Het boek is best dik voor een kinderboek, namelijk 300 bladzijden, maar ik heb me prima vermaakt met Theo en zijn onderzoek.
Een leuk detail vond ik dat alle dieren die een naam kregen, dat de naam met de eerste letter van het dier begon, zoals Nils het nijlpaard.
Poten Omhoog! is een eerste deel van een serie. Je leert alle (mogelijke) hoofdpersonages kennen en ontdekt hoe de dierentuin in elkaar steekt. Je leeft met Theo mee. Hij maakt nieuwe vrienden en ook nieuwe vijanden. Maar lukt het hem om uit te zoeken wie Nils het nijlpaard heeft vermoord?
30 september verschijnt het tweede deel in deze serie: Gekidnapt!
Bedankt voor het opsturen van dit exemplaar @pelckmans.be
December 5, 2012
Dec 4, 2012
I recently finished reading the Lone Star book "Belly Up" by Stuart Gibbs. Growing up in America's most popular theme park would sound fun, right? Wrong! Teddy Fitzroy lives there and runs into trouble everyday because he is lonely and bored. The worst part for Teddy, is Henry the hippopotamus, the park's mascot. Lazy, nasty,and obnoxious are some of the never-ending list of negative words to describe Henry. But no one could hate him enough to land him belly up, which he does anyways. Tedd jumps on to the case along with Summer McCracken, the founder/owner's famous daughter. Can they solve the homicide before they too land belly up? Packed with humor, mystery, and crime, this investigation was unique and showed the development of Tedd and Summer's friendship. This book was so detailed, it made me want to go there even though I knew it was'nt a real place. I however, could not relate to any of the character's feelings because I have not been in any situation like that. Though I could admire certain qualities like their courage and out of the box thinking. I was laughing when Henry was shooting poo at the visitors and was at the edge of my seat when Teddy was trapped with a black mamba(the most vicious snake) in a dark room. The book had spurts of action throughout the story, until the climax.
I would recommend this book to people who like animal based stories and children-solving mystery books.
I recently finished reading the Lone Star book "Belly Up" by Stuart Gibbs. Growing up in America's most popular theme park would sound fun, right? Wrong! Teddy Fitzroy lives there and runs into trouble everyday because he is lonely and bored. The worst part for Teddy, is Henry the hippopotamus, the park's mascot. Lazy, nasty,and obnoxious are some of the never-ending list of negative words to describe Henry. But no one could hate him enough to land him belly up, which he does anyways. Tedd jumps on to the case along with Summer McCracken, the founder/owner's famous daughter. Can they solve the homicide before they too land belly up? Packed with humor, mystery, and crime, this investigation was unique and showed the development of Tedd and Summer's friendship. This book was so detailed, it made me want to go there even though I knew it was'nt a real place. I however, could not relate to any of the character's feelings because I have not been in any situation like that. Though I could admire certain qualities like their courage and out of the box thinking. I was laughing when Henry was shooting poo at the visitors and was at the edge of my seat when Teddy was trapped with a black mamba(the most vicious snake) in a dark room. The book had spurts of action throughout the story, until the climax.
I would recommend this book to people who like animal based stories and children-solving mystery books.
February 20, 2019
I usually do not give one star reviews, because I try to find something that I enjoy in the books that I read. I could not get past the first page of this book, because there is a female security guard who is described as “built like a rhinoceros� and that she is constantly following the narrator, who is a 12-year-old boy, around waiting for him to get into trouble. The book opens with him having gotten into said trouble, and that Marge is “shoving (me) up against the rail of the chimp exhibit and frisking me for weapons�.
Seriously?! Given some of what has been going on in the news regarding child predators, this whole entire page gave me the heebie-jeebies.
DNF and will not recommend to patrons.
Seriously?! Given some of what has been going on in the news regarding child predators, this whole entire page gave me the heebie-jeebies.
DNF and will not recommend to patrons.
March 28, 2017
What a fun book. A murder mystery for kids! (Not young kids. I think 3-4th grade and up.) And it works, because the murder victim is a hippopotamus. The characters are fun and entertaining. There is a lot of running around kid-style, meaning kids will enjoy it. And the mystery is actually worth puzzling through for an adult.
It was refreshing to have a book where the kid's parents are a happily married couple. So many books today feature kids with single parents or divorced parents (somewhat replacing kids-with-no-parents that were written about a lot 100 years ago) that you wonder if it is even allowed to give a kid parents who have a solid marriage.
It was refreshing to have a book where the kid's parents are a happily married couple. So many books today feature kids with single parents or divorced parents (somewhat replacing kids-with-no-parents that were written about a lot 100 years ago) that you wonder if it is even allowed to give a kid parents who have a solid marriage.
December 3, 2024
Lmaoo this was so funny.
So me and my friend luv 2 read murder mystery books (AGGGTM, OUIL, The naturals etc) and yesterday she told me to read this. Its not ur average murder mystery...a human doesen't die-a hippo does! I luv the fact it takes part in a zoo and its hilarious concept. Good book overall tho
So me and my friend luv 2 read murder mystery books (AGGGTM, OUIL, The naturals etc) and yesterday she told me to read this. Its not ur average murder mystery...a human doesen't die-a hippo does! I luv the fact it takes part in a zoo and its hilarious concept. Good book overall tho
February 3, 2024
Great book!
September 4, 2024
Oh, why have I not read this sooner?.! This was a very fast pace fun read. I love this setting. I’ve never read anything like this before.
July 15, 2012
Teddy, a 12-year-old, grew up in the Congo of Africa because his mother is a famous gorilla researcher on the order of Diane Fossey and his father is a famous wildlife photographer. They now live in a trailer in Texas on the outskirts of FunJungle, the largest zoo/Disneyworld type attraction in the USA, where his parents are employed. The mascot of the park, Henry the Hippo, a mean and messy animal who is not liked by many who have been injured by him, ends up suspiciously dead. Teddy and Summer, a Paris Hilton-type only 13-years-old, the daughter of the rich tycoon who owns the theme park are the only one who take on the investigation while adults and police seem to ignore the evidence. Soon Teddy seems to be the next target for danger and possible death.
I liked the story because it had informative facts about animals, conservation and the role of zoos in a developing global world where animal habitat is disappearing. The story was a page turner. Teddy's voice was strong and I thought sometimes inappropriate for the 3rd and 4th graders who will be reading this. This is the same content that I think will appeal to that age student, especially boys. They may find it hilarious.
I liked that this kid eventually shared his fears and problems with the caring adults in his life. So often fiction authors of this age group seem to think the kid characters must take on everything alone. This handling of the kid/adult relationship was more realistic and made a good point that sometimes you need to get adult help. It didn't detract from the kid characters' bravery and intelligence, just enhanced it.
It reads like a screen play for a movie, very exciting and visual with chase scenes and almost jungle-like dangers.
I liked the story because it had informative facts about animals, conservation and the role of zoos in a developing global world where animal habitat is disappearing. The story was a page turner. Teddy's voice was strong and I thought sometimes inappropriate for the 3rd and 4th graders who will be reading this. This is the same content that I think will appeal to that age student, especially boys. They may find it hilarious.
I liked that this kid eventually shared his fears and problems with the caring adults in his life. So often fiction authors of this age group seem to think the kid characters must take on everything alone. This handling of the kid/adult relationship was more realistic and made a good point that sometimes you need to get adult help. It didn't detract from the kid characters' bravery and intelligence, just enhanced it.
It reads like a screen play for a movie, very exciting and visual with chase scenes and almost jungle-like dangers.
December 23, 2021
For curious parents: I saw that this series was recommended for many reasons and not recommended for 1 specific reason: poor language. In fact, this book contains 2 uses of the word “crap�, one use of the word “screwed�, and two uses of the word “ass�. I think all of these words were actually used thoughtfully by the author, whether or not you agree with the use in general is up to you.
All in all, I would still recommend this book for kids 12+ because of the great moral content. The strong language used in this book was overheard coming from the adults (criminals) and was not used by the narrator/protagonist, Teddy or his friend Summer. The use of the word crap did come from Teddy when speaking of poop that was spewed around the animal exhibit.
This book also contains a great example of honesty between parent and child, how to ask for help when you’re nervous about getting in trouble, questions about right vs wrong, animal cruelty issues, and how to be a good steward to animals overall.
I wanted to let everyone know the actually level of profanity found in this book, to help parents make decisions that are more specifically geared toward their child’s maturity level. I know when I was in 7th grade I was reading novels in school with more inappropriate content but discussed the lessons learned in depth with adults which made the experience very enriching and taught me some life long lessons. I hope by providing this review you can make the same decisions on which topics to exclude and include in your child’s reading and guide them in similar conversations. Overall, if you were turned off by the same reviews about “bad language� I was, I wouldn’t be too fast to count this one out completely. Read it yourself and see!
All in all, I would still recommend this book for kids 12+ because of the great moral content. The strong language used in this book was overheard coming from the adults (criminals) and was not used by the narrator/protagonist, Teddy or his friend Summer. The use of the word crap did come from Teddy when speaking of poop that was spewed around the animal exhibit.
This book also contains a great example of honesty between parent and child, how to ask for help when you’re nervous about getting in trouble, questions about right vs wrong, animal cruelty issues, and how to be a good steward to animals overall.
I wanted to let everyone know the actually level of profanity found in this book, to help parents make decisions that are more specifically geared toward their child’s maturity level. I know when I was in 7th grade I was reading novels in school with more inappropriate content but discussed the lessons learned in depth with adults which made the experience very enriching and taught me some life long lessons. I hope by providing this review you can make the same decisions on which topics to exclude and include in your child’s reading and guide them in similar conversations. Overall, if you were turned off by the same reviews about “bad language� I was, I wouldn’t be too fast to count this one out completely. Read it yourself and see!
December 11, 2018
I really wanted to like this book but I really couldn’t because of one character. Large marge...... now I get that in books like this you want bumbling dumb adult type characters to make the main character seem even more clever but why in 2018 are there still characters like this? A character that’s mean, dumb, and eats her feelings. She’s described as having a body of a rhinoceros. There is another part where when Marge asked why the main character is still gawking at the dead hippo he says � trying to guess who’s bigger: Henry or you.� Yikes...no thank you.
June 29, 2022
Cute mystery
Teddy's in over his head...literally. He's been living at Fun Jungle, the largest attraction zoo. See, his mom studies apes and has been hired to live and work at the zoo. But when the main attraction, Henry the hippo, turns up dead, it's up to Teddy to find out why his mysterious death is being covered up. But when Teddy finds out that Henry was actually murdered, Teddy becomes a target as well. Will Teddy be able to solve the mystery before its too late?
Teddy's in over his head...literally. He's been living at Fun Jungle, the largest attraction zoo. See, his mom studies apes and has been hired to live and work at the zoo. But when the main attraction, Henry the hippo, turns up dead, it's up to Teddy to find out why his mysterious death is being covered up. But when Teddy finds out that Henry was actually murdered, Teddy becomes a target as well. Will Teddy be able to solve the mystery before its too late?
March 16, 2021
4.148
The paper and hearts society democratically voted for this book.
We greatly enjoyed, how the humor was incorporated into this page-turning novel, the cover, the interesting and funny characters.
We disliked, the poop was a little too abundant.
Thank you book for gracing us with your presence.
The paper and hearts society democratically voted for this book.
We greatly enjoyed, how the humor was incorporated into this page-turning novel, the cover, the interesting and funny characters.
We disliked, the poop was a little too abundant.
Thank you book for gracing us with your presence.
February 27, 2021
A masterpiece of a series, �/5.
August 29, 2021
Belly Up is a mystery that will have you turning pages at ninety miles an hour. Plus, it has hilarious sarcastic humor that you can expect in almost any Stuart Gibbs book. I highly recommend this book to you.
June 6, 2024
Theodore Fitzroy isn't your typical 12-year-old boy. Raised in the Congo and now living at the world's greatest zoo, his life is sure to be filled with excitement and humor. But, living at FunJungle isn't all it's cracked up to be. After the park's mascot is killed, it is up to Teddy and his new friend Summer McCracken to figure out whodunit! Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs is a wonderful, funny and age-appropriate book, that leaves readers yearning for more!
I think that Belly Up is a great book, perfect for ages 9 and up. I loved the suspense and the page-turning thrill! I appreciated that at the end of each book there is a short tidbit about endangered animals or the topic of the book which is really cool and really opens people's eyes to the fact of animals in danger. All in all, I think that Belly Up is a cool book.
I think that Belly Up is a great book, perfect for ages 9 and up. I loved the suspense and the page-turning thrill! I appreciated that at the end of each book there is a short tidbit about endangered animals or the topic of the book which is really cool and really opens people's eyes to the fact of animals in danger. All in all, I think that Belly Up is a cool book.
December 6, 2018
Fun fun fun
I selected this book because my grandson who is a six grader was raving about it. It was great, fast-paced & lots of fun.
I heartily recommend it for pre teens and above.
I selected this book because my grandson who is a six grader was raving about it. It was great, fast-paced & lots of fun.
I heartily recommend it for pre teens and above.
April 28, 2022
Was so GOOD! I just found out that this was his first novel! I was so suprised, this book is just too good!
August 1, 2024
I read this with my 7 and 10 year old sons. It took us a few weeks to get through. They loved the humor and the mystery. We are excited to try book #2 soon!
September 14, 2023
Good middle school mystery.
August 24, 2018
great
September 13, 2023
I re-read one of my childhood favorites (I had a Stuart Gibbs obsession lol) and it definitely still holds up for me. Nostalgia + great pacing and flow + mystery = 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,313 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.