Poached by Stuart Gibbs (review)

When Teddy (from Belly Up, BCCB 6/10) sneaks into the koala habitat at Fun-Jungle, the massive zoo-cum-amusement park where he lives with his primatologist mother and photographer father, it’s really only to escape the security guard who’s after him because a school bully coerced Teddy into pulling a prank. The next morning, however, Kazoo the koala has gone missing, and security footage shows Teddy as the only person who entered or left the exhibit all night. Accused of koala-napping and therefore under strict surveillance, the seventh-grader must investigate to discover the true marsupial thief before the security guard who’s got a personal vendetta gets him thrown in juvie—and Kazoo dies from starvation. Gibbs again combines the enviable and well-researched setting of FunJungle with high-adrenaline escapades (what could possibly top explosions in the shark tank … with Teddy inside?), as it’s clear that someone wants to cause FunJungle—and maybe Teddy—serious harm. Teddy’s sleuthing remains clever in the face of high pressure and multiple red herrings that will keep readers guessing until the end, while his troubles with the bully keep the boy solidly in middle-school territory and create situations that are both tough and humorous. With ecological concerns, corporate intrigue, and high-power action, this has all of the koala-fications for a an appealing adventure; with Teddy’s inability to keep his head down, it seems possible that we’ll be seeing him again. He’ll be welcome.