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sparklethenpop's review against another edition
4.0
I had such a good time with the kids in my book club when we read Swindle. I hope they like this one just as much!
Book club doesn't meet for another two weeks, so I don't know about the kids but I liked this one more than Swindle.
Book club doesn't meet for another two weeks, so I don't know about the kids but I liked this one more than Swindle.
jayoder16's review against another edition
4.0
Zoobreak was a fun, short read. I didn't realize it was the second book in a series by Korman, but the book made enough sense without the first book being read prior. The story has a mischievous feel to it, mixed with some real life things young kiddos could relate to. It includes animals, risky adventures and some humor. Gonna read the first one now to form more opinions on the series.
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Violence
battlehamster67's review against another edition
4.0
Even though these books are geared towards younger readers I find myself enjoying them! This one is just as funny as the first however I hope the third one uses a slightly different "formula". My favorite part of this book would have to be when the heist comes together, and like the first one something goes slightly wrong. To see the rest of my review on my blog click here.
duffypratt's review against another edition
2.0
It's a kid's caper book, and it has about all the substance that you would expect from a caper book. The characters in the gang are defined by their abilities: there's the climber, the small space guy, the computer wiz, etc... And the "brains" behind the gang is "The Man With The Plan." The plans, of course, go terribly awry. But everything works out in the end.
I've read some reviews where people are concerned about the kind of role models and messages that this might send out to our kids. That's now what bothered me. I was hoping for something more clever and funny. The basic idea is fun. A girl's pet monkey is kidnapped. The kids discover the culprit is the owner of a floating, travelling zoo. No-one will help them get the monkey back, so they take matters into their own hands, but end up stealing all the animals in the zoo, instead of just getting back the monkey. Then they have to take care of the animals, hide them from their parents and the world, while trying to find them good permanent homes.
This could have been hilarious. Instead, it bordered on mildly amusing. But it was quick, and the writing was competent. It's definitely a kids book that's very much for kids. I can imagine some younger kids would like it. But really good kids books are accessible to kids but wonderful for all ages, and this definitely did not fill that bill.
I've read some reviews where people are concerned about the kind of role models and messages that this might send out to our kids. That's now what bothered me. I was hoping for something more clever and funny. The basic idea is fun. A girl's pet monkey is kidnapped. The kids discover the culprit is the owner of a floating, travelling zoo. No-one will help them get the monkey back, so they take matters into their own hands, but end up stealing all the animals in the zoo, instead of just getting back the monkey. Then they have to take care of the animals, hide them from their parents and the world, while trying to find them good permanent homes.
This could have been hilarious. Instead, it bordered on mildly amusing. But it was quick, and the writing was competent. It's definitely a kids book that's very much for kids. I can imagine some younger kids would like it. But really good kids books are accessible to kids but wonderful for all ages, and this definitely did not fill that bill.
curiouslibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
When Savannah's monkey is stolen and put into the exhibit cages of a poorly run floating zoo, it is up to the 6th graders from [b:Swindle|1653655|Swindle|Gordon Korman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1205927597s/1653655.jpg|1648247] to plan a zoobreak!
As I started reading this book, it became clear to me that I was reading a sequel to a book I hadn't yet read. This book does largely stand alone. The only difficulty I encountered was that the main characters got introduced a little too quickly, but I sorted them out easily enough. And references to the earlier book weren't vital to this plot, but rather tantalizing nuggets that made me want to go back and read the earlier book.
This book feels like a return to form of the Gordon Korman I read as a kid. These kids reminded me of the kids from the "MacDonald Hall" books, if they had access to modern computers and were serving nobler aims.
The situation in this book quickly spins out of control, although each small step seems logical enough at the time. It's crazy, adventurous fun at its best!
Highly recommended for grade 4-7.
As I started reading this book, it became clear to me that I was reading a sequel to a book I hadn't yet read. This book does largely stand alone. The only difficulty I encountered was that the main characters got introduced a little too quickly, but I sorted them out easily enough. And references to the earlier book weren't vital to this plot, but rather tantalizing nuggets that made me want to go back and read the earlier book.
This book feels like a return to form of the Gordon Korman I read as a kid. These kids reminded me of the kids from the "MacDonald Hall" books, if they had access to modern computers and were serving nobler aims.
The situation in this book quickly spins out of control, although each small step seems logical enough at the time. It's crazy, adventurous fun at its best!
Highly recommended for grade 4-7.
happyhippielinds's review against another edition
5.0
I was a little worried that the second book wouldn't be as good, and boy was I wrong. There was still the mystery, the action, the conflict, the twists. It was really good!
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Hilarious sequel to [b:Swindle|1653655|Swindle|Gordon Korman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1205927597s/1653655.jpg|1648247]. In this one, the gang of 6th graders led by "Man With The Plan" Griffin break into a floating zoo in order to rescue their friend Savannah's kidnapped pet capuchin monkey. But they get more animals than they planned for, because Savannah the "animal whisperer" can't bear to leave any animal in captivity on this horrid excuse for a zoo. If you've ever taken care of a small pet like a hamster or a snake, wait'll you see how these kids secretly stash the rescued animals! Great story about friendship and teamwork, as well as a thief caper.