This one is so much fun because you think you’ve picked out the adult the kids are going to face off against, and Mr. Griffin and Melissa both have entries, and a rivalry heats up, with the friends taking sides. This book is second to last in the Swindle series by Gordon Korman. Eventually, this proves so difficult that Griffin devises another zoobreak, this to to break animals i nto the good zoo. The kids now have to divide the animals between their homes until the scientist returns. But the woman is out of the country for two weeks. Once the kids makes it home with the animals, Savannah plans on calling a scientist at a well-run local zoo. But Griffin remembers a yellow box he used to help Ben reach a vent. The kids free the other animals and are about to make their escape when they can’t find the boat they used to row over to the paddle wheeler. This plot twist is in keeping with Savannah’s personality, which was established in the first pages. If she gets arrested for breaking and entering, at least, the cops will see how awful the zoo is.

Such as, once the kids sneak aboard to free Cleo, Savannah is so appalled at the living conditions of the other animals that she insists they take them all or she’ll remain on the boat. The execution of the zoo break, all the twists and turns, is so much fun to read and even more helpful for a writer to analyze. Again the parents say they can’t do anything. Nastase, says he has proof of purchase of the monkey.

While on a school field trip to a zoo that motors up and down in the east coast in a paddle wheeler, the kids discover Cleo on exhibit in the ill-kept boat. In this second book of the series, Savannah’s pet monkey Cleo disappears. Logan Kellerman–professional actor (the books take place on Long Island).

Ben Slovak–smallest kid, a worrier, and Griffin’s best friend.

The plots depend on the personalities and talents of the six kids: In the first book, Griffin Bing is swindled out of a million-dollar baseball card. The books feature six middle school kids and their whacky adventures as they attempt to foil the plans of crooked adults. These middle-grade novels are densely plotted, but they’re easy to study because they’re written for ten-year-olds. If you fall into that camp, read a book from the Swindle series by Gordon Korman. Characters pop into my mind with little effort, exploring and describing settings is a delight, but plotting–that’s where the hard work comes in. This story component is the one I struggle with the most. I’m moving from last month’s theme of setting to this month’s theme of plot.