The zoo conspiracy [Unknown Binding]

Betty Levin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1973

The zoo animals plot to keep the zoo's newest acquisition from monopolizing all the public's attention.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 123 pages
• Publisher: Hastings House (1973)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0006C8U22
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Zoo Conspiracy, June 15, 2006

By 

Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Zoo Conspiracy (Paperback)

ISBN 038043265x - If typos were an indicator of how much or how little a publisher is invested in a book, then I'd have to figure Avon didn't care much at all about Levin's The Zoo Conspiracy. I found 10 typos without even looking for them, so there are probably more. Pity, because with a decent editor this book would have been just that tiny bit better.

Lena's not terribly friendly girl and likes to visit the dark places in the zoo. She likes nothing more than trouble, so when she hears that the zoo is getting a new resident - AND that this resident is the most important find ever - she can't resist rubbing it in to Benjamin, the tuatara. Usually a contented creature, Benjamin is horrified to think that he might become less important with the arrival of the top-secret creature. He sets out to find more information, and to rally the rest of the zoo animals. With a zoo full of help, he's sure they can do away with whatever this thing is, by whatever means necessary. Even Lena ends up pitching in to help, as natural enemies put aside their differences to save themselves and their places in the zoo.

What they all, including Lena, learn is left to the reader to decipher, for the most part - a bonus for parents who look for a chance to discuss books rather than just read them. And, of course, the mysterious creature is a great topic for further investigation in other books! A Coelacanth is a real animal, and a very fascinating one. The Zoo Conspiracy barely scratches the surface, just enough to intrigue.

The illustrations are pretty poor, except for the ones of the Coelacanth, which are nicely done. Fortunately, the illustrations are also very small and scattered. The book is obviously for the slightly older child reader (8-12), but parents ought to read it, too - exploit the potential lessons it offers, these chances get harder to come by!

- AnnaLovesBooks