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Kirkus Reviews states that the book was "fun" and "an entertaining read". They summarized the story and then made a few comments on what they thought was good. They did have some ideas for improvement but overall they believed the book was well rounded and entertaining.

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Sentenced to a brutal juvenile detention camp for a crime he didn't commit, a wimpy teenager turns four generations of bad family luck around in this sunburnt tale of courage, obsession, and buried treasure from Sachar ( Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, 1995, etc.).

Driven mad by the murder of her black beau, a schoolteacher turns on the once-friendly, verdant town of Green Lake, Texas, becomes feared bandit Kissin' Kate Barlow, and dies, laughing, without revealing where she buried her stash. A century of rainless years later, lake and town are memories-but, with the involuntary help of gangs of juvenile offenders, the last descendant of the last residents is still digging. Enter Stanley Yelnats IV, great-grandson of one of Kissin' Kate's victims and the latest to fall to the family curse of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; under the direction of The Warden, a woman with rattlesnake venom polish on her long nails, Stanley and each of his fellow inmates dig a hole a day in the rock-hard lake bed. Weeks of punishing labor later, Stanley digs up a clue, but is canny enough to conceal the information of which hole it came from. Through flashbacks, Sachar weaves a complex net of hidden relationships and well-timed revelations as he puts his slightly larger-than-life characters under a sun so punishing that readers will be reaching for water bottles.

Good Guys and Bad get just deserts in the end, and Stanley gets plenty of opportunities to display pluck and valor in this rugged, engrossing adventure. (Fiction. 9-13)

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Twelve-year-old Teddy is a world traveler with a wildlife-photojournalist father and a mother who does gorilla research. Stateside, the family lives at FunJungle, the world's biggest and newest state-of-the-art zoo and theme park, the pet project of a Texas moneybags whose daughter inspired him.

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This review made by Daily Morning Coffee states the book as exciting and fun to read. They go through all of the paragraphs they enjoyed and talk about them. They also went into depth on a few main characters and characters that they liked. Overall the review was good and covered many bases in the story like characters, plot, and the end.

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Hello friends! How are ya'll doing?! I am so excited because today I will be reviewing yet again, another book by Stuart Gibbs! It is called Belly Up and I had soooo much fun reading this book, and solving all kinds of mysteries! So I will be sharing some very exciting and important parts from this book that you should know! Stay tuned!!!

I am sure you guys are very curious to see what happens in this book "Belly Up", because of the front cover! Well don't worry because I am about to explain!

This book first starts off by introducing the main character whose name is Teddy. And it turns out that Teddy grew up in Africa. So he has been living with all those animals for so many years! Like the lions, hippos and so much more! Well sadly Teddy and his family had to move out of Africa, but the good thing is Teddy's parents got jobs to work at the world's BEST amusement park! And it is called FunJungle! Well in the summer Teddy get's the best opportunity to actually "work" there as well. Meaning to pull pranks on visitors and do a bunch of tricks. So Teddy only started this because he was getting really bored at the amusement park, which is really surprising, but oh well! And it is really sad because all the guests/visitors that are coming to FunJungle are all throwing trash and junk in the animals' mouth, even when they have the signs up to NOT feed the animals. Well that's when Teddy got the idea to do a little prank on this family that came into the park. Well since Teddy is always hanging around Monkey Mountain he did it to the family that came there to see the monkeys. So it is so funny on what Teddy did, I was laughing so much! Well it turns out Teddy had given so many water balloons to the monkeys and like he had expected the family had started to make fun of the monkeys and throwing things at them. So that's when the chaos happened; the monkeys fought back. At the end the family was soaking wet and they ran out of the amusement park. And after this Teddy does so much more pranks on many people.

Now of course the person Teddy hates so much and her name is Large Marge, she comes stomping up to Teddy and reports about the incident to someone on her walkie talkie. But as she did the other person said to report to Hippo River immediately. That's where all the hippos are. So Large Marge pulls Teddy by the ear all the way to Hippo River.

And something important that you should now is that FunJungle's mascot is Henry the Hippo. And everyone that comes to the amusement park knows who he is. And when Teddy arrives at Hippo River a huge crowd is near Henry the Hippo. And Large Marge goes over there and she is in shock. Well it turns out that Henry the Hippo went "belly up"!

So many kids were there seeing Henry, but none of them seemed to understand what was going on. And their parents weren't telling them either. A few minutes later one girl shouts out that Henry is dead and that causes chaos. So many things do happen over at Hippo River which I really do not want to spoil to you guys because I had a blast reading this book and I am sure you will too!

Well of course many people got to know about Henry and that just went to the news channels. So the news about Henry the Hippo definitely spreads fast!

And later on in this book the author introduces this other character and his name is Doc. Well, for somewhat reason, Doc just does not like Teddy at all! He always finds him so annoying. And he is the person who does all the autopsies for the animals at the zoo. So of course he had to do an autopsy for Henry since he died so suddenly. And when Teddy heard about the autopsy he really wanted to go and see what happened to Henry. So of course, the day of the autopsy Teddy got the chance to sneak into the auditorium where the autopsy was. So what Teddy did was he went to the balcony of the auditorium where it was visible to see the stage. And there Teddy got to see the whole thing! And it was so disgusting. He not only saw it, but he could also smell the hippo. Teddy found out some very interesting things at the autopsy such as when Doc was checking the insides of Henry he saw a big bunch of wholes and that never happens to any hippos naturally.

Well so many events happen after this and I had so much fun solving these mysteries with the characters in Belly Up.

Speaking of characters another character in this book comes up and her name is Summer McCracken! She is probably one of my favorite characters in this book. Well actually Summer and Teddy work together throughout this book to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Henry the Hippo. Because apparently they both think that Henry the Hippo has been murdered!!!

And at the end I could not put this book down! It was so much fun reading this book and solving all the mysteries and to be honest was very hard to solve. I was so shocked by the ending of this book you could never be able to guess what happens. Get Belly Up on Amazon and read it without a second thought.

There was another event in this book and the main chapter was called the Black Mamba. A Mamba is actually one of the deadliest snakes. And it turns out that it was set free at the zoo! I will definitely not tell you what happens because you guys will have so much fun reading this book on your own! I hope you all enjoyed this book review and please do get Belly Up book written by Stuart Gibbs. If you have already read it then please comment down below and tell me what your favorite part was. Bye everyone! See you next time on Npstation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hello friends! How are ya'll doing?! I am so excited because today I will be reviewing yet again, another book by Stuart Gibbs! It is called Belly Up and I had soooo much fun reading this book, and solving all kinds of mysteries!

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Belly Up Book Review: Common Sense Media

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Belly Up Book Review: Common Sense Media

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This review rates the book 4 stars and describes how they feel about the book. They call it "Clever" and "Action Packed". It also reviews how well it does in different areas like its educational value, positive messages, positive role models, and more!

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Skip to Content

We're committed to diversity in media.

We're updating our reviews to better highlight authentic stories and accurate, diverse representations. See something that needs to be addressed? Suggest an update to this review

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What's the story?

The star animal of FunJungle, Henry the Hippo, has turned up dead. The zoo claims he died of natural causes, but 12-year-old Teddy Fitzroy's convinced there's a better explanation, and a slew of suspects await, all with their own motive: Large Marge hates Teddy. Charlie Conroy was once bitten by Henry. And the Animal Liberation Front could be trying to sabotage the zoo. With the help of zoo owner J.J. McCracken's daughter, Summer, Teddy tracks down clues and learns a lot about zoo animals, ethics, and uncovering the truth in Texas whodunnit style.

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Belly Up: FunJungle, Book 1 - Book Review

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Skip to Content We're committed to diversity in media. We're updating our reviews to better highlight authentic stories and accurate, diverse representations. See something that needs to be addressed? Suggest an update to this review The parents' guide to what's in this book. The star animal of FunJungle, Henry the Hippo, has turned up dead.

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It is a fan based site that has everything you need to know about Belly Up. It has answers for any question you may have about the book. This is an all things Belly Up site!

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Belly Up

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Belly Up is a 2010 children's novel by Stuart Gibbs and the first installment in the FunJungle series.
Teddy Fitzroy has a murder on his hands and trouble on his tail.

Henry the Hippo, the beloved mascot of FunJungle, America's newest theme park, has gone belly-up. The park claims he died of natural causes, but Teddy suspects foul play. When the police refuse to take him seriously, Teddy sets out to find the truth - and gets far more than he bargained for. It turns out Henry was two tons of trouble - and a lot of people wanted him dead.

Was it Martin del Gato, FunJungle's head of operations, who hates kids and hates animals even more? Or Pete Thwacker, the exasperated head of PR, who's cleaned up Henry's messes one time too many? The list goes on and on... and soon Teddy finds himself in jeopardy too. He'd better find the killer behind the hippo homicide fast... or Henry won't be the only one who's dead.

Main Characters

Teddy Fitzroy is a twelve-year-old boy who lives at FunJungle, where both of his parents work. After spending the first ten years of his life in the African Congo, he has a love for animals, and although he didn't particularly like Henry he wants to find out who killed him and why.

Summer McCracken is the daughter of FunJungle's founder, J.J. McCracken. She is burdened with her father's fame and fortune - her father has assigned her two bodyguards that go with her everywhere she goes and it has prevented her from making any real friends. However, she has developed a talent for sneaking away from her bodyguards, and it proves useful when Teddy needs her help solving the mystery of Henry's murder.

Martin del Gato is the director of operations at FunJungle and is shown to have a hatred for children and animals. He has a special dislike for Teddy, as he often causes mischief around the park. He is one of the main suspects of Henry's murder.

Pete Thwacker is the head of public relations at FunJungle. He is in charge of telling the public about the goings-on at FunJungle and confirming or denying rumors about it. He often needs to come up with cover stories in order to protect FunJungle's reputation, especially from angry anti-zoo groups. When Henry first dies, Thwacker tells the public it was from natural causes; however, it is later revealed that he was murdered, after careful research by Teddy and Summer. He is one of the main suspects of Henry's murder, as Henry had a bad reputation among zoos and extremely disliked most people, resulting in a lot of work on Thwacker's part to cover everything up.

J.J. McCracken is a billionaire and famous businessman. He is also the creator of FunJungle and Summer's father. He is shown to be very protective of his daughter. He is also shown to be slightly selfish and at times naïve. Making a profit is very important to him, and he will do anything to achieve his goals - for example, when he plans to build thrill rides through the animal exhibits with complete disregard for the animals' well-being.

Buck Grassley is the head of security at FunJungle. He is a childhood friend of J.J. McCracken and seems to be the stereotype cowboy, from his name to his outfit to his attitude. He is one of the first people on the scene whenever big things happen at FunJungle, like when the black mamba is set loose in World of Reptiles.

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Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Belly Up is a 2010 children's novel by Stuart Gibbs and the first installment in the FunJungle series. Teddy Fitzroy has a murder on his hands and trouble on his tail. Henry the Hippo, the beloved mascot of FunJungle, America's newest theme park, has gone belly-up.

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This site reviews the book and gives multiple reasons as to why this book is such a great read! They also talk of what they disliked or wish could have been different. But overall the site gives a positive review for the book.

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Belly Up, by Stuart Gibbs (Simon and Schuster, 2010, 294 pages, $6.99, ages 8+)

"No one tried to kill me during the night and the next day passed uneventfully." (p. 181)

Unfortunately that is not the opening sentence: if it was, this book would be a thriller indeed. Instead, it is nearly the best kids' book written. Only Stuart Gibbs' later masterpieces top Belly Up! (Gibbs also authored the Spy School series*.)
Every Paragraph is a Delight!
I have read and reviewed a book by Stuart Gibbs before (OK, several times previously) but had forgotten just how wonderful his books are, even for adults!

For kids, the fast-pace, the middle-school pranks and budding romance, the absolutely true family life keep them reading. For adults, just add some delightful twists on words and a circuitous plot to keep them reading - almost in one sitting!
It's Harder for a Kid to Solve a Murder
"When you're a kid, everyone's naturally suspicious of you. . . if an adult acts like they belong somewhere, more often than not, no one gives them a second glance. As a kid, you stick out. There are plenty of places you're not supposed to go. There are plenty of questions you can't get away with asking. It's very hard to be taken seriously when everyone's wondering where your mother is." (p. 221)

"I should have stayed in the soap division. There's no PR emergencies with soap. Soap never tries to kill anyone. The trouble with animals is, they don't know how to behave themselves. They escape. They die. They try to make baby animals. . . . " (p. 211)

Theodore Roosevelt "Teddy" Fitzroy spent the first years of his 12-year-old life living in Africa: his mother is a famous primate researcher and his father, a photographer. Now they have moved to Nowhere, Texas, to live and work on the grounds of the new FunJungle, a zoo and theme park. Teddy is the only kid in 30 miles and thinks the world's most famous animal, Henry the Hippo, was murdered (this was before the lovely and lovable Fiona the Hippo was born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2017).

Henry meets Summer, the only 13-year-old daughter of JJ McCracken who created, designed and financed Fun Jungle and a world-famous model. But Summer, even always wearing pink accompanied everywhere by two beefy bodyguards and myriads of paparazzi, has a good head on her shoulders.

Mix in one black mamba snake, escaped of course, plus one hungry tiger and what do you get? A book that kids and even adults simply can't put down. The first in a series of intriguing plots and real-life characters you will actually like!

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Caveat: This book was purchased for review.

*Books in the FunJungle series include the following:

4. Panda-monium

6. Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

Books in the Spy School series include the following:

3. Evil Spy School

4. Spy Ski School

5. Spy School Secret Service

6. Spy School Goes South

7. Spy School British Invasion

8. Spy School Revolution

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Belly Up, by Stuart Gibbs (Simon and Schuster, 2010, 294 pages, $6.99, ages 8+) "No one tried to kill me during the night and the next day passed uneventfully." (p. 181) Unfortunately that is not the opening sentence: if it was, this book would be a thriller indeed.

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This is a product made with the Belly Up book cover on it. It is on Spreadshirt.com.