Creature Keepers and the Hijacked Hydro-Hide

Gr 3–6—Jordan's grandfather has been gone for years. He's devastated when he suddenly has to move into Grampa Grimsley's abandoned, ramshackle house in the Florida swampland so his parents can "fix it up." But the old house quickly gets more interesting for Jordan when he finds some news clippings of his grandfather. They show him being arrested in a furry suit for perpetuating the hoax of the "Skunk Ape," a stinky animal that no one believes actually exists. Jordan soon learns that the Skunk Ape is indeed real and that a group of kids called Creature Keepers, an organization founded by Grampa Grimsley, are assigned to protect all of the cryptozoological creatures on the planet. The three biggies—the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, and Bigfoot, are especially important, as they actually affect the earth's environment. When Nessie goes missing, it's up to Jordan and the Creature Keepers to find her, but of course, the evil kidnapper won't be easy to defeat. Due to an overuse of onomatopoetic devices, and so many twists and turns you might get whiplash, upper elementary and middle school readers will likely eat this up. Black-and-white illustrations appear every few pages and add to the goofy, campy feel, especially the renditions of the "creatures." Hand to fans of silly, plot-driven adventures.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX