SECRETS AND SHADOWS

The four intrepid heroes of The Secret Zoo (2010) return for another adventure in this new animal-packed fantasy series. Having discovered that their local zoo is a kind of front for a magical world in which animals and people coexist in harmony, Noah, Ella, Richie and Megan are tapped to become Crossers—people who go between The Secret Zoo and the world outside. Their acceptance triggers the ire of a group of odd-looking teens called the Descenders, who clearly blame the foursome for the escape of the murderous Sasquatches yet are charged with their training. Chick wallows in exposition, spending an inordinate amount of time discussing the past and showing how one travels in and out of the zoo and too little time exploring the mystery of the Descenders and the evil Sasquatches. While the tension between the preteen protagonists and the teens is both tangible and interesting, this installment feels more like novel-length worldbuilding than a story in itself. (Fantasy. 9-12)