Teddy is back with another “life or death” mystery to solve at Funjungle, and it really is a life or death matter for the lion! Stuart Gibbs is just one of those authors that has a knack for writing books that kids beg to read and just can’t put down. Loved this book!

I want to thank #netgalley for a free copy of this book to review. I thoroughly enjoyed Gibbs' Spy Series so I chose to read this book as well. I enjoyed reading about the animals and the mystery and adventure in this book. I still prefer the Spy series to this one, but I enjoyed this more than the Space series he has. Anything I can get that is part of a series is preferential because it allows my students to fall in love with an author and have more books waiting once they are finished. My students (5th and 6th grades) will love this book.

Lots of twists and turns in this one that my daughter enjoyed. I didn't realize it was part of a series when I requested it and I was glad that it didn't seem to make any difference that we hadn't read any of the other books. This was a little above my daughter's age range, but she loves animals and there was nothing inappropriate in it so it was fine to read aloud as part of our nightly bedtime routine for a little while. I will say there were a few chapters that felt a little dragged out, but otherwise it was a fun book to read together.

Stuart Gibbs has written another wonderful addition to his FunJungle series!  Teddy and Summer are enlisted to solve two mysteries, one of which will save a Lion.    Stuart Gibbs uses his humor to captivate his readers while crafting a spell-binding story of conservation.  I love this series!  Ready for the next one.

Teddy Fitzroy is back and this time he has two mysteries to solve. The first one involves the Department of Fish and Wildlife. There’s a wild mountain living in the area and it is being blamed for the death of a pet dog. The dog happens to be the much touted pet of Shock Jock Lincoln Stone, who is calling for the death of the mountain lion. But there’s something suspicious about the crime scene and Lily Deakins, knowing Teddy’s prowess for solving mysteries through her zoo vet father, calls on Teddy for help. It seems that there is pressure from the bosses at Fish and Wildlife to end the investigation. Why? Teddy isn’t sure but he and Summer are  on the case. 

In addition, J.J. McCracken has recruited Teddy to find out who is poisoning the giraffes at Fun Jungle. So they set up a stake out, but is this really an investigation. Or is JJ McCracken trying to distract him from the mountain lion case? 

Another fun adventure for Teddy and Summer with great humor.

Thanks @netgalley and @simonkids for the Advance Review Copy of Stuart Gibbs' LION DOWN (Fun Jungle #5).
All opinions are my own. 

LION DOWN is book #5 in Gibbs' Fun Jungle series; where animal-lover Teddy Fitzroy and brainy celebutante Summer McCracken (Fun Jungle zoo/amusement park was her brainchild) must race to save the life of an endangered mountain lion. 
  
Rocket, a local mountain lion, has been framed for killing the dog of local radio personality and conspiracy theorist Lincoln Stone (born Farley Turkmeister). Stone has a bounty on Rocket's head that has all the crazies out, conveniently before Fish & Wildlife can issue hunting permits. 
    
With the local police unwilling to solve yet another Fun Jungle animal murder/ kidnapping/horn theft, it's up to Teddy and Summer (reluctantly accepting help from weird-but-harmless trustafarian ecoterrorist Lily Deakin) to clear the big cat's name. 
  
Loved: Um... it's a book about a kid living in a zoo-amusement park!  
Oh, you mean be specific? Gibbs' trademark cast of booksmart but hilariously street-stupid adults; penguin stampedes, and roid-rage factory-farm turkeys calmed by a taser-wielding riot control team, is hilarious and keeps a complex plot moving.
    
Some of the educational content is packaged in helpful tips like: Even though giraffes can't puke, you still shouldn't feed them chili fries. 
  
Give to: Aging fans of Jerry Pallotta's Who Would Win books (at least this is my plan), smart kids who love to laugh, animal lovers. 
  
Caveats: While Gibbs' information on conservation, animal welfare, and habitat loss is (sadly) factual and timely, it's a reason that this isn't a book for a reluctant reader.  Some more sensitive readers may find the dog's death (killed by a human in self-defense) too much. Stone's penchant for guns - he points one at Teddy, Summer, and two neighbor kids in one scene - may also be triggering. 

LION DOWN drops Feb 26, 2019 from Simon & Schuster Kids. In the meantime, Gibbs has four other Fun Jungle books this reviewer will be sure to check out.

It is great to revisit Summer and Teddy at Funjungle while gaining knowledge about shrinking habitats for animals. The story was adveventurous and fun.

Stuart Gibbs has written another winner. Like all the books in this series, there's plenty of action and suspense. This one has an added layer of potential violence. The book doesn't turn disconcertingly violent, but Gibbs manages to keep the book reasonably non-violent without a big let-down.