Bear Bottom by Stuart Gibbs

Meet Author Stuart Gibbs:

A few interesting things that Stuart Gibbs has done:

Worked at a zoo

Researched capybaras (the world's largest rodents)

Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro

Cage dived with great white sharks

Faced down a charging elephant

Swum with penguins in the Galapagos

Ice-climbed a glacier in Patagonia

Visited the cockpit of the Space Shuttle Atlantis

Helped rescue sixteen children from drowning off the coast of Israel

Written a few movies that actually got made (See Spot Run; Repli-Kate; Showdown)

Worked on a few animated movies (Anastasia; Open Season 3; Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers)

He is currently at work on several more books -- and the screenplay for Spy School the movie. You can learn all about them at www.stuartgibbs.com ~Amazon

In the seventh novel in New York Times bestselling Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve the disappearances of endangered bison and an irreplaceable necklace.

Teddy Fitzroy, his family, and some other FunJungle employees have been invited to visit a bison ranch just outside Yellowstone National Park that FunJungle’s owner, J.J. McCracken, is considering purchasing. But as usual, trouble isn’t far behind.

The ranch’s endangered bison have been mysteriously disappearing. Then a massive local grizzly bear named Sasquatch breaks into the house, causing chaos. In the aftermath, Kandace McCracken discovers that her exceptionally expensive sapphire necklace has vanished.

Was it stolen? Or did Sasquatch eat it? (And if so, can it be recovered?) And what’s been happening to the bison?

With over a dozen suspects, it’s up to Teddy to detangle this hairy situation, before his family or friends—or any more expensive objects—become dinner. ~Amazon

Numeric Breakdown:

1: didn't like it/skip it

2: it was okay/it wasn't for me

3. liked it/worth a read

4. really liked it/loved it

5. it was amazing/must read!

Stuart Gibbs has been one of my absolute favorite middle grade authors since I was first introduced to him with Belly Up, the first book in the FunJungle series. With this seventh edition, Bear Bottom, I've been incredibly impressed with Gibbs's facts, history, diversity, and location that he brings to the page. It's been lovely seeing Teddy Fitzroy in a new environment for this next installation to his series. It gave such depth and food for thought.

Teddy is one of my favorite characters. I appreciate his awkward and sensitive approach to solving mysteries, his intelligence at connecting the dots, and his kind heart. His approach to this case starts with trying to find out what's happened to some disappearing buffalos. The family he and his parents, Summer and her parents are all staying with want Teddy's help to find out how these several ton animals are vanishing without a trace. Before his investigation gets underway, another strange occurance spices up his working holiday.

Summer's father and the owner of FunJungle, J.J. McCracken, has another mystery for Teddy to solve. On their first night, Sasquatch enters through the front door and causes havoc. Sasquatch being a large grizzly bear who's native to the Yellowstone National Park which is the location where the families are. Not only does he scare everyone and come trudging in looking for food, but he appears to have made off with an expensive and rare necklace that Mrs. Kandace McCracken was wearing when she arrived.

Now, with the necklace missing, Teddy has to figure out if it really did end up digested by Sasquatch, or if there's a thief on the loose.

There was so much going on within this novel. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the facts mixed within the fiction. I loved hearing about the history of the bison and the importance of bringing them back from the brink of extinction. I loved the integration of the Native Americans heritage and life and characters who represented them in Yellowstone. 

The information shared with readers about Yellowstone and how to act when you visit was important as well. I loved the action and adventure as well as Teddy's role in helping to save others from a cave landslide. Another favorite part was when Teddy figured out what happened to the necklace and the missing bison at about the same time.

Overall, this was an exciting story. It was a great change from the FunJungle location and helped share a new setting with historical and natural importance. I continue to love the mix of fact and fiction. It was such an amazing story, and I think fans of Stuart Gibbs will love this newest Teddy adventure. As always, I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment of the FunJungle series, but also, the newest stories for Spy School and pretty much any other book Author Stuart Gibbs writes.

So, for these reasons and many more, I give Bear Bottom a 5/5 rating. Enjoy! ;)

Thanks to the author and Simon & Schuster Publishing for an ARC copy of this book to read and review.

Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)

~Rebecca Reddell