POACHED, by Stuart Gibbs

The story: Teddy Fitzroy is back--so let the mystery commence and the poop flinging begin! In "Belly Up", Teddy solved the mystery of who murdered FunJungle's Henry the Hippo...but the stakes are even higher this time around. The bad guys have kidnapped the zoo's most famous animal, an adorable koala named Kazoo--and even worse, they've framed Teddy for the crime. If he can't find out who really did it, it's juvie for sure!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (mlld criminal behavior) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I really liked this story, for several reasons. First, Gibbs's teenage Boy Voice is spot on, and Teddy is a hero who not only does funny stuff, but who thinks in a very funny way. But the humor doesn't get in the way of the mystery, which involves a little animal that everyone can love; additionally, Teddy has to deal with his lack of friends as the new kid at school, and with a real chance of violence at the hands of a particularly nasty school bully. His smart mouth gets him in trouble, his past activities get him in trouble, and he's enough of a boy that he just can't stay away when even more trouble comes calling. Start with "Belly Up" if you haven't read that one.