Acea and the Animal Kingdom (Shoop)

Acea and the Animal Kingdom 
Kyle Shoop, 2013
321 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781480207677


Summary
Welcome to the Animal Kingdom—where mystery and adventure roam free!

Twelve-year-old Acea Bishop was always the nerdy kid who would rather go to the library during recess to read about animals instead of playing basketball like the other boys. Now, after being kidnapped and waking up inside of an ancient kingdom strangely resembling a zoo, Acea is running from those same animals he used to love reading about.

Worse yet? Acea's not just on a quest to get home—his mom and the dad-he-never-knew are both being held hostage inside by an evil sorcerer with a vendetta. Realizing that his odds of survival and freeing his parents are slim, Acea raises an army of animals to combat the sorcerer and regain control of the kingdom.

Follow Acea as he travels through the exotic zoo habitats in rooms labeled "aquarium," "safari," "jungle," "aviary," and "terrarium." Unlock secrets with Acea located deep inside the Animal Kingdom which reveal the kingdom's mysterious past and hold the key to Acea's fate.

Acea has secrets. Big ones. He just doesn't know it yet.

Author Bio
• Birth—1984
• Where—Phoenix, Arizona, USA
• Raised—Mukilteo,Washington
• Education—B.A., Brigham young University; J.D.,
   Gonzaga University
• Currently—lives in Herriman, Utah


Kyle Shoop is the author of the Acea Bishop series. He lives in Utah with his wife and children. After spending several years volunteering in his wife’s elementary classrooms, he was inspired to write this first book of the series, Acea and the Animal Kingdom. The first in a planned trilogy, the second book is expected in 2014. In addition to writing novels, Kyle is also a practicing attorney. (From the author.)

Visit the author's website.
Follow Kyle on Facebook.

Book Reviews
This book is pretty cool! There are a lot of interesting twists and mechanisms that really drive the story.  It reminded me a lot of Harry Potter.  I really like how Vesuvius was drawn, as much as we don’t want to like a villain, a story without a good villain is kind of "blah."  I recommend the book—I know you’ll love it!
Youth reviewer - MommaSaysRead.com


Even though it only Shoop’s freshman endeavor Acea and the Animal Kingdom is one of the better novels for young readers I’ve seen. Shoop is already a terrific storyteller, with a wonderfully vivid imagination which will suck readers into the novel for a fun, slightly scary, always exciting, emotional ride.  It’s not surprising then to find this novel is fun, exciting, a little scary, imaginative, unique, relatable and educational; in short, all the things you want from a middle-grade novel.
Christopher Taylor - Lunatic or Genius Reviews

Discussion Questions
1.  What was your favorite zoo room and why?

2.  Did you learn anything new about any of the animals in the book?

3.  Were animal characteristics effectively used in the book to move the plot forward, rather than feeling like a lesson about animals?

4.  Did you find the use of the first person point of view helpful in creating mystery and tension?

5.  Often times, a fantasy-adventure novel relies upon the reader being able to have a clear vision of the world in his/her head—did the author adequately describe each of the rooms to allow this?

6.  If you were Acea, how would you have felt once you learned about why you were brought to the Animal Kingdom, and the Kingdom's mysterious history?

7.  The name of the second book is Acea and the Seven Ancient Wonders. If you haven't read the first chapter of this book (which is at the end of Acea and the Animal Kingdom), what do you think is behind the "Exit" door? If you have read the first chapter of book two, what would you have had behind the door? What do you think will happen in the second book?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

top of page (summary)