Zoobreak

“It was worse than Cleopatra’s disappearance…and not just because Ben wasn’t a monkey. Cleo was already gone. It was too bad, but at least the damage was done. Ben, on the other hand, was going. And Griffin still couldn’t find a way to stop it.”

Though he’s wracked his brain for a solution, Griffin cannot come up with a plan to keep Ben from going to a different school, and these lines show Griffin’s discontent and frustration. They also compare his situation to Savannah’s and show how both he and Savannah have very different priorities. Where Savannah is hung up on Cleopatra’s disappearance, Griffin is more concerned about his best friend, which further supports how Savannah views animals as people.

“Griffin watched her, a gnawing feeling deep in his stomach. Mr. Nastase said no, so it was no. Mr. Martinez said no, so it was no. Didn’t Savannah have rights?

Beside him, Ben let out a tremulous yawn.

Did any kid?”

Griffin thinks this after Savannah discovers Mr. Nastase is holding Cleopatra captive on All Aboard Animals. Despite Savannah’s protests, none of the adults allow her to take the monkey, and this situation feeds into Griffin’s general frustration with adults and being a child in an adult world. With the single word “no,” the adults shut down Savannah, even though she’s right and has the support of her classmates. Griffin is struck by how unfair it is that the adults don’t believe Savannah, even though she’s more knowledgeable than all of them when it comes to animals—particularly the animals she cares for. Ben’s yawn is yet another reminder of all the adult restrictions facing the children. Between Savannah and Ben, this moment serves to remind Griffin about all the problems plaguing his friends and drives him to work even harder on the plans he forms throughout the novel.

“You’re right. Ben’s not doing too badly…now. But no one stays eleven forever. What if he can’t drive a car because he might fall asleep at the wheel? What if the condition gets worse? Ben is going to have a completely normal life with no limits, but it might take some doing. He can’t pass up the chance to work with the very top people in that field.”

Griffin’s dad says this to Griffin after Griffin expresses his sorrow about Ben going to a new school, and this moment serves as a counter to Griffin’s frustration with adults. While Ben's leaving feels unfair from Griffin’s perspective, his dad’s outlook offers an adult view of the situation and how Ben’s condition could affect him beyond the current moment. As an 11-year-old himself, Griffin prioritizes how Ben's leaving will affect their friendship.

“They navigated quickly through the depressing display of ill-kept and underweight animals, gagging as the stench grew stronger toward the center of the ship. To make matters even more unpleasant, a group of smirking teenagers had gathered around the great horned owl, rattling the cage every time the nocturnal bird tried to close its eyes. The earsplitting hoot-shriek echoed all through the paddleboat.”

This passage comes during the scouting mission to All Aboard Animals. Here, Ben and Griffin are making their way to Cleopatra’s enclosure, and this excerpt is a reminder to the reader of just how badly the animals at the floating zoo are treated. On the previous visit, the children noted the cramped and squalid living conditions, as well as how undernourished the animals appeared. The addition of the teenagers shaking the owl’s cage adds a new layer to the poor treatment—animal abuse. Klaus does eventually make the teenagers stop, but it is not a priority, showing how little Mr. Nastase cares about how his zoo is run and how the animals are treated. The teenagers also offer a juxtaposition to Savannah and the rest of the group.

“‘That’s better for you,’ Griffin argued. ‘Less involved means less trouble if we get caught.’

‘Right,’ the big boy said sarcastically. ‘All I have to do is sneak out in the middle of the night, steal my dad’s boat, and sail you to Rutherford Point so you can break into private property and kidnap a zoo animal.’

‘Hey,’ piped up Savannah, ‘Cleo is rightfully mine.’

‘That’s your opinion, not the cops. So don’t talk to me about being less involved. I’d be involved enough to ask this question…’ Darren leaned against the wall, stroking at chin whiskers that were not there. ‘What’s in it for me?’”

This exchange between Griffin’s group and Darren comes after the group enlists Darren to sail them to All Aboard Animals, and it highlights the key differences between the main group and Darren. While Griffin’s group is committed to saving Cleopatra because it’s the right thing to do, Darren’s motivation is greed. Their failure to foresee Darren’s betrayal highlights The Benefits of Trust and Teamwork and the ways in which trust can be misplaced.

“Melissa consulted the clock on her BlackBerry, which was monitoring the three surviving webcams. ‘It’s twelve-twenty-five,’ she ventured timidly.

‘Isn’t that just like Darren,’ Pitch spat. ‘He helps us, but first he has to make us sweat.’

Logan spoke up. ‘I know some good breathing exercises for stage fright.’

Savannah was too wired to be patient. ‘Let’s not and say we did.’

Griffin had the last word on the subject. ‘Calm down, you guys. All we can do is wait.’”

This exchange between Griffin’s group while they wait for Darren shows off the different personalities among the group members, as well as how each contributes to the mission. Melissa’s shyness comes through in her timid tone, and she uses her BlackBerry (top-level technology at the time Zoobreak was published) to monitor the time and the cameras. Pitch is the first to say something against Darren, representing her “act now, ask questions later” attitude. As an actor, Logan’s comment relates to himself and his acting, revealing his self-absorbed nature, and Savannah’s impatience highlights her frustration and fear of what will happen to Cleopatra if Darren doesn’t show. Griffin is the leader, which is why he gets the last word in the confrontation. He is the voice of reason, and though he is upset about his plan not working as intended, he keeps this to himself because he knows that getting upset will only make the others upset too, which doesn’t do the group any good.

“Ben wriggled into the dusty duct, fighting a burning desire to sneeze. He felt like Santa Claus, squeezing through a chimney. Come to think of it, Santa had it easy. He was always welcome. No wonder the old guy was so jolly. He wasn’t trying to commit Grand Theft Monkey.”

Here, Ben begins the infiltration of All Aboard Animals by climbing through a vent, a way thieves often enter buildings in the movies. Korman uses this moment to show how the children are involved in a thriller-like mission, and Ben’s thoughts make such a mission accessible to a young readership.

“‘I don’t care about the plan. If it’s right for Cleo, it’s right for the whole zoo.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ Ben argued. ‘The monkey is yours. But you don’t own the chipmunks and the beaver and the ferret. And you definitely don’t own that bloodthirsty raptor!’

‘We’re all members of the animal kingdom. We have to stand up for our brothers and sisters.’”

After the children realize that Mr. Nastase trained the owl to attack any animals that got loose from their cages, Savannah springs the idea of breaking all the animals out of the zoo, which is initially met with resistance. Not only does Savannah’s plan put the group in greater danger of exposure, they would be breaking the law, as Ben points out. Savannah’s answer calls to the debate about what makes something right or wrong. Taking the animals may be illegal, but to Savannah, this doesn’t matter because the animals are being mistreated, which is a greater wrong.

“The cruise back to Cedarville was a lot faster than the first trip, mostly because of the life raft’s outboard. In fact, in many ways the craft was ideal for a zoobreak. It was meant for a shipwreck and was stocked with food, water, a compass, rain gear, and medical supplies. None of this was of great importance to the team, except that all the gear came in dozens of pouches, packets, and containers. These turned out to be just the right size for stashing small furry animals, some of whom seemed determined to wriggle overboard and/or eat their fellow travelers.”

This passage summarizes the trip back from All Aboard Animals. Rather than being stymied by the missing boat, the children happened to find the raft and just happened to get away from the zoo without further detection and with all their stolen cargo intact. This calls to the ease with which heists like this are pulled off in the movies. In many ways, the story requires the reader to suspend their disbelief.

“His mind raced. A big operation always seemed impossible until you broke it down into its many parts. Taken one by one, if all those tiny parts were possible, then the whole plan had to be possible, too.”

This excerpt from Griffin’s thoughts offers insight into his plan-making process. Here, he grapples with how to handle all the animals the group now has in their possession, and this is the early stages of Operation Houseguest. Like previous plans Griffin has made, this one starts out feeling impossible because there are so many aspects to consider and challenges to overcome. Griffin’s technique of breaking the plan down into pieces shows how he overcomes the fear and doubt involved in creating a plan.

“OPERATION HOUSEGUEST

The GUEST LIST:

> Kellerman Underground Wetlands—beaver, frogs, salamanders, turtles

> Dukakis Split-Level Prairie—hen, piglet, prairie dog

> Benson Temperate Forest—garter snakes, chipmunks, squirrels

> Drysdale Custom Habitat—capuchin monkey, rabbits, white rats, duck, loon

> Slovak Suburban Desert—chuckwalla, ferret

> Bing Rodent House—hamsters, gerbils, mice, meerkat”

This is what Griffin’s completed Operation Houseguest plan looks like, and it is an example of how he structures his plans in general. As with his other operations, Griffin divides up tasks (or in this case, animals) by who will perform/house them, and he offers specific details, such as habitats here, for each person’s role in the plan. With a bit of work, Operation Houseguest became the organized list of habitats and people seen here, showing how even things that seem insurmountable can be solved.

“‘I’ve got a chuckwalla in my sauna and a ferret in my shirt. How do you think it’s going?’

‘In your shirt? You mean now?’ He scrutinized Ben’s upper body. ‘That wasn’t part of the plan! What if a teacher sees him?’

‘He wouldn’t let me leave without him,’ Ben explained. ‘Maybe Savannah’s right. He likes me.’

‘Just be careful,’ Griffin urged. ‘We’ve already had one close call. Pitch’s mom almost found the garter snakes in the French-press coffeemaker.’”

This exchange between Griffin and Ben is one of many conversations about the animals that take place during Operation Houseguest. Broadly, this discussion shows the struggles the children are having finding proper places to keep the animals and the close calls they are experiencing with keeping the animals a secret from their families. Specifically, this conversation sets up the relationship that forms between Ben and the ferret. The ferret has already bonded to Ben, as seen by how the animal refuses to be separated from him. Ben has not yet formed a reciprocal bond with the ferret, suggesting that The Relationship Between Humans and Animals (much like a relationship between two people) takes work from both sides.

“Griffin shook his head. ‘I was nervous about the rest of us. The one person I was sure would ace Operation Houseguest was you.’

Savannah laughed without humor. ‘Are you kidding? My own rabbits can’t stand the new rabbits, and it’s World War Three in the warren. You can know everything about zoology, but no one can predict a personality conflict.’”

This exchange between Griffin and Savannah shows both of them learning new things about themselves and each other. Griffin starts to see how he can make a good plan but that a good plan doesn’t guarantee success, even when it plays to someone’s strengths (namely Savannah with her knowledge of animals). At the same time, Savannah is learning that her understanding of animals is not the only thing that matters in terms of caring for them. Her rabbit warren should be an ideal habitat for the new and existing rabbits alike, but this is not the case because the animals don’t get along. Together, Savannah and Griffin show that knowledge is no substitution for experience.

“‘Still, I kind of miss the little guys. I didn’t think I was the type to get attached. But that’s what happened with some of them.’

‘I don’t miss a single one,’ the zookeeper said flatly. ‘I miss the lines of paying customers. I miss the feeling of their money in the cash box. I miss the sight of a spoiled brat in an All Aboard Animals T-shirt, overpaying for a souvenir and giving me free advertising at the same time.’”

This exchange between Klaus and Mr. Nastase shows the differences between the two men and reveals Mr. Nastase’s true greedy nature. Klaus admits here that he misses some of the animals and that he got attached to them, despite thinking he wouldn’t. This also sets up Klaus to turn on Mr. Nastase and end the book by taking a job at the Long Island Zoo. Mr. Nastase, by contrast, developed no attachments to the animals beyond thinking of them as a money-making opportunity. Mr. Nastase represents the dangers of being motivated only by money, and he also shows what Darren could become if he continues down the path he’s on during the events of the book.

“‘You let me worry about the animals. I know everything there is to know about each and every one of them.’

From the waterfowl pond in the park next to the Drysdale home, the loon yodeled its distinctive mournful call.

‘Filthy pigeons,’ Mr. Nastase commented. ‘Rats with wings.’”

Here, Mr. Nastase and Klaus huddle in their car after Savannah’s dog chased them off her family’s property when they came to take Cleopatra again. This exchange is an example of Mr. Nastase’s character, specifically his uncaring nature toward the animals. He claims to know a lot about the animals that were in his care, but he can’t identify the loon’s distinct calling sound, even though he had the creature at All Aboard Animals. Referring to the loon as a pigeon is ironic after he claims he knows all there is to know about the animals.

“‘But I’m innocent!’

‘Possibly. But who will believe it when they see you have my owl?’

‘That’s not fair!’ Darren wailed.

‘Life isn’t fair,’ the zookeeper commiserated. ‘But it can be bearable…if you cooperate.’

Poor Darren could not understand how things had gone so terribly wrong. He had come here with a valuable owl to sell, and Mr. Nastase had managed to turn everything against him.”

Here, Darren has approached Mr. Nastase and Klaus about selling back the owl, and the turn the conversation takes represents the difference between child and adult perspectives. Darren entered this conversation believing all he had to do was explain he had the owl, and he would make money selling it back to a grateful Mr. Nastase. Without real-world experience with the power of greed, Darren doesn’t understand what Mr. Nastase is willing to do to emerge victorious. Darren is also no match for Mr. Nastase’s experience with manipulation, again showing how adult experience offers benefits that children don’t necessarily get from their understanding of the world. Altogether, this exchange represents again how children can be at a disadvantage in an adult world.

“Ben had known this was coming, but he hadn’t expected to be so devastated by the reality. He told himself he ought to be happy. He was going to be safe in New Jersey, where there were no zoobreaks, either into or out of captivity. He should have been relieved that at least the suspense was over…no more sword dangling above his head. Instead, all he thought about was a boarding school he didn’t want to go to, far away from everything he knew and cared about, far away from his best friend. Being shanghaied into his second zoobreak in a week now seemed like a minor inconvenience compared with that.”

Here, Ben’s dad has just told Ben he’ll be going to his new school in 10 days. This moment brings reality crashing down for Ben. He has been stressed about the zoobreaks and keeping the animals a secret in his house, but compared to leaving his friends and his life, those concerns no longer feel as overwhelming as they did before. Ben would gladly continue with his current stressors if it meant he didn’t have to go away, showing how much his current life means to him, even if there are difficult aspects to it.

“‘Can we pull it off?’ he asked aloud.

The meerkat didn’t know, either. But he was a good listener, this mongoose cousin.

He sat up on his hind legs and always seemed to be paying such rapt attention. And, Griffin reflected, there was no chance of him spilling the beans. That was pure gold.”

Until this moment, the meerkat has been a nuisance as Griffin tried to find a perfect habitat for the creature. Now that he is about to part ways with the animal, Griffin sees the meerkat for what it is—a living being that he can relate to as easily as he relates to other people. Talking to the creature helps Griffin feel better about his insecurities involving Operation Zoobreak II, which makes Griffin realize how important trusting others is, even if those others are a different species.

“A zoo was such a daytime place that it seemed eerie and threatening in the gloom. The team wheeled through acres of empty parking lot, illuminated only by the faintest of lights. The ticket windows were shuttered, the front gate barred by a rolling section of fence.”

For the group, the zoo is a place one visits during daytime hours when the place is open. Thus, they associate it with the daytime, and therefore, seeing it at night is a new experience. This coupled with the difficult task that lies ahead changes the perception of the zoo from a fun place to visit to a creepy, ominous location.

“The bird let out a slow, squawking cluck, as if testing to see if her vocal cords still worked in these strange surroundings.

The sound provoked an instant response from another bag. The fabric began to undulate in Savannah’s arms. A split second later, the piglet exploded out of the drawstring opening. He hit the ground scrambling and rushed over to cuddle up to the hen.” 

The behaviors of the piglet and hen show how bonds are formed between even the most unlikely of pairings. After spending time together at Savannah’s house, the animals have bonded, and this scene shows how strong that bond is. Like Ben’s unique bond with the ferret, these two animals have grown attached to one another despite their different species, suggesting that learning about one another despite differences leads to unpredictable friendships.

“Griffin was struck dumb, the taste of victory turning to ashes in his mouth. His skill as a planner had become so advanced that he felt he could accomplish anything. But now he had to face the fact that he was powerless to save his best friend. It was no longer a matter of possibly or someday. It was a done deal, a tragedy waiting at the end of a nine-day ticking clock. He couldn’t even bring himself to say, ‘It won’t be so bad,’ because it was so bad already.”

Here, Griffin has just learned Ben will be leaving for his new school in nine days. After the success they’ve had with his last three plans, Griffin is feeling good about his ability to get himself and his friends out of any unwanted situation, and this has led him to forget about Ben’s impending change of schools. Being reminded of it here shatters the confidence Griffin has gained recently. Suddenly, his successes don’t mean what they did moments before. This shows how a single incident or factor can have a huge impact. It also shows how people tend to put a greater emphasis on perceived failures than on perceived successes. Griffin no longer cares about the three recent plans that succeeded because of one recent plan that he believes has failed

“‘Fair?’ Mr. Nastase’s mustache became positively alpine. ‘You break into my business, ruin my livelihood, make away with my valuable property, and leave my employee floundering in the ceiling like a man buried alive. And now you have the nerve to try to put my animals forever outside my reach. If you got what was fair, I’d throw you in with those alligators and lock the door.’”

Here, Mr. Nastase and Klaus have cornered Griffin and Ben. Mr. Nastase is making plans to steal some animals and let the rest free to cover his tracks. Griffin and Ben are appalled by what the man is willing to do to serve his own greed, and when the boys say the situation isn’t fair, Mr. Nastase responds with this list of slights the children have perpetrated against him. Mr. Nastase is careful to twist events in his favor. Everything he says is true from his perspective, but when he claims the children took his valuables, he fails to mention that he never had the right to have the animals in the first place.

“Klaus sat up gingerly. ‘Oh, have I got a headache.’ As he blinked away the dizziness of the tranquilizer effect, his eyes focused on Logan. ‘Hey, isn’t that Ferris Atwater, Jr.?’

Despite the trouble he knew they were in, Logan felt his heart swell with pride. Being recognized for a role you’d played was…a star sighting! His first ever!”

This passage offers insight into Logan’s character. For the entire book, Logan has been a comic relief character, giving amusing or off-topic one-liners during critical conversations. Here, Logan feels fulfilled for the first time because he has been recognized for a part he played, even if that part was a minor one. Logan hoped he left a lasting impression on Klaus, and the fact the man remembers Logan shows Logan that his acting skills are as good as he thinks they are.