Chupacabra (Cryptid Hunters, Book 3)

by Roland Smith

Overview

Monsters of legend come to life! The thrilling third title in Roland Smith's popular Cryptid Hunters series.

A mysterious creature, a missing girl, and danger at every turn . . .This riveting sequel to TENTACLES and CRYPTID HUNTERS reunites Marty and his unusual uncle, cryptozoologist Travis Wolfe, as they search the world for Wolfe's daughter, Grace. Grace has been kidnapped by her grandfather, the ruthless and dangerous Noah Blackwood, who has also stolen the two dinosaur hatchlings Wolfe was raising in secrecy. Now, with word that the mysterious creature known as Chupacabra has been sighted again, Wolfe is torn between his obsession with finding cryptids and his need to rescue his daughter. With trouble at every turn and a dangerous journey ahead, will Marty and Wolfe come face-to-face with the mythic monster? Even more frightening, will they reach Grace before it's too late?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545539081
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Series:	Cryptid Hunters , #3
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	276,453
Lexile:	730L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Roland Smith first worked with animals at the Oregon Zoo, and he has been involved in animal rescues and conservation work around the world for more than 20 years. He is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Jack's Run, Zach's Lie, Peak, the Cryptid Hunters series, and the Storm Runners series. He is also the coauthor of numerous picture books with his wife, Marie. Roland lives with Marie on a farm south of Portland, Oregon. You can find him online at rolandsmith.com.

Read an Excerpt

From CHUPACABRAShe remembered where she'd heard about the chupacabra. It was in the same conversation she'd overheard between Wolfe and Laurel Lee back on Cryptos Island. Wolfe told Laurel Lee that he suspected Blackwood was not only fattening animals up for his private collection, he was genetically engineering animals to put on exhibit..."I wouldn't put it past him to make a chupacabra in his lab," Wolfe had said, "then let it go for awhile to build up the myth, then recapture it and put it on display in one of his arks..." The chupacabra was no longer a legend, Grace realized. Noah Blackwood had made one! Maybe more than one!She clicked open a couple of the chupacabra files. CH-9: the code number said it all. The ninth version of the beast.What did the others look like? Were they still alive? Were they hidden away somewhere on the third level?There was no time to find the answers on Noah's computer. She needed to find a way off the third floor. She needed to get below and find Luther before the chupacabra found him!

Editorial Reviews

01/01/2014
Gr 5–8—Plunging readers in where Tentacles (Scholastic, 2009) left off, this fast-paced novel opens right after Grace discovers that her twin brother, Marty, is in fact her cousin, and that her father's unscrupulous enemy, Noah Blackwood, is actually her grandfather. She is forced to join the mad scientist's household, located in a wildlife preserve. Kept under close observation at all times, the girl is held captive until Marty and his best friend, Luther, infiltrate the compound in an attempt to spirit her away. Mayhem ensues and their efforts are hampered by guards, security cameras, and Blackwood's vicious henchman. The trio face a genetically engineered chupacabra, a mythical beast from South and Central America with a nasty habit of sucking blood from goats. Though this sequel suffers in comparison to the previous books in the series, Smith adeptly adds enough new characters, dangers, and cool science to reel in reluctant readers and keep them turning pages long after their lights should have been turned off.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

School Library Journal

Praise for CHUPACABRA



An American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers



"Enough new characters, dangers, and cool science to reel in reluctant readers and keep them turning pages long after their lights should have been turned off." --SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL



"A fine adventure." --LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION

From the Publisher

2013-09-01
Marty and Grace return for their third rare-animal adventure (Tentacles, 2009, etc.). Thirteen-year-old cousins Grace and Marty were separated at the end of their last adventure. Grace agreed to leave with her grandfather, Dr. Noah Blackwood, even though she knows he is not the wildlife conservationist he pretends to be on his television show. Marty stayed with Grace's father (and his uncle), Dr. Travis Wolfe, world-renowned cryptozoologist. When Wolfe leaves them alone, Marty and his best friend, Luther, decide to try to find Grace at Dr. Blackwood's Seattle Ark, one of his chain of zoos. With the help of a new friend, Luther and Marty sneak into the Ark and begin searching for Grace. Blackwood discovers that the boys are on the property, but he can't pinpoint them; likewise, the boys find the secret research lab beneath the Ark, but they can't get to it. Everything is complicated by Blackwood's genetically created chupacabra, a legendary cryptid and voracious monster loose in the lab's ductwork. Smith's third in a series of four adventures stands alone well enough, but it works best as part of the series (a helpful recap of the series thus far orients readers to its labyrinthine twists). The adventure sequences are entertaining, but some of the humor may strike kids as rather lame; the ever-hungry Luther's antics especially ring false. A decent-enough adventure, but not one for the ages. (Adventure. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews