A Thief at the National Zoo

A thief at the national zoo

Author: Ron Roy

Synopsis:

KC and Marshall are helping out with the baby tigers at the National Zoo when they meet a new friend, Sunwoo, from China. Sunwoo’s father is lending the zoo a precious jewel called the Tiger’s Eye to raise money for endangered tigers. But during the zoo’s big party, the lights suddenly go out. And when they’re turned back on, the jewel is missing! Who stole the Tiger’s Eye? And how did someone sneak it out of a room with no windows and a guarded door?

About the author:

Ron Roy was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a shy kid, and spent much of his time studying nature and reading. He loved school and used to win all the spelling bees. His favorite teacher was Mr. Ben Hancock who taught him to love books and showed him how to hit a baseball and catch a fish. Because of Mr. Hancock’s influence, he decided to become a teacher.

After college and graduate school, he became a fourth grade teacher. He started writing children’s stories and sending them to publishing companies. No one wanted to buy his stories, but he didn’t give up. Each week he would write a story and send it out. Each week, the story came back with “No, thank you” written on the manuscript. Then in1978, he sold his first children’s book. Soon, he left teaching and became a full time writer. A thief at the national zoo

Author: Ron Roy

Discussion questions:

1. Have you been to the national zoo?

a. If you have gone to the zoo, what are your favorite animals?

b. Have you seen a Sumatran tiger?

c. What does it mean that they are on the critically endangered list?

2. Have you ever been close up to a tiger cub?

3. What zoo animal would you like to hold?

4. What zoo animal would you like to learn more about?

5. Where you able to identify who the thief/thieves was/were in the story?

a. What gave you the clues to figure the ending out?

6. What was the surprising part of the story?

7. Do you like mystery stories?

a. Tell the group about some of your favorite mystery stories.

8. In the story, Dr. Tutu is suspected of being the thief.

a. Have you ever been suspected of doing something that you didn’t do?

b. How did you feel?

c. How was the situation made right again?

9. Do you believe there is such a stone as the Tiger’s eye?

a. Have you seen one in a museum?

b. If you have seen one, where did you see it?

c. Was there a story connected to it?

d. Tell the story. 10. Have you ever done a brave thing like KC and Marshall did in calling the suspect?

a. If you have, tell the group what you did?

b. How do you think KC and Marshall felt when they solved the case?