Title: The Secret of Zoom
Author: Lynne Jonell
Genre: Children's Science Fiction / Middle Grade Adventure / Dystopian Fantasy
Edition: True First Edition, First Printing (2009)
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co., New York
A Best Book of 2009 by the School Library Journal.
The Secret of Zoom is a highly imaginative middle-grade adventure that won acclaim as a School Library Journal Best Book of 2009. The story follows Christina, a young girl living in a heavily fortified stone mansion surrounded by barbed wire, electrified fences, and daunting signs reading TRESPASSERS WILL BE BOILED. Hidden deep within the forbidden forest behind her home lies Loompsky Labs, the mysterious laboratory where her mother was tragically blown to pieces when Christina was an infant. Her father, the facility's head scientist, fiercely protects her by confining her to the estate grounds and forbidding any contact with the local orphans. Christina's isolated world shatters when she accidentally overhears grown-up secrets from under the dining room table. Soon after, an orphan boy named Taft whispers to her of a secret tunnel, prompting her to abandon her safety to help him escape into a dangerous world of high-stakes science and discovery.
Jonell expertly balances intense, slightly dystopian suspense with an empowering journey of friendship and courage. It serves as an exceptional standalone addition for collectors of award-winning 21st-century children's literature.
Lynne Jonell (1956 – Present): A highly regarded American children's author celebrated for her inventive storytelling across picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels. Jonell first earned widespread acclaim for her creative, magical-realism fiction that tackles deep emotional themes with humor and heart. Beyond The Secret of Zoom, her notable works include the popular Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls, The Sign of the Cat, and Time Sight. Known for crafting brave, curious protagonists navigating unusual or extraordinary circumstances, Jonell’s books are frequent selections for library recommendations and state reading lists.
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