Zoobreak

Ben is Griffin’s best friend and the secondary point-of-view character and protagonist of the novel. Where Griffin barges forward into situations, Ben is more reserved and quicker to fear. As Griffin’s best friend, though, Ben always comes through, even if he protests the entire time. This makes Ben and Griffin a winning team, despite, as Griffin points out about Ben: “loyaltywise, the kid was rock solid, but he had a very low freak-out threshold” (85). Ben has narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that makes him fall asleep at random times without warning. Ben’s potential enrollment at a boarding school where he could get help with this condition forms tension throughout the book. As the children deal with the animals and operations to save them, Griffin and Ben’s friendship is strained by the idea that Ben might leave. While the operations are almost unbelievable in their outrageousness, Ben’s problem is more down-to-earth, and Korman uses this side story to ground the book in relatable experiences for young readers.

Savannah is the focal point of the novel and “Cedarville’s greatest authority on animals” (7). Though she has less page-time than either Ben or Griffin, her passion for animals keeps the story moving. Starting with Cleopatra’s disappearance and through helping find new homes for the animals, Savannah is at the center of everything, though she plays a supporting role within the group during operations. Savannah’s greatest strength and weakness is her desire to stand up for what’s right. She is willing to fight for every creature’s right to a good life, and this makes the animals loyal to her. Savannah’s commitment to caring for all creatures also causes the group strife, particularly when she refuses to leave All Aboard Animals without freeing all the animals. Her heart is in the right place, but her headstrong personality makes her act without stopping to think if her actions are the best ones at the moment. These two sides of Savannah represent the benefits and drawbacks of an all-or-nothing outlook. Savannah’s stance shows Power and Agency in Children, but it also symbolizes the consequences of taking such uncompromising action.

Mr. Nastase is the antagonist of Zoobreak and the owner of All Aboard Animals. Mr. Nastase is a direct adversary to the children and shows how adults can use their increased strength in society to undo the work of children. As an adult, Mr. Nastase easily gains the trust of the police and the community when the animals are stolen from All Aboard Animals because society inherently trusts adults more than children. It doesn’t matter that he is a crook and that he abused the animals in his care until the end of the book when the police have actual evidence to prove this. Prior to that, the other adults trust Mr. Nastase over the protests of Savannah and the others, showing the unfair power dynamics at play.

Klaus is the security guard at All Aboard Animals and a big, burly man who looks tougher than he is. While Mr. Nastase is a crook, Klaus is merely the hired help and does not know about Mr. Nastase’s shady business dealings until the end of the book. This leaves Klaus open to growing attached to the children, and in doing so, he represents how adults can come to trust children under the right circumstances. Klaus feels a connection to the character Logan plays in Chapter 10, and this leads Klaus to be protective of the children during the final confrontation at the Long Island Zoo. Klaus cements his loyalty by turning on Mr. Nastase at the end of the book, showing how emotional connections foster trust and change.

Darren is a child at Griffin’s school and a minor antagonist. Darren believes he is better and more important than other people, which leads him to think he can get away with things the other children can’t. This leads him to clash with Mr. Nastase, at which point Darren realizes that, despite trying to act like an adult, he is still a child. Darren’s attempts at manipulation show a misplaced confidence and ambition. Darren ends up in an almost dangerous situation with Mr. Nastase that he could have avoided if he hadn’t tried to make a deal with the man.

Melissa is the group’s shy technology genius. When Griffin gets the group together for Operation Zoobreak, Melissa is overjoyed to be included. In the previous book, helping the group was the closest she felt to having friends, and she is glad to have that feeling again. Melissa has always been better with computers than people, shown through her quiet demeanor and how she almost always has her hair covering her face. What she lacks in social skills she makes up for in intelligence, and she is often the one to offer strong suggestions, such as waiting for Darren when he’s late to the meeting place.

Pitch is the outgoing, athletic member of the group. Her strength is climbing, and her knowledge of the outdoors helps her keep the group safe from things like poison ivy. Pitch often jumps to conclusions or is quick to frustration, and this reflects how she is typically the first one into a new situation. She acts first and asks questions later. This makes her a foil for Melissa, and the two girls balance one another out within the group.