Review by Booklist Review
The premise of this first entry in the Ripley's Believe It or Not! RBI series is a little convoluted. Ripley High located in the former home of the creator of Ripley's Believe It or Not! is now home to students with special powers. The best of the best are inducted into Ripley's Bureau of Investigation (RBI), a high-tech operation that sends kids on dangerous missions around the world, where they, like the Ripley's series of old, try to separate fact from fiction. Solid graphic elements help sort this all out, with visual introductions to the RBI team, both teachers and students. In this adventure, something has been spotted in the Florida Everglades that seems to be half man, half reptile. What can it be? After several close calls, the team is met with an answer that seems far-fetched until one reads the appended real-life case files. With all the graphic elements, including sidebar facts on smart phone images, this should especially tempt reluctant readers. This title will lead kids right into the follow-ups, including The Dragon's Triangle, Running Wild, and Secrets of the Deep (all 2010).--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
