The Menagerie of Jenkins Bailey

By: Matthew S. Cox

Narrated by: Nicole Blessing

Twelve-year-old Piper Bailey wouldn’t trade her friends for any amount of money - unfortunately, when her dad inherits a fortune, she doesn’t have a choice.

She’s happy with her little house in Syracuse and hand-me-down clothes 20 years out of style. The unexpected windfall is a blessing for her family, but it comes with a giant house hours away in the woods. Heartbroken at being so far from her tiny social circle, she tries to talk her parents into staying home, but they drag her off to the forest anyway.

Piper finds an unexpected friend in a boy who lives in the next house, and the two decide to explore Grandpa’s giant mansion. It doesn’t take long for creepy things to start happening. Convinced there’s a malevolent ghost trying to hurt them, she asks her parents for help, but Mom goes from believing Piper is acting out over the unwanted move to being legit crazy. A near-fatal attack from the spirit strands the kids in a hidden underground complex packed with supposedly mythical beasts.

Thinking the strange zoo cruel, Piper is determined to free the creatures, but not all the captives are friendly. Some are downright evil.

©2017 Matthew S Cox (P)2018 Matthew S Cox

Great book for children and adults

A wonderful self enclosed story with two strong young characters. The menagerie of fantasy creatures will inevitably be compared with JK Rowlings, but the attitude of the creatures and characters (not to mention the actual plot) is so different that the only way they should be compared is that they are both entertaining and fun appropriate for all.

Enjoyable for kids and adults alike...............

The menagerie of Jenkins Bailey is a fantastical story that could be enjoyed by adults and children alike. The author writes so well the character of young Piper that I could feel her horror and desolation at having to move to a new city and house and leave behind all of her friends and familiar things. I could also imagine her frustration at being ignored by her parents when she expresses genuine concern over the strange and haunting happenings in said new house. I loved the character of Tristan and his ready acceptance of the adventures and challenges Piper and her haunted house present to them. Although it takes quite a while to get to the menagerie part of the story, once they do, the action, intrigue and excitement are pretty constant after that. I highly recommend this story as well as anything written by Cox for lovers of a good fantasy adventure.

Nicole Blessing always does a great job narrating, and this book is no exception. Her delivery is smooth and her performance is flawless. Her use of tone and emphasis adds excitement and emotion to an already adventurous story.

I received a copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for this honest review.

Jenkins Bailey

This is a wonderful story of 2 young children on an adventure of a lifetime! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reading this book. The narrator did a superb job. Thank you Matthew for another fantastic book.

A very PG rated MG book!

•audiobook•

Enjoyable and mostly parent/child relatable for our youth (some interactions could be over the top, but it could be true in that silver screen kind of way!)

Exploration of the house was intriguing, unique, and imaginative! Loose ends were tied up well.

Parts were a bit slow - like it could have been used to grow a character or depth to the setting. But the miss was the only reason for the 4 stars.

Otherwise, it is recommended and is well worth the listen or read!

Adventure Tale

Piper and her new friend find mystical creatures in the "hidden zoo" and try to help them. Listening to this book was enjoyable as you get more of a sense of what the characters are really like.

Really cute

This book is really fun and original. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I love the characters and plot

Leaves you wanting more.

If you enjoy the magical and the mystical this is a great book for you. I enjoy stories like this. I would put it alongside series such as the Levin Thumps and Fable Haven. Although this is just the first book, I expect more. It was an absolute joy to listen to with activities and it was hard to stop listening to. Matthew did a great job with not deviating from the lore of the magical creatures and their traits. I can't wait for the next book. If you are looking for an innocent read with magic and mystery this won't let you down. I highly recommend this book. Ten thumbs up. Great job!!