I decided to do Hoot, Scat, Flush, and Chomp (said in order that I read them) in one review because all of them are about animal wildlife in Florida, and it's the same basic backbone for the stories: some dumb person is doing something to hurt nature, someone either goes crazy about it, disappears because of it, or weird things are seen because of it. And yahoo! kids are the star, and are there to investigate.
Hoot: When Roy's face is smashed against the window of the school bus by a bully, he spots a bare-footed ripped-shirt kid running away from the school bus. A new Mother Paula's pancake place is also being built down the street. And to top it off, Roy is getting pushed around by another bully, Beatrice. Can these three things be connected? Maybe getting your head smashed against a window IS good--if it helps you into an adventure of a lifetime.
Scat: Nick and his friends aren't necessarily sad when their biography teacher goes missing during a field trip to a swamp. But the reason for her absence doesn't fool Nick and Marta. They decide to dig in deeper and find themselves caught with illegal oil pumpers, a guy who seems to know where their teacher is, and wild panthers.
Flush: Noah's dad has done some pretty wild stuff before, but this time he's gone too far: sinking a casino boat. Noah's mom's not happy, but Noah and his sister Abbey understand more: Dusty Muleman, owner of the boat, has been dumping human waste into the ocean--or so their dad claims. Wanting to believe him, the siblings search more, asking Lice, one of Dusty's former employees, about it, but before he can share Dusty's secret, he disappears. So Shelly, Lice's girlfriend steps in and takes control, and helps with the plan: flush, flush, flush!
Chomp: Except for chameleons, ever since a frozen solid dead one clonked him on the head, Wahoo's dad, Mickey, has always been more comfortable around animals than people. Because of the chameleon, and a concussion, Mickey has no job, and refuses every one offered to him. But Wahoo signs his dad up for a reality TV show animal provider/trainer anyway. Besides, they're backyard's (literally) a zoo, with more than enough animals. When he hears then news, Mickey isn't happy, and it doesn't help to hear that the show is run by Derek Badger. Derek proves to be impatient, and lazy, not a reality TV star. In the Everglades, Tuna, a girl with a dad who's drunk more than half the time joins them. Then Derek goes missing. And then, Tuna's dad shows up drunk, and with a gun. Worst of all, Mickey's dealing with the drunk guy, while wishing he'd never signed up for this. Tuna and Wahoo are trying to free him, and find Derek Badger. Complete chaos in the Everglades!
Carl Hiaasen is a great author and makes great points about nature, so I think I should make some points of my own. Adults are destroying the nature in this world even though it's the only world we have. That is why we the kids of this world need to save the best thing ever, nature. If we are going to go to school and take all these stupid tests adults might at least let us stand up for what we think is right. Or we could learn about some of the more important things in this world like nature. Nature is vanishing before our eyes. A few more brave people are standing up for nature but that's not enough we all need to stand up for nature and fight for what's right! I don't care if it will help the economy, think of all the animals and plants that are killed when clearing out a lot, for a gas station of all things. And what is that gas station going to do? It is going to serve up more gas for more cars to pollute the earth (which is already polluted enough) which kills animals and makes the gap in the ozone wider which causes extreme global warming which in the end kills more animals dying, that's what it does. It is always coming down to animals dying, why should they by punished for what we have done. Did you know that thousands of species have become extinct becuase of humans. Now go out and spread the word. ANIMALS NEED YOUR HELP!!!
ReplyDeleteYes! I COMPLETELY agree! Except animals WOULDN'T HAVE NEEDED OUR HELP if we hadn't DESTROYED THE EARTH!!!!!!
DeleteGo kids!!! We have the power to change the world and do what's right!!!!!
Thank you, twin Anonymouses, for your comments!
ReplyDeleteI agree; too many people have just given up on the environment. That's why Carl Hiaasen's books are so good--they help to spread the word in the form of a story!!
Go kids!! :)