Hoot

Roy Eberhardt has recently, and unhappily, arrived in Florida. "Disney World is an armpit," he states flatly, "compared to Montana." Roy's family moves a lot, so he's used to the new-kid drill. Florida bullies are pretty much like bullies everywhere. But Roy finds himself oddly indebted to the hulking Dana Matherson. If Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is the first interesting thing Roy's seen in Florida. The boy was about Roy's age, but he was running away from the school bus. He had no books, no backpack, and, here's the odd part, no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail. The chase will introduce him to some other intriguing Floridian creatures: potty-trained alligators, a beleaguered construction foreman, some burrowing owls, a fake-fart champion, a renegade eco-avenger, some slippery fish, a sinister pancake PR man, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails. Life in Florida is looking up. Carl Hiaasen has been writing about Florida since his father gave him a typewriter at age six. Then it was hunt-and-peck stories about neighborhood kickball and softball games, given away to his friends. Now Hiaasen writes columns for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling novels for adults, including Sick Puppy, Basket Case, and Skinny Dip. Hoot, Hiaasen's first novel for young listeners, is full of his trademark satirical wit, revealing the good, the bad, and the screwy state of Florida. Chad Lowe, an Emmy Award winning actor, has starred in such television series as E.R., Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Melrose Place. His film credits include Unfaithful, Robin Cook's Acceptable Risk, and Take Me Home: The John Denver Story.