Author: Carl Hiaasen
You May Know Him: As the author of the very popular MG/YA series Hoot, Scat and Flush and author of many adult novels as well.
You May Find Him: At his website.
Review You May Not Have Seen: Time for Kids review by Jack Wetzel
The Delta/Plus
I have a confession to make. I abandoned Hoot. Yes, I just could not get through this Newbery Honor Book. Yet for some reason I picked up Scat (okay, that doesn't sound very good) and I loved it. So I was curious when I received my ARC of Chomp. Would I abandon it or would I love it? And what was so different between Hoot and Scat that I could read through one but not the other? And how do you get a job without experience, if you need experience to get a job? But I digress...
Chomp is a hilarious addition to Hiaasen's other ecology-adventures Scat, Hoot and Flush. This time we follow Wahoo and his animal-wrangling father Mickey Cray on their latest hire as animal handlers to the stars. Unfortunately the job entails following the high-jinx of an adventure host in a sort of a ripped-from-the-Discovery-channel-esque spoof: the intrepid explorer is "lost", this time in the Florida Everglades, along with an entire camera crew and catering caravan. We are also introduced to Tuna, a girl who is searching to be rescued from a real-life drama involving an abusive father.
I loved Chomp and will recommend it to my fourth and fifth graders. I'll tell them to be a bit patient with the sections that seem to get a little stuck in muck like the Everglades where this story takes place, but to definitely add another Hiaasen winner "To Be Read" list.
This book gets four out of five dog ears from me!
15 Second Sell in the Stacks
(This is when I'm in the stacks, a student shows me a book and says, "Have you read this, Ms. B.?" I have about 15 seconds to "sell" it.)
"Ohmygosh. Have you read {insert Hoot, Scat, or Flush}? You'll totally love this one. This kid and his dad are in charge of making sure this fool television star doesn't get eaten alive by some creature in the Florida Everglades. Totally hilarious. Get readin'!"
Thank you to my local independent bookstore One More Page Books for hooking me up with this ARC.
I liked Hoot a lot but haven't read any others. I like the ecological spin he puts in his books. I'm excited to read the ARC, too but from NetGalley. I'll be sure to keep reading if I get stuck in the muck.
ReplyDeleteI also like the ecological spin and that you get a real feel for Florida in his books. BTW, I gave the ARC away to one of my third graders. You'd a thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Love the power of the ARC!
ReplyDeleteME TOO! I didn't finish Hoot, but loved Scat. And I'm looking forward to Chomp.
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