Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Summary: Scat by Carl Hiaasen is a fun and exciting read. Hiaasen is an author who is able to write books for both adults (Sick Puppy) and children (Scat, Hoot, Flush), and does both with great success. (Mr. Grisham, you could learn a little something from our friend Carl!)


In Scat, Hiaasen stays in his beloved Florida and introduces us to a cast of interesting and realistic characters: Nick is a baseball playing school kid whose dad has been injured fighting in the Middle East, Marta is his friend and a straight-arrow, follow the rules kind of girl. They become entangled in a mystery when their biology teacher, Mrs. Starch, disappears after a field trip into the Black Vine Swamp; a field trip that is interrupted by a mysterious fire that turns out to be arson! The prime suspect: their classmate, Smoke, who has a history of lighting fires.

Where is Mrs. Starch? Who is the strange guy that refers to her as “Aunt Bunny?” And what is the Red Diamond Energy Corporation doing in the swamp? Could it have anything to do with the endangered panther that Nick thinks he heard on the day of the field trip?

Hiaasen delivers another great mystery for kids involving corrupt businessmen, eco-warriors, and kids who are just trying to do the right thing. Scat is also full of chuckles and twists that keep the reader guessing, making it a hard to put down read.

Themes:
Protecting endangered species
Standing up for what is right
Friendship
Choices
Family


Age Appropriateness:
11 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: very mild nonsexual
Violence: moderate