ABOUT THIS BOOK

Unfortunately, Roy’s first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, 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 intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and–here’s the odd part–wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy’s trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.
Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen’s Florida.


REVIEWS

“It seems unlikely that the master of noir-tinged, surrealistic black humor would write a novel for young readers. And yet, there has always been something delightfully juvenile about Hiaasen’s imagination; beneath the bent cynicism lurks a distinctly 12-year-old cackle. In this thoroughly engaging tale of how middle schooler Roy Eberhardt, new kid in Coconut Cove, learns to love South Florida, Hiaasen lets his inner kid run rampant, both the subversive side that loves to see grown-ups make fools of themselves and the righteously indignant side, appalled at the mess being made of our planet. The story is full of offbeat humor, buffoonish yet charming supporting characters, and genuinely touching scenes of children enjoying the wildness of nature. He deserves a warm welcome into children’s publishing.”—Booklist

“A wonderful tour-de-force.”—The Boston Globe

“A rollicking, righteous story.”—The Miami Herald

“You don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy it.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Yes, it is a hoot.”—The Washington Post Book World


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carl Hiaasen is the author of many bestselling novels for adults, including Sick Puppy and Basket Case. He also writes a column for the Miami Herald.


AWARDS

WINNER 2003 - ALA Notable Children's Book
WINNER 2003 - Texas Lone Star Reading List
NOMINEE 2005 - Arizona Young Readers Award
NOMINEE 2005 - Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
WINNER 2005 - Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
WINNER 2004 - Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
WINNER 2003 - Maine Student Book Master List
FINALIST 2004 - Massachusetts Children's Book Award
NOMINEE 2005 - Iowa Teen Book Award
WINNER 2005 - Minnesota Maud Heart Lovelace Award
WINNER 2003 - Newbery Honor Book
WINNER 2003 - Pennsylvania Keystone State Reading Association Book Award
WINNER 2006 - Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Award
WINNER 2003 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
WINNER 2003 - Maine Student Book Master List
WINNER 2003 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
NOMINEE 2003 - Florida Sunshine State Book Award
NOMINEE 2005 - Hawaii Nene Award



RELATED LINKS

Click Here for the Hoot BookTalk