Module 7: Hoot

Book Summary:
This book centers around an environmental issue: a pancake house is about to be constructed on land that is the home for families of burrowing owls. In order to save the owls, one boy is vandalizing the construction site to halt construction. Soon another boy, Roy, gets pulled into the drama. Working with the boy with no name and his sister, Beatrice, Roy and his classmates are able to get the construction stopped in the end, through a dramatic and hilarious sequence of events.

APA reference:
Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impressions:
This was a very well-written book. It hooks the reader right away with the mystery of the barefoot running boy seen from the bus, and keeps the reader interested all the way through with the pace and humor of the story. While some of the events of the story seemed unlikely, none of it was impossible. Hiaasen also makes the characters very likable, and makes the reader want them to succeed. The humor is one of the best parts of the story. While the story it about a serious issue, it does not take itself too seriously, and I think that will make it more interesting for young readers. There is almost always something funny going on, making the reader want to keep reading. I have read Hiaasen’s books before, but not one intended for young readers. He has a very refreshing writing style that makes reading his book very good entertainment. I would recommend this book to anyone, even adults, although younger readers will probably really enjoy the fact that the young heroes in the book manage to accomplish their goal and save the owls by themselves.

Professional Review:Carter, C. (2002, November). [Review of the book Hoot, by C. Hiaasen]. Horn Book Magazine 78(6). Retrieved from: http://hbook.com/

Hoot is quintessential Hiaasen — a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters — with a G rating. Roy Eberhart the new kid in town, hooks up with teenage runaway Mullet Fingers (so named because he can catch fish with his bare hands) and his sister Beatrice, a "major soccer jock … with a major attitude." The three discover that the proposed site for a Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is also a nesting ground for small burrowing owls, a protected species, and they attempt to halt construction. Initiating a cover-up that reaches all the way to the mayor's office, Mother Paula's executives ignore the owls and try to speed up ground-breaking ceremonies before the public learns their secret. But Mullet Fingers sabotages their efforts: he removes survey stakes; puts alligators in the portable toilets; and releases a mess of cottonmouth shakes to scare away the guard dogs, The narrative carries a lot of frenzied commotion that only becomes more preposterous with each new character's entrance. There's Garrett, "king of phony farts" at middle school; Officer Delinko, not "the sharpest knife in the drawer"; and Kalo, the amiable rottweiler trainer ("That vun dere is Max. That vun, Klaus. That vun, Karl. And that big vun is Pookie Face"). Each individual has a story to tell, sometimes advancing the plot (Officer Delinko's ambitious investigation provides believable access to all characters) and sometimes imposing an earnestness at odds with the humor (Beatrice and Mullet Fingers endure a dismal home situation). Not consistently a hoot, but worthy of a holler. Hiaasen's first YA book succeeds as a humorous diversion.By Betty Carter


Library Uses:
This one could inspire a whole day or week with a theme. There are two possible themes in this book that could be used: environmental issues, or the power of children to make a difference. It could be grouped with other books on the issue, and there could be talks throughout the time of the theme, with the books as recommended reading. Children these days are very interested in environmental issues, and they could be shown examples of real children who have made a difference so that they know it is really possible for them.