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Scat
Mrs Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.
But when the principal claims Mrs. Starch has gone on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta don't buy it. They guess that delinquent Smoke plays a part in her disappearance. And he does. But not in the way they think.
More is going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther, before they really begin to see the big picture.
But when the principal claims Mrs. Starch has gone on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta don't buy it. They guess that delinquent Smoke plays a part in her disappearance. And he does. But not in the way they think.
More is going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther, before they really begin to see the big picture.
214 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
1636 people are currently reading
6760 people want to read
About the author
Carl Hiaasen
100 books9,919 followersCarl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, he joined the Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the newspaper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team. As a journalist and author, Carl has spent most of his life advocating for the protection of the Florida Everglades. He and his family live in southern Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,378 reviews
December 29, 2015
Carl Hiaasen's books for young readers remain some of my son's personal favorites, so I am slowly but surely getting through them myself. I love how Mr. Hiaasen brings awareness of preventable man-made environmental concerns to our up-and-coming generation. He empowers his young readers with the perspective that adults are not beyond accountability and it is up to all of us to protect our earth and its vulnerable inhabitants.
Scat is a young-reader mystery with a strong dose of action and humor. Even though I personally didn't find it immensely entertaining (likely due to the targeted age group), I immediately saw the appeal. What kid wouldn't enjoy reading a story about the school's most feared teacher going missing during an out-of-control field trip?
I'd highly recommend Carl Hiaasen's novels for young readers if you are ever searching for gift ideas or reading material for youths in fifth grade through middle school. His collection for young audiences includes the following standalone novels as of October 2015:
My favorite quote:
"There's no shame in being smart."
As with Hiassen's other books, I kind of fell in love with the featured endangered animal. So in honor of my favorite characters, enjoy these images I found of the Florida panther.
Scat is a young-reader mystery with a strong dose of action and humor. Even though I personally didn't find it immensely entertaining (likely due to the targeted age group), I immediately saw the appeal. What kid wouldn't enjoy reading a story about the school's most feared teacher going missing during an out-of-control field trip?
I'd highly recommend Carl Hiaasen's novels for young readers if you are ever searching for gift ideas or reading material for youths in fifth grade through middle school. His collection for young audiences includes the following standalone novels as of October 2015:
My favorite quote:
"There's no shame in being smart."
As with Hiassen's other books, I kind of fell in love with the featured endangered animal. So in honor of my favorite characters, enjoy these images I found of the Florida panther.
December 4, 2013
Just think your my age and you and your class goes on a fieldtrip to a river and a something strange breaks out and u have no idea what to do and don’t forget your just 12-13.And that strange thing was a fire broke out and something even worse happens a student has been separated from the class. What would you do? And Ms. Starch is a ghastly teacher. All of the other kids loathe when she doesn’t return from a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, questions arise. Is she really dealing with a “family emergency” like the authorities are saying? Is she missing? Does the class bully and outcast have something to do with her leave of absence/disappearance? Nick and Marta become determined to uncover the truth. This alone makes a great plot for a story, but I’ve only told you about half of the story. The other half — or the real message, if I may — involves political matters: endangered species (the Florida panther plays a large part in the story), animal cruelty, the human-race, and even a gentle reminder to just say no! to drugs and alcohol.
July 7, 2018
I was looking for a light read, a young adult mystery story. I should have picked up one of my Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy books, but hey, this book was under $2 on kindle, and kindle is easier for me to read. Also I liked how it was described: “Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.”
My first thoughts when listening to her bullying Duane, a young boy in her class, was, No teacher does this. No teacher makes fun of a boy in class.” She told him to write a 500 page essay on zits because he was picking at one of his zits, among other things, like not having read his lesson.
Then I thought back to my own youth, to a teacher named Miss Van Brunt, my 5th grade teacher. I remembered how she once said to one of the boys in our class, “What you need is this?” and she slapped her own face. At that moment I thought her rather crazy, and I didn’t even know what crazy really meant. Later, she actually hit him across the face with a book. I kept thinking that the boy was Hap Lewis, so I called my friend Mary who I had ran around with since 3rd grade. Mary said that she had been in her class too. It was Hap Lewis, a boy whose Spin the Bottle party I had been invited to for some odd reason. When the lights went out he found me and kissed me on my eye lid. I was embarrassed. Hap Lewis still lives in Paso Robles, Ca and owns, I think, an auto parts store. I always liked him as a person, but I don’t recall why Miss Van Brunt didn’t. My friend Mary said that one day Miss Van Brunt grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out of his seat, and another day she pulled his hair. She went beyond bullying.
I also remember her for the songs that she taught us, songs that I felt stupid then and still do. The sub teach that took over Mrs. Starch’s place sang strange songs. I think maybe Van Brunt’s were patriotic songs of some sort because the only one I recall was patriotic. I still recall the tune and these words to it: “Oh, why oh why oh, did I ever leave Ohio?” I wished that wherever she was from that she would have gone back there.
And I recall being embarrassed when she gave me some used clothes because we were poor. It was a white slip, and I wondered if she thought that I should wear it as a skirt. I never wore it. This was the year that I was told that I could no longer wear Levis to school; I had to wear dresses. God, I hated that, but by the time I reached high school, I made my own dresses and had so many that I can’t believe it even now, and shoes. I could babysit for $5 a weekend and buy either fabric for a dress or a new pair of shoes.
And so back to this book: It started out pretty interesting, as I was listening to her rants and wondering why no one thought to fire her. And then she took the kids of a day trip to the swamp somewhere in Florida. Swamps fascinate me, but I won’t go off down memory lane again. Then a fire broke out, and Mrs. What’s Her Face, oh, yes, Mrs. Starch, gets the kids turned around to go back to the bus, and then one of the students has lost her inhaler, so Mrs. Starch goes back to look for it and never returns. Now we have fine makings of a good mystery.
But the mystery takes too many turns, so many that it felt like they were fillers. Nick, one of the main characters, has a dad that is returning from the Iraq war who lost an arm, so Nick wants to see what that is like and tapes his arm to his body so he can’t use it. By now I am bored and see that I have 7 or 8 more hours of reading. I put the book down, but then the next day I picked it up. I want to know what happened to Mrs. Starch. I skimmed again.
Nick and his friend Maria decide to go to Mrs. Starch’s house. Mrs? I question that. Was she really a Mrs. I don’t recall, and I only bring it up because I can’t imagine her being married, or at least not for long. Anyway, they go to her house, find the key under a planter, go inside, and begin looking around. I am interested in the book again. They find taxidermies. All kinds of animals. Stange. I wanted to be a taxidermist when I was a kid. I even wired the bones of a rabbit together in my high school biology class, one that had died. Now I am against killing animals. But the book picked up, and then after that it fell flat again as it began going off on another tangent: Bad men in the swamp.
And poor Duane was being accused of setting fire to the swamp and causing Mrs. Starch to disappear. This kid, much like Hap Lewis just couldn’t keep out of trouble. Hap Lewis, I understand still had teachers jumping all over him in high school. I still liked the kid. After all he was my neighbor who kissed me on the eye lid.
My first thoughts when listening to her bullying Duane, a young boy in her class, was, No teacher does this. No teacher makes fun of a boy in class.” She told him to write a 500 page essay on zits because he was picking at one of his zits, among other things, like not having read his lesson.
Then I thought back to my own youth, to a teacher named Miss Van Brunt, my 5th grade teacher. I remembered how she once said to one of the boys in our class, “What you need is this?” and she slapped her own face. At that moment I thought her rather crazy, and I didn’t even know what crazy really meant. Later, she actually hit him across the face with a book. I kept thinking that the boy was Hap Lewis, so I called my friend Mary who I had ran around with since 3rd grade. Mary said that she had been in her class too. It was Hap Lewis, a boy whose Spin the Bottle party I had been invited to for some odd reason. When the lights went out he found me and kissed me on my eye lid. I was embarrassed. Hap Lewis still lives in Paso Robles, Ca and owns, I think, an auto parts store. I always liked him as a person, but I don’t recall why Miss Van Brunt didn’t. My friend Mary said that one day Miss Van Brunt grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out of his seat, and another day she pulled his hair. She went beyond bullying.
I also remember her for the songs that she taught us, songs that I felt stupid then and still do. The sub teach that took over Mrs. Starch’s place sang strange songs. I think maybe Van Brunt’s were patriotic songs of some sort because the only one I recall was patriotic. I still recall the tune and these words to it: “Oh, why oh why oh, did I ever leave Ohio?” I wished that wherever she was from that she would have gone back there.
And I recall being embarrassed when she gave me some used clothes because we were poor. It was a white slip, and I wondered if she thought that I should wear it as a skirt. I never wore it. This was the year that I was told that I could no longer wear Levis to school; I had to wear dresses. God, I hated that, but by the time I reached high school, I made my own dresses and had so many that I can’t believe it even now, and shoes. I could babysit for $5 a weekend and buy either fabric for a dress or a new pair of shoes.
And so back to this book: It started out pretty interesting, as I was listening to her rants and wondering why no one thought to fire her. And then she took the kids of a day trip to the swamp somewhere in Florida. Swamps fascinate me, but I won’t go off down memory lane again. Then a fire broke out, and Mrs. What’s Her Face, oh, yes, Mrs. Starch, gets the kids turned around to go back to the bus, and then one of the students has lost her inhaler, so Mrs. Starch goes back to look for it and never returns. Now we have fine makings of a good mystery.
But the mystery takes too many turns, so many that it felt like they were fillers. Nick, one of the main characters, has a dad that is returning from the Iraq war who lost an arm, so Nick wants to see what that is like and tapes his arm to his body so he can’t use it. By now I am bored and see that I have 7 or 8 more hours of reading. I put the book down, but then the next day I picked it up. I want to know what happened to Mrs. Starch. I skimmed again.
Nick and his friend Maria decide to go to Mrs. Starch’s house. Mrs? I question that. Was she really a Mrs. I don’t recall, and I only bring it up because I can’t imagine her being married, or at least not for long. Anyway, they go to her house, find the key under a planter, go inside, and begin looking around. I am interested in the book again. They find taxidermies. All kinds of animals. Stange. I wanted to be a taxidermist when I was a kid. I even wired the bones of a rabbit together in my high school biology class, one that had died. Now I am against killing animals. But the book picked up, and then after that it fell flat again as it began going off on another tangent: Bad men in the swamp.
And poor Duane was being accused of setting fire to the swamp and causing Mrs. Starch to disappear. This kid, much like Hap Lewis just couldn’t keep out of trouble. Hap Lewis, I understand still had teachers jumping all over him in high school. I still liked the kid. After all he was my neighbor who kissed me on the eye lid.
April 3, 2018
Ahoy there me mateys! This was another audiobook that I picked up because of a cat on the cover.
I am so glad I did. Nick and Marta are in a biology class taught by the dreaded Bunny Starch. She is feared by students and teachers alike. The class goes on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp. A fire breaks out and the kids are evacuated but Bunny Starch doesn’t come out. Who started the fire? Where is their teacher? Is she dead or alive? Nick and Marta have to find out or an innocent student might end up behind bars!
This book was so funny and clever. The narration by Edward Asner was fabulous. The story has multiple viewpoints from the crazy people involved with the school and the case. The principal, the substitute teacher, and Smoke’s dad were me favourites. I personally enjoyed the first half of the book best. Once the mystery is “solved,” the story then becomes about protecting the environment and how to stop the bad guys. It wasn’t bad at all. It is just that in the first half, I had no idea where the plot was going to go. And that was fun!
It was a fantastic introduction to the author’s work and I will be reading other novels by him. Apparently he has 3 other books in this series. And a non-fiction book that makes golf sound interesting. Can’t wait.
Side note: The First Mate told me that Carl Hiaasen is an award winning journalist! I didn’t know that. The First Mate didn’t know that he wrote novels. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I am so glad I did. Nick and Marta are in a biology class taught by the dreaded Bunny Starch. She is feared by students and teachers alike. The class goes on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp. A fire breaks out and the kids are evacuated but Bunny Starch doesn’t come out. Who started the fire? Where is their teacher? Is she dead or alive? Nick and Marta have to find out or an innocent student might end up behind bars!
This book was so funny and clever. The narration by Edward Asner was fabulous. The story has multiple viewpoints from the crazy people involved with the school and the case. The principal, the substitute teacher, and Smoke’s dad were me favourites. I personally enjoyed the first half of the book best. Once the mystery is “solved,” the story then becomes about protecting the environment and how to stop the bad guys. It wasn’t bad at all. It is just that in the first half, I had no idea where the plot was going to go. And that was fun!
It was a fantastic introduction to the author’s work and I will be reading other novels by him. Apparently he has 3 other books in this series. And a non-fiction book that makes golf sound interesting. Can’t wait.
Side note: The First Mate told me that Carl Hiaasen is an award winning journalist! I didn’t know that. The First Mate didn’t know that he wrote novels. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
May 3, 2012
Carl Hiaasen Is A Great Author I if You Like Hoot Or Flush You Would Love This, This Book Is Great For Young & Older People. The Scene Is Florida (Like Always); The Characters Are Nick, Mrs.Strach, and Willy & Smoke etc. The Story Is Adventures. At The Beginning You Might THINK You Know The Ending But You Are Going To Be Shocked At The Ending Like I Was. The Ending Is Always Great. Hope You Take My Advice And READ SCAT c:
October 15, 2016
My daughter and I read this book together. It was funny, suspenseful, we laughed and hoped and worried. It is so great to find a good mystery book for her age group. Not too scary, not too childish, that's a tough area to hit successfully.
One of the best characters is Ms. Starch, the horrible teacher that everyone hates (that reminds each of us at least one teacher that we knew). The students have many speculations and myths about her, and some are even true. When she disappears in the Black Vine Swamp, even the students that hated her the most are just a bit worried, they didn't want her to be harmed, just no to be their teacher. Maybe behind her scary teacher-self there is a real human being?
The rest of the characters are also colorful and interesting. I promise laughing out loud throughout.
I loved the environmental aspects that Hiaasen. A story that includes nature, endangered animals, bad guys, good guys, worrying about parents (parents that leave, with good reason or not), with friendships.
My daughter was protesting every night when we needed to stop. The changing scenes made it easy for me to stop, but made her complain about staying on a cliff hanger. Highly entertaining, highly recommended. 4+ stars.
One of the best characters is Ms. Starch, the horrible teacher that everyone hates (that reminds each of us at least one teacher that we knew). The students have many speculations and myths about her, and some are even true. When she disappears in the Black Vine Swamp, even the students that hated her the most are just a bit worried, they didn't want her to be harmed, just no to be their teacher. Maybe behind her scary teacher-self there is a real human being?
The rest of the characters are also colorful and interesting. I promise laughing out loud throughout.
I loved the environmental aspects that Hiaasen. A story that includes nature, endangered animals, bad guys, good guys, worrying about parents (parents that leave, with good reason or not), with friendships.
My daughter was protesting every night when we needed to stop. The changing scenes made it easy for me to stop, but made her complain about staying on a cliff hanger. Highly entertaining, highly recommended. 4+ stars.
May 3, 2012
Imagine you are on a field trip and you are having a great time, but all of the sudden you hear shots and a loud screeching that pierces your ear. A massive wildfire breaks out. While everyone is loading back onto the buses, your teacher goes back into the swamp to get a student's inhaler, not knowing that she wouldn't be coming out? This was happening to Nick Waters, a student from Truman School. He was already having trouble at home, his father was in Iraq and he hadn't heard from him in a few days. When he does finally get in contact with his father, he gets the shock of his life. Nick and his friend, Marta, go on a search to find out what started the fire, what he had caught on his video camera the day of the fire, and where Mrs. Starch (his teacher) might be. If you want to find out the answers to these questions, you need to read SCAT! What I learned from this book is that environment is more important that money and riches. This is a fast paced and very entertaining book. I highly encourage you to read this book. I hope you will give it a try!
December 4, 2013
Imagine you're about 12-13 years old going on a field trip to a swamp with a scary teacher that no one really likes when a fire breaks out and she goes missing... Would you try and figure out what happened? Well two of her students, Marta and Nick, start to get curious about the whole situation and go to their teachers house. Once they get there, they break in and get caught by a man named Twilly.
They end up going threw alot for their teacher, and while all of this is happening some rich greedy men are in the swamp illegally stealing gas to get more money. Twilly goes threw a lot to try and stop them.
The only thing i didn't like about the book is how much it changes scenes and leaves you hanging at an important part, but other then that I would recommend it to anyone.
They end up going threw alot for their teacher, and while all of this is happening some rich greedy men are in the swamp illegally stealing gas to get more money. Twilly goes threw a lot to try and stop them.
The only thing i didn't like about the book is how much it changes scenes and leaves you hanging at an important part, but other then that I would recommend it to anyone.
April 1, 2009
Carl Hiaasen has written another good environmental book. My only complaint is that it every book seems to follow the same pattern. The main character is some kid who accidentally gets involved in some issue and helps another person whose idea of saving the environment is pulling pranks on those who are committing environmental crime. This person is always elusive, dangerous and never wants credit. It was pretty good in general though.
November 30, 2008
I enjoyed SCAT as I did the first two of Hiassen's kid books and I'm sure kids are going to enjoy it too. Florida, school story, spunky kids, endangered animals (even more, a baby endangered animal), creepy bad guys who deserve all they get, moving parents --- a very nice package indeed.
I'm a fan of Hiaasen's adult books and feel he is now getting more and more into the groove of writing for children as distinct from writing for adults. I liked FLUSH better than HOOT and like SCAT about the same as FLUSH. With each book I find that he is more settled into a children's book vernacular. I remember thinking when reading HOOT that since he couldn't use the language and sexual humor of his adult books he was using scatological jokes instead and found some of them a bit tedious. FlUSH had a plot involving poop (that title tells it all), but I remember feeling it was more pulled together and he seemed to have less need to reach low as often humor-wise.
Hiassen always has cartoony bad guys who deserve what they get. The ones in his kid books seem similar to those in his adult books --- thugs, idiots, and wise guys with no redeeming qualities so you can comfortably be happy when they get what they deserve. Most satisfying! I haven't found that changing that much from book to book although I feel as if some of the more painful stuff was offstage for this one. (A bad guy is thrown from his horse, but we don't see it just see him after the fact.)
As for the good adults, I definitely think he is getting better at giving us some well-rounded believable good adults. In this one there is Nick's father who is deployed to Iraq before the story begins. Nick and his mother's worry when there are no emails from his dad over a couple of days is extremely well presented. And there is also a teacher who turns out to be a Mrs. Granger sort a la Andrew Clements' FRINDLE. Nice.
I've been back and forth about giving this three or four stars. It feels a bit ephemeral, but I'm willing to believe that it won't be for a child reader, that it will be more transformational for a younger more naive reader than cynical ol' me.
I'm a fan of Hiaasen's adult books and feel he is now getting more and more into the groove of writing for children as distinct from writing for adults. I liked FLUSH better than HOOT and like SCAT about the same as FLUSH. With each book I find that he is more settled into a children's book vernacular. I remember thinking when reading HOOT that since he couldn't use the language and sexual humor of his adult books he was using scatological jokes instead and found some of them a bit tedious. FlUSH had a plot involving poop (that title tells it all), but I remember feeling it was more pulled together and he seemed to have less need to reach low as often humor-wise.
Hiassen always has cartoony bad guys who deserve what they get. The ones in his kid books seem similar to those in his adult books --- thugs, idiots, and wise guys with no redeeming qualities so you can comfortably be happy when they get what they deserve. Most satisfying! I haven't found that changing that much from book to book although I feel as if some of the more painful stuff was offstage for this one. (A bad guy is thrown from his horse, but we don't see it just see him after the fact.)
As for the good adults, I definitely think he is getting better at giving us some well-rounded believable good adults. In this one there is Nick's father who is deployed to Iraq before the story begins. Nick and his mother's worry when there are no emails from his dad over a couple of days is extremely well presented. And there is also a teacher who turns out to be a Mrs. Granger sort a la Andrew Clements' FRINDLE. Nice.
I've been back and forth about giving this three or four stars. It feels a bit ephemeral, but I'm willing to believe that it won't be for a child reader, that it will be more transformational for a younger more naive reader than cynical ol' me.
May 3, 2012
it all started out when a boy named nick waters goes on a field trip. on the field trip he go to the black vine swamp he hopes to see a panthern.once ariving all the sudden the class heres a big bang and a ear pounding shreek. after things possibly couldnt get any worse a tragic fire consumes the once quiet swamp.the tromitized class scerries tords the bus witch seemed the safest place on earth at the the moment.then a dimwitted girl leaves her inhailer in the swamp...mrs.starch goes in the blistering fire to get it...she never returns.nick dosnt relize mre.starch is missing intill he reaches the school.nick cunvinces his friend marta to join him in the search for mrs.starch,and do everything in there power to find there belovid teacher.
July 10, 2017
SCAT: Leaving, going away... also a name for panther poop?! I really liked this novel. It is a mystery that doesn't fully come together until the very last page. The setting is a Florida swamp, with non-stop action featuring the nature abusers versus the nature lovers. There are all sorts of interesting characters, ranging from senile teachers to a corrupt wannabe cowboy to a wealthy grandmother and even an Iraq War veteran. Carl Hiaasen writes with humor and wit, and I am definitely a new fan of his work.
May 3, 2012
This adventurous story begins with these three students Nick, Marta, and the talented Duane Scrod JR. Well one day there teacher, Ms. Starch, had a plan to go to a field trip where they would go the Black Vine Swamp. They were having an awesome time until a fire started and they had to go to school for safety. They were heading towards the bus but this girl lost her inhaler in the swamp. Ms.Starch bravely went to go get it...but she never came back. Nick was trying to find out what happened to Ms. Starch. Meanwhile his dad was in Iraq, Nick emailed him but he didn’t answer. Nick was very worried about his dad but also about Ms. Starch. Then Nick and Marta decided to go in Ms. Starch's house where they find a lot of stuffed animals. They found out that she is still somewhere in the black vine swamp. Then they meet this guy Twilly which he says he is the nephew of Ms. Starch. Will this Twilly guy help Nick and Marta solve this challenging mystery? That’s why YOU have to find out and read this lovely book, just like I did.
April 24, 2012
I love this book! Scat is a mixture of a mystery and envriomental book. You'll get so caught in the book, you might want to read it again!! My class read it and they were really interested. Carl went all the way out again with the disappearing of the teacher and making everybody accusing a dangerous little boy. I recemmed this book to the fans of Carl Hiaasen. Peace, love and happiness from Maricka
February 18, 2015
A very enjoyable and entertaining YA BOOK BY Carl Hiaasen. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. In this book the students of Truman School are on a mission to reunite a panther cub with its mother. I also recommend MANGO GLADES BY Bill H Myers. It also deals with the very endangered species-Florida Panthers.
February 22, 2009
We listened to this as a book on tape while driving back North from vacation. We all LOVED it!!! No one spoke for hours! Ed Asner is amazing reading with so many different voices. Carl has hit another home run with this latest.
May 30, 2017
The book's story didn't exactly spike my interest. I found that the only reason I kept reading it was because I was almost done. It is disappointing compared to the other books written by Carl Hiaasen.
November 28, 2020
I will never pass up a Carl Hiaasen book, no matter who the intended audience is. The first young adult book of his that I read, HOOT, was just that: a hoot. In it, kids expose a corrupt business that is about to destroy the habitat of adorable burrowing owls. It is hilarious, informative, and unforgettable.
Scat follows the same formula, adding a cartoonish teacher (Mrs. Starch) who is nevertheless a unique character. Lessons learned include: people who appear to be one thing, are often discovered to be another (good to bad, shy to brave, mean to sweet, etc.) The endangered species here is the Florida panther.
Nick is the main character. His dad returns suddenly from Iraq with a serious injury. Nick’s relationship with his mother and father is a big plus in the book. Somehow he allows a whiny, somewhat clingy girl named Marta to hang with him and so there is a female character in on the adventures in the everglades. This reader thought her placement was a stretch.
In investigating the disappearance of Mrs. Starch (the biology teacher) the kids help an undercover wilderness advocate expose the shady Red Diamond Drilling Co. which is intent on illegally extracting oil from a protected area. The greedy bad guys provide humor as they battle the forces against them, including the threatened, rare panther.
A non-stereotypical kid in their class, “Smoke” or Duane, makes an interesting turnaround and becomes Nick’s friend. Duane Sr, Smoke’s father, and Nadine, his father’s macaw, are also good for laughs.
Responsible adults soon realize that Duane and his friends are not involved in arson and close in on the culprits. The kids save a panther kitten and find its mother with their combined skills. There are injuries, so it’s not a fairytale.
This book isn’t as great as Hoot, but it’s fun to read.
Scat follows the same formula, adding a cartoonish teacher (Mrs. Starch) who is nevertheless a unique character. Lessons learned include: people who appear to be one thing, are often discovered to be another (good to bad, shy to brave, mean to sweet, etc.) The endangered species here is the Florida panther.
Nick is the main character. His dad returns suddenly from Iraq with a serious injury. Nick’s relationship with his mother and father is a big plus in the book. Somehow he allows a whiny, somewhat clingy girl named Marta to hang with him and so there is a female character in on the adventures in the everglades. This reader thought her placement was a stretch.
In investigating the disappearance of Mrs. Starch (the biology teacher) the kids help an undercover wilderness advocate expose the shady Red Diamond Drilling Co. which is intent on illegally extracting oil from a protected area. The greedy bad guys provide humor as they battle the forces against them, including the threatened, rare panther.
A non-stereotypical kid in their class, “Smoke” or Duane, makes an interesting turnaround and becomes Nick’s friend. Duane Sr, Smoke’s father, and Nadine, his father’s macaw, are also good for laughs.
Responsible adults soon realize that Duane and his friends are not involved in arson and close in on the culprits. The kids save a panther kitten and find its mother with their combined skills. There are injuries, so it’s not a fairytale.
This book isn’t as great as Hoot, but it’s fun to read.
October 7, 2020
I am really loving these eco-warrior stories. This one more youth-oriented, as the main characters are school-age.
Reuniting an endangered panther and her baby in the depths of Florida while inadvertently exposing illegal oil drilling is the main story, but many tributaries flow from that, including a not-so-bad boy gone good, a not-so-mean teacher gone soft, and a ultra-rich swamp dweller who keeps an exceptionally low profile.
Good, clean fun.
Reuniting an endangered panther and her baby in the depths of Florida while inadvertently exposing illegal oil drilling is the main story, but many tributaries flow from that, including a not-so-bad boy gone good, a not-so-mean teacher gone soft, and a ultra-rich swamp dweller who keeps an exceptionally low profile.
Good, clean fun.
June 17, 2009
I am a huge fan of Carl Hiassen. I lived in South Florida for several years and fell in love with his world. He is gifted at creating colorful casts of characters, from the greedy real estate and oil tycoons to the idealists who use guerilla tactics to save the environment.
He gives is his usual cast of fantastic characters, such as a teacher who wears a tuxedo with a yellow bow-tie and teaches science based on the page number and not the content. Duane Scrod Sr. uses needle nose pliers to attack the lips of someone he believes to be a tax collector. This is classic Hiassen! Don’t mess with the recluse who lives in the back woods! You may be surprised Scrod Sr. loves classical music. This is another reason I love Hiassen’s colorful, multi-dimensional characters. His stories go beyond the character study; there are also valuable lessons to be learned about the environment and the damage we do to precious resources and endangered species.
As in his earlier novel, Flush, Hiassen uses both meanings of the word scat. “Scat!” as in go away and “scat” as in animal leavings.
Nick and Marta are friends and classmates in scary Mrs. Starch’s biology class. They watch a Duane Scrod Jr. chomp one of her pencils in two. When both Mrs. Starch and Duane go missing during a class trip to Black Vine Swamp, the two investigate. Nick does most of his investigating with one hand tied behind his back, literally! His father just lost his arm in Iraq and Nick wants to understand what his father is going through. This story leads them to a panther cub, a really freaky collection of taxidermy and side of their teacher they never knew existed.
I loved it! I can’t wait for Hiaasen’s next book! He makes me a little homesick for South Florida.
He gives is his usual cast of fantastic characters, such as a teacher who wears a tuxedo with a yellow bow-tie and teaches science based on the page number and not the content. Duane Scrod Sr. uses needle nose pliers to attack the lips of someone he believes to be a tax collector. This is classic Hiassen! Don’t mess with the recluse who lives in the back woods! You may be surprised Scrod Sr. loves classical music. This is another reason I love Hiassen’s colorful, multi-dimensional characters. His stories go beyond the character study; there are also valuable lessons to be learned about the environment and the damage we do to precious resources and endangered species.
As in his earlier novel, Flush, Hiassen uses both meanings of the word scat. “Scat!” as in go away and “scat” as in animal leavings.
Nick and Marta are friends and classmates in scary Mrs. Starch’s biology class. They watch a Duane Scrod Jr. chomp one of her pencils in two. When both Mrs. Starch and Duane go missing during a class trip to Black Vine Swamp, the two investigate. Nick does most of his investigating with one hand tied behind his back, literally! His father just lost his arm in Iraq and Nick wants to understand what his father is going through. This story leads them to a panther cub, a really freaky collection of taxidermy and side of their teacher they never knew existed.
I loved it! I can’t wait for Hiaasen’s next book! He makes me a little homesick for South Florida.
May 9, 2012
This book is about a boy and a girl who goes on a search to find their missing biology teacher. With the help of their quiet, but weird friend and a stranger, they were able to end the quest once and for all.
Nick and Marta and the rest of their classmates were on a field trip to a swamp called the Black Vine Swamp. But all of a sudden, a fire started and the whole class started to flee on the bus like a swarm of bees! Everyone but one person got on the bus. And that one person went to retrieve an inhaler for her student. But that wasn't all...
Ever since their teacher left, they started to get worried by the day. So what they began to do was go in her house! Nick and Marta also encountered a man named Twilly whom they have never seen before.
A man named Drake McBride wanted to drill oil then comes up with a plan to make money from the government.
So everybody is accusing Duane for starting the fire, but he tries to prove his innocence to Nick and Marta. And also a detective, Jason Marshall tries to figure out if Smoke is guilty or not by going to a store and checking inside there.
But there is another element to the story of how Nick's father that was in Iraq came home with a devastating injury. When he heard that his father got hurt, he started to do something no one would really do. Later in the story, Twilly Spree took the two children on a farm road to a swamp while he does not reveal his plans to Nick and Marta.
Then they came upon someone that they have been looking for this whole time-Mrs. Starch, but with a surprise!
This book is truly a delight for everyone to read. So try to read the book. Then you will know what the surprise will be and much more! :)
Nick and Marta and the rest of their classmates were on a field trip to a swamp called the Black Vine Swamp. But all of a sudden, a fire started and the whole class started to flee on the bus like a swarm of bees! Everyone but one person got on the bus. And that one person went to retrieve an inhaler for her student. But that wasn't all...
Ever since their teacher left, they started to get worried by the day. So what they began to do was go in her house! Nick and Marta also encountered a man named Twilly whom they have never seen before.
A man named Drake McBride wanted to drill oil then comes up with a plan to make money from the government.
So everybody is accusing Duane for starting the fire, but he tries to prove his innocence to Nick and Marta. And also a detective, Jason Marshall tries to figure out if Smoke is guilty or not by going to a store and checking inside there.
But there is another element to the story of how Nick's father that was in Iraq came home with a devastating injury. When he heard that his father got hurt, he started to do something no one would really do. Later in the story, Twilly Spree took the two children on a farm road to a swamp while he does not reveal his plans to Nick and Marta.
Then they came upon someone that they have been looking for this whole time-Mrs. Starch, but with a surprise!
This book is truly a delight for everyone to read. So try to read the book. Then you will know what the surprise will be and much more! :)
May 2, 2012
I thought that this book was interesting. This book is about these two children that have a science teacher, her name is Mrs. Starch. They went on a field trip at the Black Vine Swamp, and they went with Mrs. Starch and they left without her. She was still at the Black Vine Swamp, she didn't leave with them. Then it goes back to where Nick's dad was in Iraq and he came back home, because he got burned up and he broke his arm. He wanted to get home to his wife and kids, so he escaped from the hospital. It jumped back to the children, they went to Mrs. Starch's house, and they saw that her friend, Twilly, had her car and was at her house. The children, Marta and Nick, followed Twilly around, finally he lead the children to go see their teacher, back at the Black Vine Swamp. She told the children she had a lot of respect for them, and if they told anybody what she had to show them, she would lose all respect and everything for Marta and Nick. The children promised not to tell nobody and so they went back home, and came back the next day. Still in their words, they promised not to tell about the item they wanted to see. Mrs. Starch showed the children the item. At first they thought it was so cool. Then after Mrs. Starch told them she had two at first, they were upset and they didn't want to know anything else. To find out more details, you should read the book. If you’re interested by this then you will be amazed by all the exciting and mysterious Carl Hassan books.
Read
May 9, 2012 It all happened the day Mrs. Starch vanished. That day was when all her students went quiet in astonishment, just because of a bitten pencil, that’s when everything went wrong. The next day was the field trip, that’s when flashes of heat where burning up and everybody got out except one very important person. Everybody kept searching for her, but nobody could find her, some people said she was dead some said she had a family emergency, but nobody really knew. There would be only two kids on the quest to find her, no matter what happens they were going to bring her back to the Truman School. On their quest they meet one very monkey book lover. And one kid who they thought was never going to be their friend.
This book is one of the best I read, so if you’re one of these people who love action, mystery, and funny stuff. Then you’re going to love this book, but one thing always remember, hope spring is internal.
This book is one of the best I read, so if you’re one of these people who love action, mystery, and funny stuff. Then you’re going to love this book, but one thing always remember, hope spring is internal.
December 3, 2010
I started reading this book thinking it was good but then it ruined my life.
CARL REALLY NEEDS TO GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!
NEVER READ IT
CARL REALLY NEEDS TO GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!
NEVER READ IT
January 4, 2019
Probably my favourite of the YA book from Hiaasen.
World: The world building once again is pure Hiaasen and all the pieces are here once again: corrupt company polluting Florida, quirky characters that fight against it, strange people in power that are not all they seem. This is the ingredients that Hiaasen has been using for his soups and each time something slightly different and magical comes out and this is the case here. The world is wonderful with the focus on school life, bullying and also a family serving in the armed forces, it’s a fun tapestry for the world to play out in.
Story: The story moves along wonderfully and is not what it seems and that is a major theme in Hiaasen’s book but this one especially. Bully’s are not always bullies and hard ass scary teachers are not always what it seems and this is the case here. The story of the family and the injury and the things that they go through and how they go through are also wonderfully done. There are so many aspects of this book which you would expect it to lean sappy or melodrama but it leans into hopeful which is a nice little change of pace for me. I am being vague with this story cause I don’t want to spoil it but it was really enjoyable and had all the quirky banter and charm that is a staple of a Hiaasen book.
Characters: Characters are the best thing in a Hiaasen book so I will be vague here also, they are cliches and archetypes that get turned on it’s head and I love that, there is the budding romance, there is the story of the bully, the mean and crazy teacher, the useless principal and the list goes on and on and on but you look deeper than these basic characters and you see so many wonderful characters stories here that is the heart of this book. The family going through a tragedy, the teacher that is misunderstood, the bully that finds his way these convey beautiful emotions that are wonderful. They are awesome characters!
I really liked this book cause of the turn this book takes, other books have done it too but the charm of this book is just so great.
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building once again is pure Hiaasen and all the pieces are here once again: corrupt company polluting Florida, quirky characters that fight against it, strange people in power that are not all they seem. This is the ingredients that Hiaasen has been using for his soups and each time something slightly different and magical comes out and this is the case here. The world is wonderful with the focus on school life, bullying and also a family serving in the armed forces, it’s a fun tapestry for the world to play out in.
Story: The story moves along wonderfully and is not what it seems and that is a major theme in Hiaasen’s book but this one especially. Bully’s are not always bullies and hard ass scary teachers are not always what it seems and this is the case here. The story of the family and the injury and the things that they go through and how they go through are also wonderfully done. There are so many aspects of this book which you would expect it to lean sappy or melodrama but it leans into hopeful which is a nice little change of pace for me. I am being vague with this story cause I don’t want to spoil it but it was really enjoyable and had all the quirky banter and charm that is a staple of a Hiaasen book.
Characters: Characters are the best thing in a Hiaasen book so I will be vague here also, they are cliches and archetypes that get turned on it’s head and I love that, there is the budding romance, there is the story of the bully, the mean and crazy teacher, the useless principal and the list goes on and on and on but you look deeper than these basic characters and you see so many wonderful characters stories here that is the heart of this book. The family going through a tragedy, the teacher that is misunderstood, the bully that finds his way these convey beautiful emotions that are wonderful. They are awesome characters!
I really liked this book cause of the turn this book takes, other books have done it too but the charm of this book is just so great.
Onward to the next book!
May 4, 2020
Scat: My Kindle Review
A longer story than “Hoot” and “Flush”, we follow two kids on a wild mystery when their not so likable teacher goes missing after a field trip goes awry and many surprising turns come their way, including a wild panther. It didn’t really pull me in like Hiaasen’s other two YA novels and while this mystery does grow kinda cold at times, it still excites me when we see the bad guys get caught, or clawed in this case. B+ (83%/Very Good)
A longer story than “Hoot” and “Flush”, we follow two kids on a wild mystery when their not so likable teacher goes missing after a field trip goes awry and many surprising turns come their way, including a wild panther. It didn’t really pull me in like Hiaasen’s other two YA novels and while this mystery does grow kinda cold at times, it still excites me when we see the bad guys get caught, or clawed in this case. B+ (83%/Very Good)
November 13, 2018
Nick has it hard his dad was in the militar and got blown up but he survived but lost an arm than nick decided to tie his left arm behind his back and then goes on a mission with marta and eventually need to undo his hand. Later mis Starch is lost in the forest and smoke is with her but he is helping her and it is drake mcbride.
March 15, 2022
4.5
Scat was a delightful book to read filled with humor and a love of family, friendship, and nature. There was a unique cast of characters and enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your toes. It also honored soldiers who have sent to Iraq and other places in the world to protect freedom and Justice. Growing up as an Army Brat my dad was deployed to Afghanistan multiple times, and I found this book realistically painted that feeling of loneliness and worry. Other than some uses of damn, hell, and surprisingly 'piss' this book was fine on the content, and I highly recommend it.
11+
Scat was a delightful book to read filled with humor and a love of family, friendship, and nature. There was a unique cast of characters and enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your toes. It also honored soldiers who have sent to Iraq and other places in the world to protect freedom and Justice. Growing up as an Army Brat my dad was deployed to Afghanistan multiple times, and I found this book realistically painted that feeling of loneliness and worry. Other than some uses of damn, hell, and surprisingly 'piss' this book was fine on the content, and I highly recommend it.
11+
November 28, 2022
This book was assigned to my niece, as her 6th grade reading assignment, in school. So I decided to read it also, so we can form a book club. I thought it was really enjoyable.
It was capativing for the beginning and remained quite intriguing till the end. The characters, Ms. Strach, Nick, Martha, Smoke, etc,...were fully developed in excessive depth that helped understand the storyline better. There were some moments in the story that were suspenful and intense.
I highly recommend....
It was capativing for the beginning and remained quite intriguing till the end. The characters, Ms. Strach, Nick, Martha, Smoke, etc,...were fully developed in excessive depth that helped understand the storyline better. There were some moments in the story that were suspenful and intense.
I highly recommend....
January 25, 2019
I loved this book! When Mrs. Starch, the most intimidating teacher in school, goes missing during a field trip in the Everglades swamp, a mystery unfolds. Many characters are involved, such as Twilly, Duane, Nick, Marta, and more. I loved this book because it was the perfect combination of mystery and a little of humor. This is the first Carl Hiaasen book I've read, and I can't wait to read more!
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