CARL HIAASEN was born and raised in Florida. He writes a column
for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling novels
including Bad Monkey, Razor Girl, and Squeeze Me.
His books for younger readers include the Newbery Honor winner
Hoot, as well as Flush, Scat, Squirm, and Chomp. Skink—No
Surrender was Hiaasen's first book for teens and features one of
his most iconic characters, the reclusive ex-governor of Florida
now known as Skink.
You can read more about Hiaasen's work at carlhiaasen.com.
A USA Today Bestseller
A #1 Indie Bestseller
A Kids’ Indie Next List Selection
An ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the
Year
A Florida Book Award Silver Medalist
“Mystery, action, humor, and exotic animals and settings, all tied
together by a writer with an exceptional grasp of language, makes
this a sure hit with any mystery-loving readers.” —School Library
Journal, starred review
“Hiaasen’s best for a young audience since Newbery Honor Hoot
(2002) features a shy, deep-feeling protagonist who’s also a
pragmatist and plenty of nature info and age-appropriate cultural
commentary…. Humorous adventure tales just don’t get any more
wacked…or fun to read than this.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
review
“Chomp shines in its humorous, subtle tweaks on pop culture. .
. . The real satisfaction, however, is not so much in the book’s
humor but in its truth.” —Time Out Chicago Kids
Gr 6-9-Carl Hiaasen takes on reality TV in his latest novel (Knopf, 2012). Wahoo Cray is the assistant to his wild animal wrangler father. Their property holds everything from alligators to Bobcats that appear in TV shows and films. However, after Wahoo's father suffers a serious injury, debts pile up and his mother takes a temporary job in China. It also forces Wahoo and his father to accept a lucrative but questionable gig with the reality show, "Expedition Survival." James Van Der Beek's narration captures the cast of colorful characters in this fast-paced, humorous story. His vocal depiction of Wahoo is spot on, and he easily changes gears to play a variety of adults, including Wahoo's gruff but caring father. Derek Badger, the host of the reality show, is expertly drawn as a bumbling buffoon who has managed to convince viewers he is a survivalist. Van Der Beek is at his best with Badger's character, making a fake Aussie accent sound almost, but not quite authentic. As the story moves from being about filming a TV show to an action tale complete with boat chases and a gun-toting baddie, the narrator keeps it all in check, easily changing voices, while also acting as an excellent tour guide of the Florida Everglades thanks to Hiassen's lyrically descriptive text. A fun listen.-Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
A USA Today Bestseller
A #1 Indie Bestseller
A Kids' Indie Next List Selection
An ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the
Year
A Florida Book Award Silver Medalist
"Mystery, action, humor, and exotic animals and settings, all tied
together by a writer with an exceptional grasp of language, makes
this a sure hit with any mystery-loving readers." -School
Library Journal, starred review
"Hiaasen's best for a young audience since Newbery Honor Hoot
(2002) features a shy, deep-feeling protagonist who's also a
pragmatist and plenty of nature info and age-appropriate cultural
commentary.... Humorous adventure tales just don't get any more
wacked...or fun to read than this." -Kirkus Reviews, starred
review
"Chomp shines in its humorous, subtle tweaks on pop culture. . . .
The real satisfaction, however, is not so much in the book's humor
but in its truth." -Time Out Chicago Kids
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
