Carl HIAASEN (2002) Hoot, Alfred A. Knopf

By Alicia Pliego, 2º Bachillerato EFL

Roy Eberhardt´s family moved a lot. He didn´t want to go to Florida but soon got used to it. After all, bullies are pretty much the same everywhere. However, if Dana, the new school bully, hadn’t smashed Roy’s face into the school bus window, he might never have seen the running boy, the first interesting thing Roy saw in Florida. The boy was about Roy’s age, but he was running away from the school bus, he had no books and... no shoes!!! Feeling that there was a mystery, Roy tried to trail the runner. Where was the boy going? Who were the people he met? Suddenly, life in Florida was beginning to turn interesting.

There are many themes in this book. Firstly, growing up: life is all about change and how we adapt to it and becoming responsible. The second theme is corruption: this is especially seen in how Mother Paula’s Pancake House company is willing to make illegal payments to the local officials to keep on building in the protected lands of an endangered species. Thirdly comes parental love: Mullet Fingers will never be normal because his mother has rejected him, while Roy will grow up to be a responsible man because his parents not only love him, but also allow him to make decisions from which he will learn and grow. Another important theme is integrity, about living with the consequences, no matter what they turn out to be. Another theme is the protection and conservation of the natural environment and wildlife, which is shown most clearly in the children's attempts to save the burrowing owls at the Mother Paula's construction site.

This book is one of my favorites of all time! It is a great adventure! It is very original the way the author uses silly names like Chuck Muckle, Beatrice Leep, Mullet Fingers and Napoleon Bridger.

It is a children´s book, so it is easy to read although the vocabulary is very rich. I figure it’s a good read for anyone from eight up. It’s a fun book with a message, but it never gets preachy. If you like mysteries, nature and something different, you’ll love it!!!