Carl Hiaasen
About the Author
Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in the state of Florida. He attended college at the University of Florida. After college, he joined the staff of the Miami Herald. He has been writing articles for the Miami Herald since 1985. He often writes about controversial topics that end up making others mad, even his boss! But he keeps writing about topics that interest him.
In the early 1980's, Hiaasen wrote three mystery novels with friend and journalist, William D. Montalban. In 1986, Hiaasen started writing solo novels. he wrote over 12 adult books before writing his first children's story, Hoot, in 2002. Hoot was made into a movie in 2006, directed by Wil Shriner and produced by Jimmy Buffett and Frank Marshall.
Previous Writings Compared to Recent
Until 2002, Hiaasen wrote only adult novels, but his last 4 books have been for children.
Other information:
Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in the state of Florida. He attended college at the University of Florida. After college, he joined the staff of the Miami Herald. He has been writing articles for the Miami Herald since 1985. He often writes about controversial topics that end up making others mad, even his boss! But he keeps writing about topics that interest him.
In the early 1980's, Hiaasen wrote three mystery novels with friend and journalist, William D. Montalban. In 1986, Hiaasen started writing solo novels. he wrote over 12 adult books before writing his first children's story, Hoot, in 2002. Hoot was made into a movie in 2006, directed by Wil Shriner and produced by Jimmy Buffett and Frank Marshall.
Previous Writings Compared to Recent
Until 2002, Hiaasen wrote only adult novels, but his last 4 books have been for children.
Other information:
- Style: written in chapters
- No illustration
- Genre: mystery, satire, fiction
- Intended audience: 10 years and older, 5th grade and up.
- Reviews: See below each book
Awards:
|
In 2006, Hoot was made into a movie, above is this the movie poster. and to the left is the movie trailer.
|
Chomp (2012)Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one.
When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out. They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun... It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival"... **Synopsis from Carl Hiaasen's website*** Amazon Best Books of the Month for Kids, April 2012: Carl Hiaasen taps into a pop culture phenomenon in Chomp by taking on the popularity of reality television shows with one of his own, “Expedition Survival!.” The Florida Everglades provide the perfect backdrop for a reality survival show and Mickey Cray, a wild animal wrangler, and his son Wahoo are hired to keep the pamperedExpedition Survival! star from accidentally killing himself with the local wildlife. The Cray’s are joined by a girl on the run from her abusive father and adventure, laughter, and even a mysterious disappearance follow. The eccentric characters and wacky humor that make Hiaasen’s adult books so much fun to read carry over to the pages of Chomp and Wahoo’s voice of reason in the cacophony of unpredictable adults is an appealing dynamic for young readers. --Seira Wilson Flush (2005)You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor-which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink.
Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much-his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate-but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all. **Synopsis from Carl Hiaasen's website*** "Compulsively readable with a cleverly conceived resolution. . . . Fans of spy stories, action, environmental intrigue, and, well, Hiaasen, will cheer for this one." - The Bulletin |
Scat (2008)Mrs. Starch – fearsome biology teacher – never returned from a field trip to Black Vine Swamp.
The principal says she was called away on a "family emergency," but Nick and Marta don't buy it. They think Smoke, the class delinquent, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way that they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And 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'll really begin to see the big picture. That's life in the swamp, kids. **Synopsis from Carl Hiaasen's website*** Starred Review, School Library Journal, January 2009: “This well-written and smoothly plotted story, with fully realized characters, will certainly appeal to mystery lovers.” Review, The New York Times Book Review, February 15, 2009: "Not many authors are equally successful at writing books for adults and children, but Carl Hiaasen seems to have made an effortless transition ... The ingenious plotting makes SCAT more engrossing than either of its predecessors." Hoot (2002)Roy Eberhardt is the new kid--again. This time around it's Trace Middle School in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it's still the same old routine: table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like Dana Matherson pushing him around. But if it wasn't for Dana Matherson mashing his face against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen the tow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might never have met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice, he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on the corner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, he probably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Apparently, bullies do serve a greater purpose in the scope of the universe. Because if it wasn't for Dana Matherson...
**Synopsis from Carl Hiaasen's website*** “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 |
Listen to the beginning of each book!
Below I have made a recording of the introduction, or part of the first chapter. Click to listen.
Hoot |
Flush |
Scat |
ChompThere will be a recording as soon as I can get the book from the library. =]
|