Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Do You Give a Hoot?


Roy Eberhardt has just moved from Montana to a new town in Florida. Being the new kid isn’t easy, especially when the school bully, Dana, has it out for him. When Dana smashes Roy’s face up against the bus window, his world changes. He sees something that makes him curious, and he tries to figure out what happened when he saw a boy running barefoot out of the woods. After he meets Beatrice, a bully beater, he learns that not only is there someone who will stand up to bullies, but he learns about the tiny burrowing owl. Unfortunately, developers are coming in to build on some land and the burrowing owls will be buried alive. Roy isn’t the only one who isn’t happy with this development. Someone is spray painting graffiti and causing havoc on the construction site. Soon, Roy is walking the line between breaking the law and doing what he knows needs to be done to conserve the owls’ habitat. Who is vandalizing the construction site? Will the vandals get caught? Is there any way a group of kids can get a corporation to back down? Will the burrowing owls be saved? Come along on this environmental journey as Roy learns how our actions can have an impact!

I recommend this book to people from fourth grade through adulthood. Being kind to our planet has always been important to me. Roy is a kid that I could easily relate to because he has a great sense of humor, and I love his passion for wanting to conserve the habitat of the burrowing owl. I don’t like to see animals endangered, people littering, or nature being destroyed. The characters in the book are quirky and add a lot of interest to the story. I especially like when someone can put a bully in their place! This was a fast read and I wasn’t sure how everything was going to turn out in the end, which kept me turning the pages. This would be a wonderful book for kids to read with parents or teachers so that they could think of ways of helping our planet. I noticed that Carl Hiaasen has other books for kids that look like they deal with the environment too: Flush, Scat, and Chomp. I look forward to checking them out soon! Of course, I will also have to check out the movie Hoot, since I haven’t seen it. Don't miss this exciting adventure- you will be inspired to make a difference in the world.

Has anyone else read Hoot? Or have you read another book by Carl Hiaasen? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Happy reading! ~L

30 comments:

  1. I've had this on my bookshelf for ages--definitely need to actually pick it up :)

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    1. Meradeth- Enjoy! :) I look forward to reading some of his other books. ~L

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  2. Wasn't there a movie about this? Haven't watched it or read the story, but I'm definitely interested.
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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    1. Nutshcell- There is a movie- but I haven't seen it yet. I look forward to seeing it and comparing it to the book. :) ~L

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  3. Great review :D Glad you enjoyed this book. <3 I think it sounds really sweet. Remember watching the movie years ago, and not liking it :p but maybe I'll enjoy it more now :)

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    1. Carina- Thanks! It is a book that makes you want to be better to our planet. I haven't seen the movie yet- so I don't know if it is as good as the book. :) ~L

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  4. I don't remember the movie but I am always up for kids books that promote environmentalism. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Heidi- This is a great one for promoting environmentalism. :) ~L

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  5. I haven't read Hoot or anything from Hiaasen yet, but HOOT looks like a great book.

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    1. Cherie- This was my first book by him, but I very much enjoyed it. :) ~L

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  6. I have not, but it sounds good. It's always fun to see a bully get put in their place. I like the twist regarding the burrowing owls.

    Paul R. Hewlett

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    1. Paul- Seeing a bully get put in their place is awesome and inspiring. :) I hope you get to read this one soon. ~L

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  7. I read this years ago. It was cute.

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    1. Kelly- Glad to hear that you enjoyed it too. :) ~L

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  8. I'm a Hoot fan. Loved the story because the kids did it! They saved the owls.

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    1. Lee- It is inspiring to see what we can do if we work together (just like Pete, Weasel, the witches and alligators). ;) ~L

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  9. I have a couple of Hiassen's books in my classs, but I haven't read them yet. Keep hearing such good things about them though. I'll have to get on that :)

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    1. Jemi- I think you will really enjoy them and they are awesome books to inspire 5th graders. :) ~L

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  10. Great review. Thanks for posting and the introduction!

    Nas

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    1. Nas- Thanks! Glad we could introduce you to a new author and book. ;) ~L

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  11. I love hearing about good books that I missed. Somehow I missed the movie too. I'll have to look out for both now. Thanks!

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    1. Sher A. Hart- I missed the movie, so I will have to check it out soon. Glad to have shared this book with you. Enjoy! :) ~L

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  12. I love Carl Hiaasen's books for adults. It's so great that he's helping kids understand the importance of caring for the environment.

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    1. Cate- I am so glad to hear that you enjoy Carl Hiaasen's books for adults. It sounds like he has a gift for writing for adults and kids. :) ~L

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  13. Sweet story and we must all be aware of our planet and care for her.

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  14. I remember reading this book as a child, but I didn't like it too much. I found it a bit too slow paced! What I did like about it was how it was about taking a stand for nature and the animals in it. Owls are one of my favourite animals! And I think I did see the movie as well, and liked that better!

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    1. Olivia- I can see why it might feel a bit slower paced at times. I really liked the idea of helping the earth and owls. :) ~L

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