Scat (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: mother panther, fire investigator, Jimmy Lee Bayliss, Wendell Waxmo, Jason Marshall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5–8—Once again, Hiaasen has written an edge-of-the-seat eco-thriller. When their unpopular biology teacher goes missing in a suspicious fire during a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, Nick and Marta don't buy the headmaster's excuse for her absence and decide to do some investigating of their own. Eco-avengers; an endangered, hunted panther; illegal pipelines in the Everglades; and an underachieving student with the nickname "Smoke" all play a part in this gripping novel. From the first sentence, readers will be hooked. The teens' dangerous detective work, with help from some unlikely sources, and the ethics of environmental awareness are well balanced. The emotion and personal changes that Nick goes through due to his father's injury in Iraq are on their own a worthy study of the struggles that military families are facing today. This well-written and smoothly plotted story, with fully realized characters, will certainly appeal to mystery lovers.—Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY
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From Booklist

Hiaasen starts off this story—a hybrid madcap swamp adventure and cast-driven environmental whodunit—with the disappearance of a biology teacher after a fire breaks out during a field trip in the Everglades. The immediate suspect for the fire, at least, is a young miscreant, but friends Nick and Marta figure something else is afoot: it might have something to do with the nefarious oilmen slinking about nearby, as well as the rumor of an endangered panther and her cubs in the swamp. A generous cast of characters—each imbued with a few unexpected traits—flits about and provides most of the impetus to keep things rolling. Adding some emotional heft is the subplot involving Nick’s father; he returns home from Iraq minus his right arm, and Nick binds his own arm so that they can learn to become lefties together. Hiaasen’s gumbo tastes a lot like his previous efforts, pitting conservation against reckless greed and setting the can-do of youth among determined Floridian quirkiness. But there’s a reason why a recipe tastes so good time and again. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375834869
• ISBN-13: 978-0375834868
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,062 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe For Kids, But Not Watered Down Hiaasen Humor, January 27, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

Hiaasen's many adult novels have a particular form of insanity to them. No matter just how you think you've figured out what's going on or about to happen, he throws a knuckle ball that threatens to become a bean ball, aimed right at your head. When he began writing YA books, he brought some of that with him, yet tempered for a younger audience.

Scat is the story of Nick and Marta, whose biology teacher didn't return from a class field trip to the Black Vine swamp. Not that Mrs. Starch is going to be missed; she was the most fearsome teacher at Truman School. But neither of them believe that she was called away on a "family emergency," but instead was the victim of foul play, probably by Smoke, the class delinquent. Very quickly, and in typical Hiaasen fashion, the plot gets not only complicated, but ever-stranger players in this mystery come fast and furious. The story is appropriate for middle school and older, enjoyable to read, and reflects Hiaasen's love of the Florida wild lands.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Novel for Young Readers, January 27, 2009

By	Stacey Cochran. Visit staceycochran.com (Raleigh, NC, USA) - See all my reviews

Newbery Honor Winner Carl Hiaasen returns to Middle Grades Fiction with SCAT (following Hoot and Flush) a mystery/comedy set in Florida. It is ideal for readers age 10-13, but has a well-plotted mystery that could entertain adult readers as well (particularly Hiaasen's fans).

It all begins when Mrs. Bunny Starch, feared Biology teacher, disappears during a school field trip to the Black Vine Swamp -- where an illegal and undercover oil-drilling operation is taking place. Mrs. Starch regularly embarrasses and intimidates her students, so there's no shortage of suspects who may have had a hand in her disappearance.

It's up to two adventurous students -- Nick and Marta -- to solve the mystery. They must navigate a web of weird characters -- an eccentric eco-avenger, a juvenile delinquent named Smoke, a crooked oil prospector, and an endangered Florida panther -- in order to solve the mystery.

SCAT is a page-turner with heart, humor, and adventure. A good book for both boys and girls, filled with the kind of wacky characters with which Hiaasen has built his career.

You might consider checking out the film version of Hoot (New Line Platinum Series), too. Enjoy!

Stacey Cochran
Author of CLAWS available for 80 Cents

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the Classroom , March 14, 2009

By	J. E. Stephens "Jeanne" (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I teach 6th Grade Reading and this book is perfect for this age group. I loved it too so don't be afraid to read it if you are an adult.

The school setting and the stern teacher who disappears on a field trip will appeal to young readers. I particularly liked the sub plot with the Iraqi veteran. It added a timely dimension to the story.

I live in Florida and I have actually seen a Florida panther in the wild. They are very rare, and you really feel special if you get the chance to see one. If you live anywhere and love wildlife, you will love this story!