EyebrarianPrize winnersGet the app

Books › Scat

Cover of Scat

Scat

Carl Hiaasen

453 pages

A hilarious, swamp-soaked mystery where misfits and eco-warriors team up to save the Everglades from greedy adults.

Where to buyBooks like this

What it feels like

Reading this book feels like taking a wild, unpredictable airboat ride through the Florida Everglades with a tour guide who won't stop cracking jokes. The pace is brisk and bouncy, pulling you through a zany mystery populated by a delightfully eccentric cast of misfits, misunderstood delinquents, and bumbling corporate villains. Beneath the irreverent, deadpan humor lies a deeply earnest heartbeat about environmental conservation and the courage it takes to protect vulnerable wildlife. The prose is snappy and accessible, making the swamp feel both dangerous and wonderfully alive. It is a perfect fit for readers who love their mysteries laced with satire, chaotic animal encounters, and a satisfyingly triumphant underdog narrative where the kids outsmart the greedy adults.

Mood
  • swampy
  • zany
  • adventurous
  • quirky
Tone
  • wry
  • irreverent
  • satirical
  • earnest
Pace
brisk
Themes
environmental stewardship · misjudged outcasts · corporate greed · unlikely alliances
The writing
Snappy, accessible, and laced with deadpan humor and vivid, swampy descriptions.
The arc
Moves from suspicious curiosity to wild, chaotic adventure, culminating in a triumphant, eco-conscious resolution.
Who it's for
Middle-grade readers who love zany mysteries, quirky characters, and rooting for the underdog against greedy adults.
Content notes
  • animal endangerment
  • mild peril
  • bullying

About the book

Bestselling author and columnist Carl Hiaasen returns with another hysterical mystery for kids set in Florida's Everglades.Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance.And he does! But not in the way 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 really begin to see the big picture.That's life in the swamp, kids.From the Hardcover edition.

Description from Open Library.

Books like Scat

See why they match