On 2010-03-03 And Another Book Read, wrote:
Nick and Marta are two of the lucky eighth grade students in Mrs. Starch´s (who just happens to be the most feared teacher in the history of the world!) biology class. Every day they sit in and pass notes back and forth to each other discussing their fear of being called on.
The day after their field trip to the Black Vine Swamp though something mysterious happens. Mrs. Starch doesn´t come back, and she is never absent, and people start to wonder. While there might be a scrawled note and a message on her answering machine that states that she has had to deal with a family emergency, people, especially Nick and Marta, aren´t buying it. They are all convinced that Smoke, the kid in Mrs. Starch´s class that she dislikes the most, has something to do with her disappearance.
In a whirl wind adventure filled with arson, endangered animals, the Iraq war, the Florida wet lands, a money hungry wannabe oil rigger, and panther poop, Nick and Marta set out to find their missing biology teacher.
Carl Hiaasen definitely has a knack for adventure. Every story he creates always some crazy plot that makes you think as well as laugh! In this case Hiaasen poses the problem of destroying the environment for monetary gain and how it affects the ecosystem in a hilarious manner. He also throws in some other great themes to think about: not judging people by their history/the way they look, believing in yourself and never giving up, learning to live with what you´ve got, and working as a team. These themes are so important for younger readers (and sometimes older!) readers to learn and Hiaasen did such a great job incorporating them into the book without blatantly stating them. While this book has more of a middle grade audience, it is great for all ages of readers, although there is a tad bit of language. Overall I think the book was masterfully written and was a worthwhile and entertaining read.
. And summed up by saying And Another Book Read´s Reviews. Currently Scat has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
Scat can also be found in the following searches:
Knopf Books for Young Readers claimed 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.
Item that are similar to Scat can be found at: