Hoot

Reader reviewed by Jessica

I read this for a class prodject and me and all my buddies loved it. the book has more than one part to it and skips around from all of them and helps you to understand a different part about the book better. that is on of the things i liked about that book. Hoot, if you are wondering, is an owl, but i won't tell you anymore you will just have to find out yourself. it is a great book and many people i know who have read it loved it. i hope i have interested you to read this book.

Reader reviewed by Cheryl

Roy Eberhardt moves around a lot, and with every move comes a new set of bullies he has to deal with. He has just moved to a small town in Florida from Montana,and is none too thrilled about it. Until he sees a semi-wild boy running barefoot around town. His interests are piqued and he becomes involved in the boy's one-person sabatoge of a construction project that threatens the habitat of a family of burrowing owls.

Meanwhile, Roy is ruthlessly bullied, beat-up, and picked on yet another bully. I liked this book's realistic portrayal of bullying as well as Roy's creative and witty ways of dealing with his problems.

This book shows bullying on all different levels (i.e. school, corporate, social,child-neglect,etc.). What I really like is the way this book explores civil disobedience as a solution to bullying.

I also really like that the author shows Roy as a strong, capable hero, even though he was just a kid. I also really liked the presentation of a pro-social way to change the world.

Reader reviewed by Joey S.

I enjoyed this book, reading it during school for a class assignment. I beleive the author is Jerry Spinelli, who also wrote Stargirl? Am I right? Well, I think the book was VERY good, no matter who was the author! I recommend it!!!

Reader reviewed by LJK

Roy Eberhardt is new to Coconut Grove, Florida; his father's government job has taken him to six different school in six years. Although Roy is well-adjusted, and has learned to fit in at his new school, he still misses the mountains and changing scenes of Bozeman, Montana, his favorite of their previous homes. He becomes curious when he sees a strange boy running past the school bus, and the boy isn't wearing any shoes. Roy decides to investigate, and finds himself caught up in an adventure that involves cottonmouth moccasins, aligators and guard dogs, burrowing owls and Mother Paula's Pancake House, and oh yeah, the local police.

Hoot as adult author Carl Hiaasen's first novel for young adults, and he aces it. Although Hoot focuses on Roy's growing friendship with Beatrice the Bear and Mullet Fingers, and their fight to save the burrowing owl, the adults in this novel also emerge as fully developed characters. The adults are a blend of good and bad, rather than the clueless grownups seen in many young adult novels. Although Hoot carries a strong environmental message, it isn't overdone, and it never distracts from the adventure.

Hoot is a very funny book, and all ages will enjoy Roy's story as he battles the high school bully and the evil pancake empire.

Reader reviewed by Dylana

This book really caught my interest. The main character, Roy, is very witty and unique and smart. He's a junior high student who moves all the time. Now he lives in Florida as an only child with his parents. He's the school bully's main target and he's sick of it. Plus he hates Florida and misses Montana. That is, until he sees the running boy. Things totally change. The running boy's stepsister, Beatrice, is there to protect him. Then Roy gets involved with a scandal to protect the miniature burrowing owls nesting in the lot where a Mother Paula's Pancake restaurant will be built upon. Roy and his new friends do all they can do to get the construction stopped. You'll love this book, plus it has honors. It's really interesting and I enjoyed the plot line and the original characters a lot. Both adults, teens, and kids will like this read!

Reader reviewed by JPR

A wonderful story about a boy named Roy that moves a ton. When he moves to Miami he meets a girl, and a boy who wants to practicly kill him. Then one day Roy sees a boy who is running like crazy. He finds out that this boy can catch fish with his bare hands. The running boy wants to save some owls that are going to die because of a pancake construction site right by their burrows. The running boy, Roy and others do pranks and things(at a cost)to save the owls. Read the book to find out more about the people in this story and more deatailed facts also.

Reader reviewed by Keenan Scott from Mrs. Siroek's class

Hott is a very good book because there isn't 5 chapers of just boring non exiting iformation. It's also very good because it's funney book and sorta has a moral. My favorite part was when Mullet Fingers put the alligators in the potta potties now that was funney.