Flush

Noah's idealistic dad is spending Father's Day in a holding cell in their little Florida Keys town and he doesn't want to get bailed out just yet. Dad admits he went a little overboard this time, though he's not at all sorry he sank Dusty Muleman's 73-foot gambling boat, the Coral Queen. He knows Dusty has been dumping his boat's holding tank in the middle of the night, which is totally illegal, but so far, no one else has caught him in the act. The raw sewage has been washing up on Thunder Beach where kids swim and sea turtles lay their eggs. Noah and his feisty little sister Abbey set out to help their dad nail Dusty Muleman. As in his adult environmental mysteries, Hiaasen blends suspense, laughs, and a cast of shady and comical characters, including Lice Peeking, fired from the casino boat for stealing away Dusty's tough-as-nails tattooed but goodhearted blonde girlfriend, Shelley, and Dusty's bullying son, Jasper Jr., who gives Noah a black eye and a whole lot of grief.

You can see the screenplay in your head as you devour Hiaasen's lively environmental action mystery, just like his Newbery Honor-winning Hoot, which was made into a movie a couple of years back. All you need to do is read aloud the first chapter, and you'll have your kids hooked, line and sinker.

Reviewed by : JF.

Themes : FATHERS. HUMOR. MYSTERY & DETECTIVE STORIES.