Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen was my first encounter with this author, but I'm sure it won't be my last. This deserving Newbery Honor book is perfect for the animal lover in your life. The Lexile is 760 and it was written for those age ten and up. Roy, an only child, is used to the new kid drill, and while the bully in his new town in Florida is busy mashing Roy's face into the bus window, Roy spots a running boy who is running away from the school with  no shoes, books, or even a backpack. Roy decides to track the running boy and find out why he is running.

Hiassen's characters are real for the most part. The bully is a bit stereotypical, but the characters are fun and people you might encounter in the real world. Roy feels responsible to his parents to stay safe, and he tries not to worry them, but when the lives of cute burrowing owls are at stake, Roy puts himself in some precarious situations. Get ready for a mystery that involves a retired NBA player, a sinister pancake house PR man, a want to be actress, alligators, poisonous snakes with sparkly tails, and a girl soccer player who is tougher than the meanest bully. The best part is that Roy's parents are both alive and fully functional.

Hiaasen poses questions that would make for interesting discussions about ethics, relationships, and the environment.

You can still enter the giveaway!

Click here to Christmas shop at Usborne books. All hostess gifts will go toward purchasing books for the NICU babies at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah to help them become lifelong readers. Make sure when you click on the link that it says, eShow: NICU Babies.

On Friday, December 4, I will draw a winner to receive Usborne's Mosaic Picture Sticker Book a book for your child (or you) to create fun pictures with over 4,000 stickers. This book retails for $10.99. 

"How do I get entries in the drawing?" you ask. 

• Follow my blog.
• Leave a comment on my blog.
• Share a link to my blog on Facebook, and let me know in the comments that you did so. 
• For each $10 you order from the NICU book party, you get another entry. Remember that the money you spend, goes to buy gifts for your own children and your order will be shipped directly to you. The NICU babies get the generous hostess gifts, and Usborne is very generous. 
• Book your own Usborne Party with Catherine Johnson - she does Facebook parties and they are a lot of fun. Leave a message on this blog, and I will have her contact you. 
• Invite a friend to follow my blog. Make sure they let me know that you sent them by posting in the comments. 

As you can see, you can get a lot of entries to win this fun book. I will draw the winner in one week at 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time (Utah) on Friday, December 4th.