From Newbery Honoree Carl Hiaasen comes this New York Times bestseller in which an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, and an angry panther can't stop two kids on a mission to find their missing teacher!

When Mrs Starch, the most feared biology teacher in Florida, goes missing during a school trip to the Black Vine Swamp, her class is secretly relieved.

The school principal tries to cover it up as a 'family emergency', but Nick and Marta just aren't convinced. They think it's much more likely to have something to do with Smoke, the local troublemaker - whose run-ins with Mrs Starch are infamous - and decide to do some investigating of their own.

But there's more going on in Black Vine Swamp than either one of them could guess. And Nick and Marta must see off an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a crooked oil prospector, a singing substitute teacher, and an angry Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture.

An hilarious eco-thriller set in Florida featuring a nightmare teacher, a boy on a mission, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, and a motherless panther cub.

About the Author

Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida, where he lives today with his family. He has written many books, but this is his first young adult title to be published in the UK. He writes a weekly column for the Miami Herald.
Visit his website at http://www.carlhiaasen.com/, visit his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CarlHiaasen and follow him on Twitter @CarlHiaasen.

Reviews
Zany, fast-moving and humorous, Scat is a compelling eco-thriller * The Bookseller *
Fast, frenetic fun * Financial Times *
An enjoyable and terrifically paced read * School Librarian *
A real nail-biting eco-thriller setting the can-do optimism of youth against the greed of the baddies * Carousel *
An exciting, unputdownable read * Primary Times *
As ever with Hiaasen, rambunctious humour and twisted, French-farce plotting make the book a joy to read * Financial Times *
Like PG Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett, Carl Hiaasen always returns to the same fictional - or semi-fictionalised - world, but manages to unearth an apparently endless supply of convoluted plots and entertaining characters with improbable names ... a funny and furiously fast-moving noel populated by engaging characters and fuelled by a strong sense of moral outrage * The Guardian *
Carl Hiaasen is a supremely entertaining writer whose novels also bear a timely message ... all the Hiaasen trademarks are there: wit ... an abiding belief in the power of the individual to alter things, and an instinct for ingenious plotting that never lets him down * The Independent *
A brilliant, fast-moving eco-aware thriller * LOVEREADING4KIDS *
Hiaasen fans will love this book and newcomers will be hooked by this entertaining thriller. -- John Millen * SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST *
We missed this in hardback last year but have been gripped by the paperback version just out. Eco aware page-turning thriller with scary teachers, oil prospectors and a panther on the loose. * ANGELS AND URCHINS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781444000597
Author Carl Hiaasen
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Orion Children's Books
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Weight(grams) 320g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 131mm * 27mm