Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Hiaasen, Carl. Scat. Knopf. 2009. New York, NY.
ISBN 978-0-375-83486-8. Hardcover, $16.99.

Awards:
Starred Review, School Library Journal, Jan. 2009.
2009- Kid’s Indie Next List- “Inspired Recommendations for kids from Indie Booksellers”
2009- Skipping Stone Honor Award

Annotation
Mrs. Starch disappears on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp. The school says that she has had a family emergency and will be out of town for a while. Nick and Marta work to find out the truth about what happened to Mrs. Starch.

Booktalk:
Nick and Marta have the misfortune to have Mrs. Starch for Biology this year at school. She is the meanest, toughest teacher at Truman High School. She picks mercilessly on any student in her class who does not quickly volunteer an answer to her questions.
As we join the story, the children are roaming through the Black Vine Swamp with their groups when they hear a loud, piercing shriek, and then begin to smell smoke. The students follow their teachers back to the boardwalk….
“After assembling at the boardwalk the three teams merged to form a long, single line. At the very end of it was Mrs. Starch, who burped the air horn to make the students turn around and pay attention.
“Listen up people!” she said. “A small wildfire has sprung up on the far edge of the swamp – Pretty common for this time of year. It’ll probably burn out when it reaches the Cypress muck, but there’s no sense taking any chances. That’s why we’re cutting short our field trip and heading back to school. Straight back to school.”
Marta groaned and leaned against Nick. “What if she makes us go to her class? I’m going to be sick again, all over the place.”
“Pray for a flat tire on the way home,” Nick said.
He was disappointed because he’d hoped for another opportunity to see a panther, or whatever it was that had darted into the cypress shadows. However, a wildfire was nothing to fool with. If a strong wind kicked up, the blaze would race across the land faster than any human could possibly run.
“Please stay in line behind Mr. Neal and Miss Moffitt,” Mrs. Starch said. “I’ll be coming along in a minute – Libby dropped her medicine, so I’m going back to find it.” She clapped so loudly that it sounded like a paper bag popping. “Now get your fannies in gear! Move!”
At the time, nobody questioned Mrs. Starch’s decision to go back. Libby Marshall had frequent asthma attacks, and she always carried an inhaler. The haze from the fire would make it harder to her to breathe.
“Quickly and quietly,” urged Miss Moffitt as the kids began streaming towards the bus.
Nick was walking behind Marta, who was behind Graham, who was behind Mickey Maris, who was behind Rachel, who was behind Hector, the star of the soccer team. The students were in such a rush that they were stepping on each other’s heels. Nick lost one of his sneakers when he was overrun by the next boy in line, an algebra ace named Gene, who stepped around him and kept going.
When Nick knelt to retrieve his shoe, he glanced back down the curving boardwalk just in time to see Mrs. Starch, in her straw hat and dragonfly glasses, marching alone into the smoky swamp.
He had no idea she wouldn’t be coming out.” Pgs. 35-36

author website: www.carlhiaasen.com