about the book
Welcome to Loggerhead, Florida, home to giant gators, endangered turtles, and oddball characters.
Take Richard Sloan’s family. His dad met his end slamming into a rushing UPS truck while skateboarding down the A1A unwrapping a Butterfinger. The 45-year-old engineering genius wasn’t even wearing a helmet. After Richard’s mother had a total melt-down, she rebounded and married a dumb-as-a-rock, Mountain Dew-chugging golf-obsessed real estate agent who spends his days watching cage-fighting on Pay-Per-View. Unbelievable!
Richard finds solace with his best friend and cousin, Mallory. Born just nine days apart, the two are super close. But while Richard is levelheaded, Mallary is the poster child for trouble. Her parents recently resorted to signing her up for a all-girl’s boarding school in New Hampshire. Mallory’s decided she “doesn’t do cold,” and while her parents think she is at the school’s orientation, she runs off with an online stranger!
When Mallory’s parents, Richard’s family, and the police are incapable of getting Mallory back, Richard takes it upon himself to get the deed done. You won’t believe who he enlists to help!
A Vietnam hero, Clinton Tyree was once the very eccentric governor of Florida. A fierce eco-warrior unwavering in his moral stance, Clinton hated corporate polluters and money-grubbing land developers. Outraged by corrupt politics, he just suddenly disappeared from office. Suffice it to say the 72-year-old, 6’5” grizzly of a man is now reported as deceased—and that is how he likes it. The irreverent hermit wears old army camo, sports a bushy beard strung with real vulture beaks, often dons a shower cap hat, swears like a sailor, has unbelievably gross habits, and goes by the alias, Skink.
When Richard tells him of his cousin’s predicament, Skink doesn’t even hesitate. Nothing is going to stop him from rescuing Mallory, and he’s taking Richard along. In a rip-roaring chase through the Florida wilds, filled with lightning storms, poisonous snakes, and road kill meals, Richard meets up with even weirder characters, flying bullets, and one scuzz-ball psychopath!
If it wasn’t so deadly, it would be hilarious! One thing is for certain, with Skink around, justice will be served on the wild side!
about the author
Newbery Honor winner Carl Hiaasen has written four books for children and published 16 adult novels. His books, many environmental thrillers, have been translated into 34 languages. He’s also known for his satirical works and sport themes.
Carl is also a journalist. He started doing investigative reporting for the Miami Herald, specializing in exposing property development and construction schemes that were harming Florida’s ecology. He now writes a column that appears each Sunday in the editorial/opinion section of the Herald.
In addition to writing for the Herald, he has written award-winning articles for Sports Illustrated, Time, Life, Esquire, and Gourmet. He also worked with British theater producers creating a musical adaption of his bestseller, Lucky You.
Carl, the oldest of four children, was born, raised, and still lives in Florida. Of Norwegian heritage, his father was a lawyer and his mother a teacher. He studied journalism at Emory University but got his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He won a Newbery honor for his book, Hoot.
Sources:
Author website
Author video interview: Random House Kids
Book trailer: Skink No Surrender
Also by Carl Hiaasen:
Scat. Alfred A. Knop. 2009.
Flush. Alfred A. Knopf. 2005.
Hoot. Alfred A. Knopf. 2002.
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