What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there is some mild violence and
swearing here, and that, while the adults are mostly portrayed
negatively, the heroes don't always behave honestly either.
Families who read this book could discuss the issues raised here concerning the conflict between environmental and economic concerns. How should we balance our human needs with those of tha natural world? What do you think of the ways the characters acted to protect the owls? Realistic? What would you have done? Families who see the movie may want to compare and contrast the two. Which version do you like better? What would you have done differently?
Common Sense Media Review
It's harder to write great children's literature than you
might think. Carl Hiaasen may be a superb adult author, but in
his first foray into children's books he's pretty much painting
by numbers. Let's see -- lots of stupid and venal adults,
check. Cute animals, check. Kid hero on his own, tough girl
with heart of gold, check check. Mean bully, check. Fart jokes,
check. Evil corporation, check. Stupid adults won over by cute
animals and plucky kid heroes, check. Yup it's all here. So why
doesn't it add up to more?
Despite all that, and an ending that will be a little too Huck Finn for some readers' tastes, HOOT is a modestly involving story with likable enough characters, and it even occasionally manages the stirring of an emotion of two. And parents will appreciate that, among all the usual bumbling and venal adults, Roy's parents stand out as caring, concerned, intelligent, and ultimately supportive. In another example of the Newbery Committee's unfathomable criteria, HOOT was selected as an Honor Book for 2003.
From the Book:
Dana Matherson was digging his fingernails into Roy's
scalp, trying to make him squeal, but Roy barely felt a thing.
He was gripped with curiosity as the running boy dashed through
one neat green yard after another, getting smaller in Roy's
vision as he put a wider distance between himself and the
school bus.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
