Under orders from Dusty Muleman, slimeball owner of a Florida gambling boat, the Coral Queen crew furtively flushes the waste of the boat into a coastal tidal basin each night. Dumping waste into open water rather than having it hauled away is illegal, but cheap. Noah’s dad has tried to get Dusty caught in the act but failed—clearly, a local official is tipping Dusty off. After his father takes things into his own hands and ends up in jail, Noah and his younger sister, Abbey, carry on the crusade, running increasingly dangerous risks as they try to bust Dusty and vindicate their father. As in Hoot (Knopf, 2002), Hiassen’s first novel for children, the adults in this story tend to be seedy, bumbling, or evil, while the clear-thinking kids save the day. A best-selling author for adults, Hiassen again demonstrates his adaptability at writing for a younger audience, while maintaining the over-the-top plot and south Florida setting that have made his books wildly popular with mature readers. Engaging humor, a persuasive environmental theme, and the human waste gross factor combine to make this a highly appealing page-turner. (Ages 11–14)

A hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! 

You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup.

Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor–which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink.

Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much–his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate–but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.