Carl Hiaasen (Hoot) combines the humor of the backstage workings of a reality show with weightier themes in what may be his best book for young people yet.
Wahoo Cray has been the man of the house ever since his father, Mickey, a professional animal wrangler, received a concussion when a frozen iguana fell from a palm tree during a Florida hard freeze. Wahoo's mother heads to China to teach Mandarin Chinese to businessmen and help pay the family's mortgage while her husband recovers. One day, Wahoo answers a call from Derek Badger, star of a reality show in which Badger faces fierce animals in the wilderness. Badger wants to wrestle the Crays' alligator, Alice. Wahoo accepts the $1,000-a-day job. At least half the fun of the novel derives from the clash between Mickey, a true nature lover, and showboater Badger. After Badger nearly drowns "riding" Alice, doing everything Mickey told him not to do, things get really out of hand when Badger decides he wants to wrestle untamed creatures in the Everglades and brings Mickey and Wahoo along.
Hiaasen keeps many balls in the air, then brings them all in for a safe and wholly entertaining landing. He renders his portrayals of the adults as fully as he does the children. While there's plenty of humor at Badger's expense, even the narcissistic reality show host reveals some redeeming qualities. With his compassion for Florida's hard-hit citizens and his awe of its natural wonders, Hiaasen may have outdone himself with this exceptional novel. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness