Chomp

Carl Hiaasen, another favorite middle school author, went the adventure route with his newest middle grade read – Chomp. Wahoo (yes that is his real name) has been raised by an unconventional father, an experience animal wrangler named Mickey Cray. Mickey owns and protects different animals, reptiles, and birds. Wahoo has had to take on a lot of responsibility in caring for the animals because his father suffered a head injury from a mishap with a frozen iguana. When Wahoo’s mother a Chinese language teacher takes a job in China to help ease their financial burdens, Wahoo decides it is time for his Dad to get back to work. He accepts a high-paying job with a popular television reality show called Expedition Survival. The phony star, Derek Badger, is more than Wahoo bargained for. As if handling high-maintenance Derek Badger wasn’t enough, things become even more complicated when a young, abused girl named Tuna joins Wahoo and his father on their assignment. Will the trio survive the Everglades while Tuna’s gun-wielding father stays one step ahead of their every move, determined to bring his daughter home? Other great books by Hiaasen include Hoot, Flush, and Scat.