Chomp - Tapa dura

Starred Review, School Library Journal, March 1, 2012:
"Mystery, action, humor, and exotic animals and settings, all tied together by a writer with an exceptional grasp of language, makes this a sure hit with any mystery-loving readers."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2011:
"Hiaasen's best for a young audience since Newbery Honor Hoot (2002) features a shy, deep-feeling protagonist who's also a pragmatist and plenty of nature info and age-appropriate cultural commentary.... Humorous adventure tales just don't get any more wacked...or fun to read than this."

The hysterical #1 New York Times bestseller from Newbery honoree Carl Hiaasen featuring gators, snakes, bats that bite, and reality show hosts gone wild!
 
When Wahoo Cray&;s dad&;a professional animal wrangler&;takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself to keep his father from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star. But the job keeps getting more complicated: Derek Badger insists on using wild animals for his stunts; and Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna&;a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her father and needs a place to hide out. 

They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .

It's anyone's guess who will actually survive Expedition Survival. . . 
 

&;Only in Florida&;and in the fiction of its native son Carl Hiaasen&;does a dead iguana fall from a palm tree and kill somebody.&; &;New York Post
 
&;Chomp is a delightful laugh-out-loud sendup of the surreality of TV that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.&; &;Los Angeles Times
 
&;Chomp shines in its humorous, subtle tweaks on pop culture. . . . The real satisfaction, however, is not so much in the book&;s humor but in its truth.&; &;Time Out Chicago Kids