Flush

Hiaasen, Carl. 2005. FLUSH. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

In the novel, FLUSH, Noah and his sister Abbey are determined to prove that the local gambling boat is causing the beach contamination and their father is not crazy. With the help of an unlikely friend and thirty-four bottles of food coloring, will they be able to prove that the “flushing” on the boat is indeed going out to sea? With dialog that speaks the “real language of kids”, students will become involved in the story-line and desire to see how the dilemma unfolds, not noticing the stereotypical characters that Hiaasen uses to portray the “bad” guys. With Noah having more freedom than most kids really have, students, especially boys, will find the excitement and adventure in the mission Noah embarks on to prove that the gambling boat is dumping their waste into the ocean and contaminating the beaches. Even though the story is wrapped up very neatly, with a “happily ever after” tone, students will feel that justice has been served when the “bad” guy loses in the end.