Thursday, September 29, 2016

Environment As Part of the Novel

    Carl Hiaasen incorporates the natural world in his novels for middle/YA readers. His Skink -- No Surrender opens with Skink on the beach, completely submerged in the sand but with small tube to the surface (so he can breath), waiting to catch someone who is stealing turtle eggs. The story twists to Richard, the 14-year old protagonist, who must search for his female friend who has been abducted. Richard uses his knowledge of birds to help him locate her.
    What appears unusual in Hiaasen's novels is how naturally he weaves the environment both into his settings as well as his plot. He reminds us that nature is very much a part of the human experience.



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