1. Hoot
By: Carl Hiaasen

2. About the Author: Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida, where he still lives with his family.
A graduate of the University of Florida, at age 23
Joined The Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the newspaper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team. Since 1985 Hiaasen
Has been writing a regular column, which at one time or another has pissed off just about everybody in South Florida, including his own bosses
Today his column appears on most Sundays in The Herald’s opinion-and-editorial section, and may be viewed online at 
Started writing novels in 1980s

3. Do NOW:
Monday: Listen to this song, IRONIC, by Alanis Morisette. What do you think it means if something is ironic? Pick examples out from the song.
Tuesday: What are some ways that teens may cope with peer pressure or bullying?
Wednesday: Why do you think people are vandalizing the construction site and why do you think this happens in our world today?
Thursday: How does irony relate to what you have read in the story so far?

4. Objectives
To define vocabulary terms in context and using the glossary when needed
To comprehend and answer basic comprehension questions related to events in the story
To critically think and respond to teacher led discussion questions
To identify and recognize characters and traits
To understand the term “irony” and apply it to the text

5. Setting: where the story takes place
Time
Place
Description
The Setting of HOOT:
Coconut Cove, Florida
Trace Middle School
Construction Site

6. Irony – a difference between the appearance of things and reality, or when the opposite of what we expect happens
EXAMPLES:
you study all week for your test, and then you get a bad grade
A fire station burns down
a police station gets robbed
pilot has a fear of heights

7. incredibly malicious skeptical perpetually consternation balefully
Vocabulary:
incredibly
malicious
skeptical
perpetually
consternation
balefully
vandalism
errant
gingerly
perpetrators
cowering
ominously

8. Characters:
Roy Eberhardt
Dana Matherson
Mullett Fingers
Beatrice Leep
Officer David Delinko
Curly (Leroy Branitt)

9. Vocabulary Incredibly – extremely or unusually
Malicious – evil; to do harm
Skeptical – to have doubt
Perpetually – constantly; in a way that never changes
Consternation – sudden shock that causes confusion
Balefully – in a threatening way
Vandalism malicious destruction of property
Errant – straying from proper course
Gingerly – careful or cautious
perpetrators – person who carries out harm
cowering – crouch down in fear
ominously – in a way to suggest something bad is going to happen

10. Characters:
Roy Eberhardt – new boy in town who goes to Trace Middle School in Coconut Cove, Florida; victim of bullying; PROTAGONIST
Dana Matherson – class bully
Mullett Fingers – nickname of barefoot boy who lives on his own; befriends Roy; want to protect burrowing owls
Beatrice Leep – stepsister of Mullet Fingers; a member of the soccer team; befriends Roy; helps Mullet Fingers survive on his own and save owls
Officer David Delinko – police officer investigating the construction site of vandalism (often against the police department’s wishes); hope to become a detective
Curly (Leroy Branitt) – construction foreman; witnesses acts of vandalism on construction site; stays in trailer at night to guard site