“The deputy told me to empty my pockets: two quarters, a penny, a stick of bubble gum, and a roll of grip tape for my skateboard.”

From Carl Hiaasen’s Flush.

Lately, Noah Underwood’s life has been a little bit crazier than normal since his father, Paine, has been arrested for sinking the Coral Queen casino boat in protest to the boat’s illegal waste disposal into the ocean.  While Paine’s actions have landed him in trouble with both the police and his wife, Noah is crushed to learn that the Coral Queen is going to be repaired and reopened in a matter of days.  In an attempt to prove that Dusty Muleman, the man that runs the casino boat, is guilty of illegal dumping, Paine takes Noah to speak with a former casino employee nicknamed Lice in the hopes that Lice will testify to any illegal activity that he’s seen.  While Lice doesn’t provide much help, his disappearance shortly afterwards leads Noah and his sister, Abbey, to team up with Lice’s girlfriend Shelly to find out what happened to Lice and prove that Dusty is illegally dumping from the Coral Queen.  Risking everything to carry out Operation Royal Flush, the Underwood kids and Shelly soon realize that proving Dusty’s guilt will put them in more danger than they ever realized.

The second installment in Hiaasen’s environmental conservationist books for young readers is full of laughter, thrills, and action.  The characters are interesting and the main character is relatable in his motivation and emotions, which helps readers stay connected to the story.  While the environmental message is amped up a bit in comparison with Hoot, readers will still find Flush to be an enjoyable page-turner.