Well, whatever you’re doing today to promote being green, I’ve got the perfect books for when you need to take a little break. (Dancing in honor of our Earth Mother can be so tiring, right? Oh wait, still just me? Awkward…)

It’s obvious from his books Hoot, Flush, and Scat that author Carl Hiaasen is serious about protecting the environment. But that doesn’t mean he’s lost his sense of humor; all three stories feature a wacky cast of characters and some truly crazy antics:

In Hoot (which I recommended back in our Unusual Animals podcast), Roy’s the new kid in town — little does he know that he’ll soon be caught up in a fight against a restaurant chain that plans to build on a lot that’s home to endangered owls. What can Roy do to save the owls’ nests? Can one boy really triumph over a huge company? Turns out the answer is no… but one boy and two unusual new friends might stand a chance!

In Flush, Noah and Abbey are determined to clear their father’s name after he’s arrested for sinking a casino boat. Their dad claims that the boat was secretly dumping sewage into the ocean at night (GROSS!), and soon Noah and Abbey discover that he’s totally right. But how can they catch the eco-criminals in the act and prove that their dad acted nobly? All you need to know is their plan is called “Operation Royal Flush.”

And if you don’t get enough excrement in Flush, then you absolutely must check out Scat. Yup, that’s the term for animal poop — and it’s the key to the book’s central mystery. But what does it have to do with a teacher who suddenly goes missing? Well, that’s what Nick, Marta, and a boy called “Smoke” are going to find out!

So, after you’re done dancing for the planet — oops, I mean, planting trees or running a recycling drive or whatever you’re doing to celebrate Earth Day, pick up this trio of eco-reads. And then leave me a comment and tell me what you think! Or, better yet, send in a full book review!

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

— Karen

Karen is totally against casino boats dumping waste into the ocean, but she must admit that she once peed in the water while scuba diving. It was an emergency! More about Karen »

Fun Owl Fact: Their eyeballs are fixed in their sockets, which is why they've evolved to be able to turn their heads all the way around.

I probably thought of this because of D (above). *Hooo... Hoooo...*

It's not just the difference in species of bird (swans and pheasants)... Pick up the books and find out!

And magic, of course. Hagrid is also much less delicate with his pink umbrella.

The main characters being Bone and Squirrel -- not to be confused with an actual bone and squirrel. Hey! Bone and RIBsy... Darn, I wish I caught that earlier.

Submit your book Venn diagram in the comments!

— Nancy

A liverwurst-loving cricket. A waddling raccoon. And, of course, a funny bunny (yep, that’s him over on the left).

These are just a few of the creatures we’ve rounded up for our latest podcast, all about unusual animals (in other words, animals other than cats or dogs)!

(13:35) 
Download the MP3 (13 MB)
• Sink your teeth into this week’s mystery book (pun intended!)
• Our Unusual Animals book picks (Hoot and The Cricket in Times Square)
• It’s a zoo in here — thanks YOUR book recs (The Wind in the Willows and Drake’s Comprehensive Compendium of Dragonology)
• Karen hearts Logan Lerman

And don’t forget: our next topic is books involving time travel! So watch our latest Mystery Book Theater video and check out these time travel books that are so good, you’ll lose track of the time while you read them!

— Nancy and Karen