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Readers > Talk it Up! > Discussion guides > Kira-Kira

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Summary

With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.

Booktalk

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. It was pitiful.

“Go on inside. He's waiting for you,” the deputy said.

My dad was sitting alone at a bare metal table. He looked pretty good, all things considered. He wasn't even handcuffed.

“Happy Father's Day,” I said.

When Noah's dad found out that a gambling boat called the Coral Queen was dumping raw sewage (yep, from toilets) directly into the water of the Florida Keys, he was understandably upset. After all, marine animals live in that water, and children like Noah play in it. Unfortunately, Noah's dad reacted by sinking the polluting boat. However, the Coral Queen is back on the surface and back in business in no time. It's also dumping human waste again. Now it's up to Noah and his sister Abbey to bring the boat owner to justice before the water becomes any more polluted – and before their mom gives up on their dad.

263 pages, 5th grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Paine Underwood says that he knows “right from wrong” (page 3). Do you think that he does? Was what he did courageous or stupid? Did he think about how his actions would affect his family?
  2. Why does Paine believe that he can count on Noah to help him?
  3. Would you be willing to take the risks that Noah does to clear his father's name and bring Dusty Muleman to justice? Why or why not?
  4. Can you think of any other ways that Dusty's illegal dumping might have been stopped?
  5. How are Noah's parents opposites of each other? What are the positive and negative qualities of each person?
  6. How are Noah and Abbey similar and different? Who do you identify with more and why?
  7. Are Noah and Abbey right or wrong to keep their actions a secret from their parents?
  8. Why does Noah keep his problems with Jasper, Jr. from his parents? Is this a good decision or a bad decision?
  9. Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
  10. Discuss the symbolism and humor of some of the characters' names (ex. Lice Peeking).

Snacks: Goldfish crackers or fuchsia food coloring to add to water, Sprite or 7UP.

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