Squirm (Alfred A. Knopf, 2018) by Carl Hiaasen is an intriguing book involving snakes, eagles, grizzlies, panthers, and drones (the man-made kind). I love the cover!
Thirteen-year-old Billy Dicken’s is one tough kid. He makes the kids at school leave his locker alone by putting a live rattlesnake inside, stands up to bullies, and is determined to meet the father who left when Billy was four. Billy doesn’t know where his dad lives or what he does for a living, but he’s determined to find out. His mom and sister won’t help, so Billy will do whatever it takes to find his father. His journey takes him from Florida to Montana and back again.
Author Carl Hiaasen has five other books out for young readers. Read about them here. His book Hoot was a Newbery honor book and was made into a movie. You can listen to an interview with Carl on Mike Lupica’s podcast.