Idon’t know how Carl Hiaasen even gets out of bed in the morning.

The Miami author of all things Florida-weird also penned “ Hoot ,” a middle-school tale of kids who successfully rally to save burrowing owls from restaurant construction. In true South Florida fashion, it would have paved over the miniscule birds, feathers and all, for a pancake franchise, parking lot and all. Birds and kids win. Readers do, too: Here in the Free State of Cement, even a fictional environmental victory is better than none.

Would it be too much to hope that the Newbery Honor-winning book planted a seed of support for burrowing owls everywhere?

Is water wet? Are cats humanity’s masters? Yes. Yes, it is too much to ask.

Florida’s burrowing owls are a threatened subspecies protected under the Migratory

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