By: Carl Hiaasen
Level: J
Nick and Marta are afraid of their Biology teacher Mrs. Starch. Duane, aka Smoke, threatens Mrs. Starch and bites her pencil in half, eating the part he bites off. Then during a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp the next day Duane is absent, a fire starts in the swamp, and Mrs. Starch disappears. Nick and Marta feel they have to find out what happened. It gets complicated when Duane comes back to school a model student, Mrs. Starch leaves school for a family emergency when she has no family, and a strange man is driving Mrs. Starch’s car around with Duane inside. How do endangered panthers and a corrupt oil company figure in? You’ll have read this enjoyable book to find out.
