Unfortunately, Roys first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadnt been sinking his thumbs into Roys temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, andheres the odd partwore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boys trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasens Florida.