Middle school books nearly always address the challenges of growing up, and Hoot follows this pattern. The book features a protagonist, Roy, who confronts difficult and sometimes dangerous situations with little help from the adults around him. He uses his wits, a practical approach to problem-solving, and a brave fatalism to overcome his cruel opponents by getting them to demonstrate their unlawful behavior in public.

Roy brings a well-honed experience with problem-solving to his new home in Florida. Always the new kid at school, he has developed a thick skin: He is used to tough kids who test him and students who shun him. For tougher problems, like how to avoid getting beat up, Roy thinks carefully and invents solutions that turn the tables on his opponents.

Roy’s first dilemma is that he must attend school but doing so risks his health because he is threatened by an older student, Dana. Fortunately, “Dana was just a big stupid bully” (29), which gives Roy an advantage. Roy maneuvers Dana into getting himself arrested for breaking into the Mother Paula’s construction trailer in search of cigarettes. This neatly solves the problem, and it temporarily takes construction manager Curly and policeman Delinko off the scent of the real vandal, Mullet.