Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Malley is a teenage girl who is headed to boarding school because of her wild ways. In typical fashion, she avoids boarding school by running off with a guy she meets on the Internet. Her cousin Richard, also her best friend, is getting phone calls from her and he knows she is in trouble. The problem is, he has no idea how to find her. Fortunately, Richard meets Skink, a quirky old man who used to be the governor of Florida but now is burying himself in turtle nesting grounds and surprising would-be egg thieves. One-eyed Skink decides that he can find Malley, and he brings Richard along for the ride. Of course, since it's Carl Hiaasen and it's set in Florida, there are alligators involved. This book is being billed as Hiaasen's first book for young adults. I would say it's a great read for 7th grade on up. There is a lot of humor and action, and the readers who grew up on Hiassen's books for younger readers (Flush, Hoot, Scat and Chomp) will love Skink No Surrender.