If anyone's ever said, "You should write a book!" ignore them. And if you ever hear anyone say, "I should write a book!" beg them not to.
 The greatest problem with A Letter for Hoot isn't its lack of logic, which you see even within sentences, or the amateurish style that has Spofford doing things like using words other than "said" when using dialogue and having people sigh, query, ask, and admonish. It's that the back cover recommends it for everyone from preteens to seniors. Really, it's strictly for unsophisticated readers under the age of fifteen. Maybe very old people who like stories that center around country clubs and have happy endings would like it.
 If you're wondering why I read it it's because I bought it from the author, who'd set up a table at a local farmers market, and as she lives in my area I thought it might be fun to read it. Then it turned out that the main character leaves my area just a few pages in for a summer resort town.
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