Power Puppies 2: The Rodent Room

By TJ Flea and Maria Flea

The Power Puppies have brought the world back to safety, and Dr. Mittens and Dark Matter Cat are under control in Indiana. All is well... or is it? When a mole named Doug pops up in the cats’ daycare center of torture, they escape and frame the Power Puppies for a terrible crime. Imprisoned in Rome, the Power Puppies seem to have lost all hope until an online support group of super-powered rodents decides to help. In a fur-raising adventure with time travel, plots for world domination, mind control, and the Mona Lisa, the Power Puppies have to face the cats again. Will the members of the Rodent Room give them the boost they need, or will the dogs waste away in prison while Dr. Mittens and Dark Matter Cat roam free?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Perfect Analogy Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781945525018

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All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For permission requests, please address Perfect Analogy Publishing at [e-mail].

Copyright © 2017 by Hollie Vessels

Cover design by Jasper Bell and Jeff Minkevics

Cover art © 2017 by Jeff Minkevics

Published by Perfect Analogy Publishing.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases or author interviews and appearances please contact Perfect Analogy Publishing at [e-mail].

ISBN 10: 1-945525-01-0

ISBN 13: 978-1-945525-01-8

www.perfect-analogy.com

About This Book

After reading Power Puppies, Hollie Vessels’ forty-nine students were eager to tackle a sequel this year. They knew it would be difficult to collaborate between two class periods and reach success, but they were ready for the challenge. Knowing that their work would be published gave everyone a real-life work experience, so motivation and engagement were high all year.

To manage a large group of students who did not meet for class at the same time, Miss Vessels had to adjust the planning process. This year, students would still create new characters, brainstorm plot ideas in class and on discussion forums, choose the best ideas, and map a detailed plot. However, some new challenges were at the forefront. How would they incorporate existing characters? How would they communicate between class periods but still have full participation in every part of the process? Could they write a book as exciting as the first?

This year, as characters and plot elements were suggested, one class would record ideas, and the other would give commentary on what the other class had done. Then that class would record ideas for the other class to critique, and so on. Cuts were made, details were added, character back stories were outlined, and illustrations were made to help everyone visualize. Committees were formed to research plausible scientific explanations, historical accuracy, copyrights, and animal breeds. An art team of several smaller groups made character sketches, setting and scene sketches, cover art, and chapter art. Even a glossary was created to help readers keep all of the characters straight. Partners were chosen to write scenes once again, meeting with Miss Vessels for revising and editing advice. Finally, Miss Vessels pieced everything together into a compelling story.

All proceeds from this endeavor will benefit animals in no-kill shelters and promote animal rescue. Students want every reader to understand that anyone at any age can make a positive difference in the world. No one should wait to start working toward their goals and dreams, and choosing kindness should be a top priority for everyone.

Hollie Vessels’ Fifth Grade Class of Riverside Intermediate School 2016-17:

Marwa Abdulkhadhem, Ella Alberti, Taylor Andelin, Noah Baker, Nolan Barnard, Mary Becker, Jasper Bell, Addison Brown, Connor Brunt, Jacob Carroll, Miah Clavijo, Kendra Cloud-Tozer, Lily Cobb, Emma Dean, Wesley Dennett, Breydon Eisele, Harrison Eneix, Madeline Fahner, Nicholas Farah, Evan Federspiel, Ana Ela Fleetwood, Sydney Gellenbeck, Dieter Hamm, Lesly Harber, Eva Heffron, Hayleigh Hemminger, Jacob Langemeier, Samuel Latimer, Lena Lowry, Cohen Mack, Hayden Marer, Luke Mason, Braden McGill, Madeline Meehan, Nicholas Neuman, Katherine Powell, Dylan Rohe, Evangeline Ryan, Julia Ryan, Lily Ryan, Bryson Seymour, Ashton Slater, Lillian Swetnam, Owen Taylor, Jordon Turner, Eugenia Jennie Urbanski, Lauren Wayne, William Tony Wells, and Taylor Williams

Dedicated To:

Prince and Rico, our class guinea pigs; authors Eric Elfman and Neal Shusterman; Liz Bradley and Charlotte Kunz, the two teachers who supported our work on this book; and all of the animals anxiously awaiting furever homes.

Special thanks:

We would like to thank our principals, Danielle Chastain and Brian Behrman, and our Superintendent, Dr. Alan Bourff. Without their support, we never could have published a book together. We also appreciate the support of our school board, community, and school. Everyone at Riverside has believed in us and cheered us on to success. We appreciate our parents and guardians, especially for allowing us to publish our work.

Glossary of Characters

The Power Puppies

Mike: leader of the Power Puppies, German shepherd, supernaturally gifted with technology

Frost: gray and white husky, freezes anything with his tongue or eyes

Meg: brown and black dachshund, can duplicate herself or Megapup

Vizzi: brown cocker spaniel, has power of invisibility, accidentally disappears when nervous

Scarlett Shimmers: gray poodle, senses properties of any material, loves makeup and shoes

Cami: brown wolf, shapeshifter, can camouflage herself

Shatter: chihuahua, has a sonic bark that can break anything

Zip: white greyhound, can run at supernatural speed

Eclipse: black and white wolf, can understand and speak any language, can sense inner language that isn’t spoken aloud, vegetarian

Megapup: great Dane, combination of all of the Power Puppies, used for major emergencies

The Rodent Room Members

Doug: brown mole from the United States, super digging speed, Power Puppies’ biggest fan, honorary rodent

Iris: gray long-haired guinea pig from London, sister of Prince and Rico, can pause time, can time travel with her brothers

Prince: black long-haired guinea pig from London, brother of Iris and Rico, can fast forward time, can time travel with brother and sister

Rico: white and brown long-haired guinea pig from London, brother of Prince and Iris, can rewind time, can time travel with sister and brother

Fern: light brown capybara from Venezuela, leader of the Rodent Room, calming and healing powers, can use nature’s ingredients for healing, full name is Fernando

Taser: brown and white porcupine from Iraq, has electric quills that can temporarily paralyze, sneezes them out by accident sometimes due to allergies, real name is Saja

Ping: gray and white jerboa from China, has super flying jump, has super hearing

Nabossa: gray and black genet from Uganda, tail can stretch to any length, tail as strong as steel

Wyatt: brown muskrat from Canada, breathes under water, manipulates water, and creates water portals

Axel: brown beaver from Germany, super strong tail and teeth to break or build

Cheesecrust: gray rat from Australia, can ingest and digest anything, real name is Patrick

Tooxey: white ferret from Italy, can stretch or roll into any shape, can fully flatten or squeeze into tight spaces

The Others

Otis: blond English bulldog, best friend to the Power Puppies, scared of water and hates to bathe, a bit stinky

Peaches: orange tabby cat, pet to the Obamas

Chad: blue parrot, pet to the Obamas

T.J. Flea: married to Maria Flea, narrator, from Tennessee, plays the banjo

Maria Flea: married to T.J. Flea, narrator, from Mexico

Princess Snuggly Fluff: gray mouse, pet to Michelangelo (the artist), real name is Tomasso, really a boy

Dark Matter Cat: black Burmese cat, extremely intelligent with technology, formerly a pet at the White House, now imprisoned in a daycare in Indiana

Dr. Mittens: gray Persian cat, whines and complains, formerly a pet at the White House, now imprisoned in a daycare in Indiana

Chapter One:

Carlo Finds a New Career

T.J. Flea

Well, Old Travelin’ Joe is back, folks, and I’ve got one frightening tale to tell.

What, nene? I am frightening?

No, honey! Of course not! I’m tryin’ to create some suspense here.

That’s my wife, Maria, but I’ll get to how I met her later. Right now, all you need to know is that those darn cats didn’t stay put in Indiana. That daycare was downright useless. At least the Power Puppies are safe now, and the world’s most famous work of art is back where it belongs.

Nene, could you please keep it down? I am trying to make comida.

Yes, dear. Sorry.

That’s okay, my sweet little Joe Joe.

Well, if fleas could blush... Anyway, the last month has been quite an adventure, and I’m sure you want me to get to it. I should probably go back to the very beginning, which I heard a few days ago. I’ll try to tell the tale as though I actually saw this first part.

I think I should tell the parts I saw. You won’t know all the little details.

I suppose that’s true. How about we sort of take turns?

Okay, but I want to tell the beginning.

I thought you were making comida.

I could hear Maria growl a little, but I just chuckled. She sure is a sassy one. I’m going to assume the huffing in there means she’s letting me go on ahead here.

See, there have always been rumors that Vatican City has hidden international treasures beneath their buildings. Works of art in museums are sometimes fakes. The real ones lie in safety beneath bricks and stone, protected by the smallest government in the world.

If you don’t know anything about Vatican City, it’s a lovely and very old city, but it’s also its own country and has its own leaders. The best part is that it’s really small and right smack dab in the middle of Rome, Italy. Believe it or not, our story starts there.

Down in the underground chambers beneath a church called St. Peter’s Basilica, the security guard, Carlo, was responsible for priceless works. I would have avoided the gelato and croissants and tried to focus if I were him, but I guess Carlo banked on the fact that no one really believed the rumors about Vatican City, and if they did, they wouldn’t be smart enough to figure out how to get underground.

I guess he underestimated two cats who had been tortured by toddlers a couple of months too long.