A Raptor Ate My Homework!

By Julian Michael Carver

It's the first day of fourth-grade for twins Andy and Anna.  Andy is a shy boy obsessed with dinosaurs and Anna is an adventurous girl willing to take risks.  One day when they step off the school bus, Anna suggests taking a shortcut through a dark alley to get home.

As they navigate through the abandoned alley, they fin

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pteranodon Press
• Release date: Apr 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733996211

Book preview

THE BACKPACK DINOSAUR

THE BACKPACK DINOSAUR #1

A RAPTOR ATE MY HOMEWORK!

JULIAN MICHAEL CARVER

Published by Pteranodon Press

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

20

Copyright © 2019 by Julian Michael Carver

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be replicated or used in any manner without the written consent of Pteranodon Press except for the use of short quotations in book reviews.

First printing, 2019

E-ISBN: 978-1-7339962-1-1

Text formatting and layout by Fiverr’s Bookwrangler

Cover illustration by Pantelis Politakos

Edited by Heather Busse

Developed and distributed through IngramSpark

All characters names, places and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons either living or dead is purely coincidental and not intended by the writer.

www.PteranodonPress.com

1

Andy and Anna Saunders sat in the middle of the school bus as the vehicle drove down the shadowy morning road towards Highland Falls Elementary School in Western Pennsylvania. Most of the fourth graders rode in the middle of the bus. They were excited for when they were finally sixth graders and could sit in the very back rows.

It was the first day of school and everyone on the bus was chattering with excitement. Andy and Anna sat behind their two best friends, Jayce Bell and Maddie Jones. The four of them had been best friends since kindergarten, when they shared their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches below the monkey bars.

So, what are you most excited to learn about this year? Jayce asked, fidgeting in his seat.

Probably about history, Maddie answered. I love learning about past events.

Anna couldn’t stop giggling. The window beside them was cracked open, blowing Maddie’s hair all around her head in the morning summer breeze.

Oh, no! Maddie yelled as Jayce burst out laughing.

Hang on, Andy said. I’ll fix this.

Andy stood up and snapped the window shut. With a click, the wind stopped and Maddie’s hair settled on her shoulders.

That’s better, Maddie said, fixing her hair. Anyways, what about you, Anna?

Well, Anna began, mostly, I’m excited to learn about science! Tornadoes and earthquakes fascinate me. I can’t wait for our class science project this year!

Me either, Jayce said. That will be a blast! Literally! I think I’m going to build a rocket.

A rocket? Maddie asked with a smirk on her face. Jayce, the last time you tried to build something like that, we ended up with fizzing soda pop all over us.

Well, that was just a test, Jayce said, defending his past projects. Next time, I’ll use a better soda, and that sucker will really fly! How about you, Andy? Probably anything but math, right?

It was a running joke in the group that Andy was famously bad at math class. He knew this year the math problems would be really tough, especially the long subtraction ones. Anna, on the other hand, was a regular math genius. She was one of the brightest in the class, and usually aced all the quizzes.

Honestly, Andy replied, I’m the most excited about the dinosaurs. They’re awesome!

Oh, no, Maddie said, rolling her eyes. Not the dinosaurs again.

Andy had been obsessed with dinosaurs since preschool. While all the other kids were playing with superhero toys or building blocks, Andy was in the corner with his t-rex and triceratops figures. He was a non-stop dictionary about all things dinosaurs. He had to contain himself at times around his friends because the obsession could get quite annoying.

Hey, Jayce began, I think it’s cool! I might not be as obsessed with dinosaurs as Andy is, but who doesn’t love a big, scary t-rex?

Jayce made a scary face, holding his arms out in front like a dinosaur and growling at Maddie.

Uhm, I don’t, Maddie answered, shaking her head at Jayce.

Oh, come on, Maddie, Anna said. You know my brother is going to be in love with dinosaurs forever. I think he has dinosaurs on the brain!

Anna poked Andy’s forehead. He playfully swatted her away.

It’s not my fault that dinosaurs are awesome, Andy replied.

"Yeah, but I think you are just a little too crazy about them," his sister said, sticking her tongue out at him.

I wish they were still alive, Andy said. Their fossils are cool and all, but I’d love to see the real thing one day.

Dinosaurs aren’t real anymore, Maddie said, interrupting Andy’s imagination. They haven’t been real for like a million years, right?

Try like 66 million years, Andy laughed.

I was close, Maddie smirked.

Suddenly, a horrible laugh emerged