Camp Wannatippatrashcan: The Marauding Misadventures of Roger Mcpaw

By K. R. Finnegan and Ryan Michael Bennettt

Roger McPaw, a young Raccoon, has returned to his favorite summer camp for another week of adventures. This summer Roger brings a new friend named Toby and together they enjoy all that Camp WannaTippaTrashCan has to offer. Rogers friendship with his Human friend Gabe has continued as well, but some new challenges are in store. Roger and Toby learn how to turn bullies into friends, and how to rescue another Raccoon boy who was captured by the camp ranger of the nearby Human camp, Camp Wigwam.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781532000935

K. R. Finnegan

K. R. Finnegan is a creative writer and former summer camp counselor with a special interest in nocturnal animals. Since childhood, she has always wished that she had night vision but has settled for researching the many talents of Raccoons. She lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina. This is her first children’s book series.

Book preview

Chapter%201.jpg

A collection of three trash cans, each a different size and color, welcomed Roger as he darted out of the woods. The first trash can was stout and bright green plastic, the second was a bit taller and was dark blue plastic, and the tallest trash can was shiny silver metal with a heavy lid. Roger sniffed the air cautiously as he approached, but there was no sign of any humans in the area. As he moved closer to the end of the driveway where the trash cans were just sitting unattended, the outside lights on the garage of the human house flashed on with a loud click. Roger dashed behind a small bush and waited. He stood very still as the glaring splash of light illuminated the whole driveway. But no humans emerged.

Roger laughed to himself. Earlier this summer, his father had taught him all about the new human invention called trick lights. These lights looked for raccoons and then turned on to try to scare them away, but the McPaws were smarter than that. They knew that the lights were not dangerous because humans didn’t even wake up and come outside to see why the lights were on. Roger had learned to wait a full minute for the lights to turn off, counting out the seconds. Then he could proceed with his marauding missions without any risk of being caught.

The minute was up, the trick lights went off, and there was no sign of any human on the whole block of the neighborhood. Just to be sure, Roger sniffed the air again while still in hiding. As he was about to run out and begin tipping the first bright green plastic trash can, he heard rustling in the bush nearby.

Ouch! Toby grumbled as he tried to untangle himself from the branches.

Roger sighed. Toby… I told you not to come with me. He slunk back in the shadows and went to the bushes where his friend was struggling to get free. Toby was the same height as Roger, but he was a little heavier because he liked to eat sugar grubs at every meal. And even though Roger had been friends with Toby for several moons, and Roger had tried to teach him what he knew about marauding, Toby was not a fast learner.

Hey, Roger! Thought you might want some help. Toby wiggled his leg, which was caught, and the whole bush shook violently.

Shhh! You’re making more noise than a human child. Roger reached into the twisted branches and pulled them away from Toby’s leg.

Toby came tumbling out of the line of bushes and onto the driveway. The lights at the front of the garage came on again. Toby looked right into the lights and froze. Roger grabbed him by the tail and dragged him back into the shadows.

"The humans are coming for us, Roger!

Shhh! Roger said as he checked to make sure that they were indeed safe, watching the front door of the human house closely.

We’ll be safe here, right? Toby was trembling a little but trying to act tough by puffing up the fur on his back.

Roger took a deep breath and motioned for Toby to be quiet. It’s a trick light. Just wait sixty seconds. Humans made the lights so they could be lazy and not have to protect their trash cans. They think the light will scare us away. Roger winked at Toby.

Silly humans! Toby stood upright and pretended to walk like a human. I’m a human, and I make lights do all the work for me. Hahahaha. I think I’m so smart! The two raccoon boys shared a muffled laugh.

The trick lights turned off again exactly at sixty seconds, but Roger held Toby back for a moment. What’s our plan? asked Roger.

Let’s go for it! Toby said with a grin. That tall silver trash can smells like it’s full of goodies.

Toby, metal trash cans are the loudest. We should start with the plastic ones.

Oh, yeah. Toby stared down at his paws. It’s hard to remember all the rules for marauding since I don’t go very often.

Roger realized that he was being too critical of his friend. Even though Toby wasn’t the best at marauding and he was a little slow, he was getting better night by night. And since Toby’s father had disappeared when he was little, he didn’t really have a chance to learn from anyone other than Roger.

All right, here’s the plan. Start with the plastic cans. You dash up, and I’ll jump on your shoulders. I’ll get on top of the can and then lean way, way out like this. Roger demonstrated the move. He looked like he was reaching way far out over a cliff, leaning over as far as he could.

Then gravity kicks in, right? Toby asked.

Right! Roger pretended he was tipping forward and did a quick somersault.

Awesome. Toby smiled from whisker to whisker.

And don’t worry about the rules for marauding—they’re just guidelines anyway! Roger said as he charged out of the bushes with Toby close on his heels.

Ahoohee! Roger yelled.

¤

¤

¤

Roger and Toby strolled along the banks of the little creek that ran at the back of their neighborhood. Both boys were covered in trash juice and had bits of old food stuck to their fur. Roger carried his loot in a bundle under his arm, but Toby tried to balance in his paws all the items he had plundered while also eating a stack of old pizza slices. Every step or two, Toby dropped something.

Come on, Toby, Roger said as he stopped to pick up an old sock that had holes in the toe and the heel. What do you even need this for?

Toby gobbled down part of a pizza crust with a dark layer of green mold on it. I was going to keep my marble collection in it. Toby looked at the sock as Roger held it up. Hmm, the holes will make it easy for me to see all my favorite marbles when I am carrying them.

Roger just sighed and tucked the sock into the bundle with his treasures. He had carefully pilfered three safety pins, two old batteries, a worn-out dog collar that he thought he could use for a belt, and a piece of a plastic tarp. He had also gathered all the orange peels he could find since those were his mom’s favorite. Roger had also found a strange strap-looking thing that had hooks on each end and was a little stretchy. He didn’t know what humans used it for, but he planned to take it with him to Camp WannaTippaTrashCan next week. He knew one of the boys in the Dakota cabins might be able to figure out what it was since they were the smartest boys at the camp.

As Roger and Toby walked along, they listened to the sounds of the creek and the highway nearby. At this time of night, there were not many cars. It was actually quite peaceful. Toby finished eating all his pizza and let out a loud burp. Both boys chattered with laughter.

Thanks for showing me that tuck and tumble move. Where did you learn that? Toby asked.

At summer camp. I even had to use it on a few marauding missions at Camp WannaTippaTrashCan.

Oh yeah, like to the one with the canoe that you told me about? WannaTippaTrashCan sounds like so much fun.

I can’t wait to go back next week! Roger said.

Toby got quiet. My mom says she can’t let me go to camp for a whole week. She needs me at home to help with food gathering.

Roger liked being friends with Toby, and he didn’t want to see him upset. Well, maybe you can go next time, he reassured him.

Maybe.

As the boys walked on in silence, Roger wanted to change the subject. He looked at all the trash stuck to his fur and decided it would be a perfect time for a swim. As they came around the bend in the creek to the tire swing, Roger trotted off. Last one to the swing is a rotten possum!

Toby dropped everything he was carrying to race Roger to the swing. They both jumped onto it at the same time. They pushed off the ground below and rode the tire way out over the water of the creek. In unison, they jumped from the tire and dove into the water together. Even though Toby wasn’t the best at marauding, he was a much better swimmer than Roger.

Toby demonstrated all his moves. He could flawlessly do backstroke, doggy paddle, and even raccoon style with his tail sticking up out of the water. When swimming, Toby was graceful and strong, and he didn’t splash when he dove in. Roger tried to swim raccoon style too, but he had trouble doing the flips under water. He came up sputtering and coughing up water, but he was happy to practice a new kind of swimming.

The boys floated in the water for a while until the moon began to set.

Toby climbed out of the creek and gathered all his items. Guess we should go home. My mom never likes when I’m late.

Picking up his bundle, Roger reluctantly left the creek too. They walked the rest of the way, talking in hushed voices about the shapes of animals they imagined they could see in each of the constellations of stars above them. "My father once told me about big flying things with huge wings that make sounds so they can see