Camp Wannatippatrashcan: The Marauding Misadventures of Roger Mcpaw

By K. R. Finnegan

Roger McPaw, a young Raccoon, is very excited about his first time at summer campand also nervous. Will he like being away from home? Will he be able to make friends? And, to make things worse, Roger has enough trouble marauding at home that hes not sure he can do it on his own to earn a merit badge.

At Camp WannaTippaTrashCan, all kinds of adventures await that are beyond anything Roger had imagined. He meets lots of Raccoon kids just like him, and together they shout camp cheers, weave baskets, and tuck and tumble for nighttime marauding missions. As the week goes by, Roger begins to conquer his homesickness and discovers the mysteries of the camps complicated history with Humans. During his adventures, Roger befriends a homesick Human boy who helps him pull off the best marauding mission ever. Just like his dad always said, If youre going to do something totally crazy, it must also be totally brave.

By the end of the week, Roger cant wait for his next chance to return to Camp WannaTippaTrashCan. But, will Roger ever see his new Human friend again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491764961

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

Roger glumly plopped down on his rucksack, which was bursting at the seams with items he had packed for summer camp.

I know you’re tired, Roger. But how else are we going to get you a bandana tonight? his father asked.

Roger shrugged.

We’ll have to go for an impromptu marauding mission! his father said with a twinkle in his eye.

Roger slumped down even more. Do I really even need a bandana?

His father grinned from ear to ear. A bandana is the most important part of your summer camp gear. You can use it for so many things. Like fish-head soaking, grub collecting, trash-can tipping …

Roger’s mother unfolded his summer camp packing list and pointed to the item. It says right here that you need one Human-sized bandana. For your first time at camp, you want be prepared, right? Roger looked at the list of items on the small sheet of paper. Even though there was an official Camp WannaTippaTrashCan logo at the top of the sheet, Roger was not convinced that he truly needed a bandana.

His father kept talking excitedly. You can use a bandana for an escape parachute or even a dewdrop collector for fresh water. You can share it with your cabinmates and use it as a raincoat. Or you could even use it as a disguise when you work on your marauding merit badge!

Roger was skeptical, but he did want to be excited as his father spoke. He imagined how wonderful it would be to spend a week in the woods, away from the busy daytime streets of the city. Roger knew he would have fun at Camp WannaTippaTrashCan too. He had listened to his father’s summer camp stories many nights, and now it was finally his turn to pack up and go to sleepaway camp.

But Roger had also always been nervous about marauding with his parents late at night around the neighborhood. At camp, he would have to do it without them.

Roger sighed loudly, and his parents looked at each other with concerned frowns. Months ago, when they had signed Roger up for a whole week of summer camp, he had been so ecstatic that he could barely sleep. Ever since they had started packing this week, though, he had become withdrawn.

Roger’s mother put her arm around her son. Are you still excited to go to camp?

He looked back and forth between his parents. Of course I’m excited. I can’t wait to go to WannaTippaTrashCan! Roger smiled. He really was enthusiastic.

But he was also unsure about an impromptu mission to find a silly bandana, which he didn’t think he really needed anyway.

Roger’s dad clapped his paws together. Come on, Roger. Let’s go marauding!

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Just a month ago, three new streetlights had been installed in Roger’s neighborhood. Every street was expanding with new Human houses too. Roger’s home nest inside the culvert behind the blackberry bushes had been safe from the Humans so far. But Roger had heard his parents talk about their worries. More Humans wanted to live nearby, and the woods were disappearing as new houses were being built.

Roger’s parents talked in hushed tones for a moment, and then his mother turned to him. You’re going to get great practice tonight for all the marauding you’ll be doing at camp! She tickled behind his ear, and Roger couldn’t help but smile.

I know …

Roger’s father kissed his mother good-bye and bravely scampered out of the darkness of the culvert and into the glow of the streetlights. He did a quick tuck-and-roll evasive maneuver to the edge of the runoff gulley and then whistled to Roger that it was safe for him to come out as well.

Dad … he whispered, but his mother hushed him.

Go on now—you’ll be just fine. She tapped him on the back and gave him a nudge. You just need to keep your wits about you and your whiskers keen.

Roger’s heart was pounding, and he just wanted quit this marauding mission and crawl into a badger hole. But he knew his father would be disappointed if he didn’t join him. After all, the bandana was for him to take to camp. Roger took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and charged out into the bright and unnatural light. Right away, his father tugged on his scruff and pulled him into the shadows.

Roger, you have to stay in the darkness, he reminded him.

Right. Don’t get caught in the light, Roger repeated back.

Before he could catch his breath, Roger’s father was already off and running again. He scurried along the edge of the tree-lined gully and right up onto the street. Roger hurried behind him, but he was having trouble keeping up. Roger’s father deftly sniffed the air to decide which direction to turn, but Roger nervously checked in front and behind with each step.

Instinctively, Roger’s father dodged the huge areas of light cast by the new streetlamps and bounced into a bush on the corner of the street. As Roger approached the maze of illumination, he froze. If he took one misstep, he would be in plain sight.

Roger! his father called. Run across the street. You can do it.

Roger looked out over the street again. There were only one or two places he could cross that would camouflage him.

Roger! his father called again. We don’t have all night. You still need to finish practicing some Human speaking lessons.

Why do I need to know how to speak Human anyways? Roger said under his breath.

His father motioned with his paw for Roger to cross the street.

I’m coming, Roger replied, though he felt frustrated and rushed. He closed his eyes again and stepped off the curb into the street. Roger figured he would make a dash for it. Just as his paws hit the concrete, he heard the screech of tires. Startled, he opened his eyes to see a car careening down the street toward him. Terrified and bewildered, he tucked tail and scuttled all the way across the street and plunged into the bush where his father was waiting.

The Humans in the car slammed on their brakes and rolled down the window. Roger and his father huddled together in the darkest part of the bush and waited. The woman in the car stuck her head out and looked around.

I think that was a Raccoon, she said.

Vermin, a deep, male voice replied. Somebody should get out here with some traps and clean up this neighborhood.

Roger’s father cringed.

What does vermin mean, Dad? Roger asked.

It means those Humans don’t like us because they don’t know how great Raccoons really are, his father replied with a shrug. Their loss.

As the people in the car rolled up the window and sped away, Roger saw that there was also a young boy in the backseat. Curiously, the Human boy squinted and looked into the bush with a smile.

With the car’s taillights safely in the distance, Roger’s father emerged from the bush. You’ve got to stick close. And dart along this back way to the next street. Understand?

Roger nodded and followed him in silence. Now that they were completely shrouded by darkness, they moved quickly. Roger soon tired of so much scampering, but he did his best to keep up.

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Finally, Roger and his father arrived at the driveway of a brand-new house. The home was so new, in fact, that it didn’t even have trees planted in the yard yet. Roger froze again in fear. Dad, where are we going to hide if we have to make a run for it?

Roger’s father looked around and saw that there were no trees. He hesitated for a moment. As he looked for a hiding spot, he noticed a huge pile of trash by the side of the road. Boxes and discarded items were stacked along the street haphazardly. Looks like they just moved in! Roger’s father giggled with glee. Marauding heaven!

But what about the trees?

Roger’s father just motioned for him to stay close. They skulked along the edge of the driveway and then made a dash for the glorious trash pile. Roger’s heart was pounding fast, and it took him two leaps to land on the trash-can lid. His father was grinning from whisker to whisker as he toppled over another one of the trash cans himself.

As trash spilled out into the street, Roger and his father expertly picked through the contents. No bandanas, but they did find some tasty morsels of leftover foods and several shiny items that would be nice to decorate the walls at home.

Distracted by their lucky find and busy filling their tummies with goodies, they didn’t notice the