Mice Capades Read online

  “I don’t have any more,” Kyle said. He showed the dog his empty hands.

  Rex sniffed to make sure. Then he spun around and took off after a squirrel that was digging for in the yard.

  “Did you find anyone to take the mice?” Kyle asked.

  “No, not yet,” Ryan said.

  “Bummer,” Kyle said. “I’d take them, but I already have Rex. He’s enough work as it is.”

  “I can’t take them, either,” Mia said. “My cat destroys toy mice. Imagine what she’d do to real mice.”

  “Maybe Mr. J will take them back,” Kyle suggested.

  “Good idea!” Ryan said. “Let’s go find out.”

  The kids walked over to Mr. J’s Pet Haven. “Hello!” Jethro squawked as they walked in.

  “Well, hello there, my future zoologists!” Mr. J greeted them, grinning widely. “How did your musical mouse experiment go?”

  “Great!” Mia said. “Ryan won first place.”

  “And I found out that classical music makes mice smarter,” Ryan added.

  “Or maybe it just calms them down so they can concentrate,” Mr. J suggested. “Do you need more mouse food?”

  Ryan shook his head. “Actually, I have a problem,” he said. “My mom won’t let me keep the mice.”

  “We can’t find anyone else to take them,” Kyle said. “Do you think you could take them back?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid not,” Mr. J said, shaking his head. “I just got in some new mice.

  Ryan sighed. “Okay,” he said. “Thanks anyway.”

  Monday morning didn’t bring any better news. “My mom said the mice have to be gone by this afternoon,” Ryan told Kyle and Mia when they got to school.

  “We have to do something,” Kyle said. After Mrs. Lockwood took attendance, he raised his hand. “Can I talk to the class for a minute?”

  “Of course, Kyle,” the teacher said. “Go ahead.”

  “We have to find a home for Ryan’s mice or something awful might happen to them,” Kyle said. “Can’t one of you can take them?”

  “I already asked, but my dad doesn’t think I’ll clean the cage,” Connor replied. “He won’t take a chance even though I promised. Sorry.”

  “My mom said mice give people the plague,” Billy said. “That sounds cool to me, but she said no.”

  “That was rats in the Dark Ages,” Mia corrected him.

  “I think she just doesn’t want any mice,” Billy said.

  “I’d do it, but my brother has a python,” Lacey Ortega said. “My house is a major mouse danger zone.”

  Mrs. Lockwood stood up. “So it seems that all of you would like to keep the mice, but your parents, or your brother’s snake, won’t let you. Is that right?” she asked.

  “Yes!” the whole class shouted.

  “Then there’s only one solution to this problem,” Mrs. Lockwood said. She turned to one of the experiment tables and lifted a cardboard box. Ryan’s cage was underneath it, and his three black-and-white mice were inside.

  “Our class now has three prize-winning mascots!” the teacher said. “I spoke to Ryan’s mom, and she brought them by this morning.”

  “Yay!” everyone cheered.

  “Since they’ll be our classroom pets, should we rename them?” Mrs. Lockwood asked. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”

  “How about Mozart, Slash, and Joe?” Mia suggested.

  Everyone agreed that those names seemed like the perfect fit.

  AUTHOR BIO

  Diana G. Gallagher lives in Florida with three dogs, eight cats, and a cranky parrot. She has written more than 90 books. When she’s not writing, Gallagher likes gardening, garage sales, and spending time with her grandchildren.

  ILLUSTRATOR BIO

  Adriana Isabel Juárez Puglisi has been a freelance illustrator and writer for more than twenty years and loves telling stories. She currently lives in Granada, Spain, with her husband, son, daughter, two dogs, a little bird, and several fish.

  GLOSSARY

  announcement (uh-NOUNS-muhnt) — a public or formal notice about something

  bacteria (bak-TIHR-ee-uh) — microscopic living things that exist all around you and inside you; bacteria can be useful, but some cause disease

  concentrate (KON-suhn-trate) — to focus your thoughts and attention on something

  experiment (ek-SPER-uh-ment) — a scientific test to try out a theory or to see the effect of something

  hypothesis (hye-POTH-uh-siss) — a temporary prediction that can be tested about how a scientific experiment will turn out

  participate (par-TISS-uh-pate) — to join with others in an activity or event

  FACTS ABOUT MICE

  Mice usually live for one to three years.

  Mice measure about three and a half inches long and weigh between half an ounce to one ounce.

  Mice are rodents. That means they are mammals with sharp front teeth that never stop growing.

  Mice are nocturnal animals, which means they are very active at night but spend most of the day sleeping.

  Mice have tails that are as long as their bodies.

  CARING FOR YOUR MOUSE

  Mice don’t like cold or sunlight, so place your mouse’s cage in a spot that is protected from cold air and sun.

  Mice need friends! It’s a good idea to keep two females together, rather than two males, since males tend to fight.

  Clean your mouse’s cage at least once a week. Make sure to wash it out and put in fresh bedding.

  It’s important to make sure your mouse always has fresh food and clean water. You should check your mouse’s food and water supply every day.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Were you surprised by the results of Ryan’s science fair experiment? Talk about what you expected to happen.

  What type of music makes it easiest for you to think? Talk about your favorite type of music.

  Imagine you’re in Mia and Kyle’s class. Talk about what you would have named the mice if they were your new class pets.

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Imagine you’re in Kyle and Mia’s fourth-grade class. Write a paragraph about what you would have done for your science fair experiment.

  Write a paragraph about what type of pet you would like to have. If you already have a pet, write about why you chose your pet.

  Do you think mice would make good pets? Why or why not? Write a paragraph about your opinion.

  READ THE WHOLE SERIES

  and learn more about Kyle and Mia’s animal adventures!

  Find them all at www.capstonepub.com

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  is published by

  Picture Window Books,

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstoneyoungreaders.com

  Copyright © 2014 Picture Window Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

  Data Gallagher, Diana G.

  Mice capades / by Diana G. Gallagher ; illustrated by Adriana Juarez.

  p. cm. -- (Pet friends forever)

  Summary: The science fair is coming up at school, and Kyle and Mia agree to help Ryan, who knows very little about animals, with his project--seeing wheth
er music makes mice smarter.

  ISBN 978-1-4048-7500-5 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-1863-0 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-5574-1 (ebook)

  1. Mice--Juvenile fiction. 2. Science projects--Juvenile fiction. 3. Helping behavior--Juvenile fiction. 4. Friendship--Juvenile fiction. 5. Elementary schools--Juvenile fiction. [1. Mice--Fiction. 2. Science projects--Fiction. 3. Helpfulness--Fiction. 4. Friendship--Fiction. 5. Elementary schools--Fiction. 6. Schools--Fiction.] I. Juarez, Adriana, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.G13543Mic 2013 813.6--dc23

  2012049371

  Designer: Kristi Carlson

  Image Credits:Shutterstock/Kudryashka (pattern)