Hamster on the Loose: Field Trip Frenzy

Sir Nibbles stows away on the big museum field trip and escapes again, and Devon must chase his tiny furry outlaw through dinosaurs, gem vaults, and a planetarium before Mrs. Ortega finds out.

Ever since the Great Picture Day Disaster, Devon Park figured nothing at Lincoln Elementary could ever surprise him again. He had once chased the class hamster through a cafeteria, a gym, and an air vent, and lived to tell about it. He had a noodle-covered photo to prove it.

So when Mrs. Ortega announced the fourth-grade field trip to the Grand City Museum of Natural Wonders, Devon was honestly looking forward to a calm, boring, totally hamster-free day.

'Everyone has a buddy, everyone has a sack lunch, and everyone behaves,' Mrs. Ortega said as the bus pulled up to the giant stone museum. 'Devon, I am putting you in charge of the group permission slips. Something nice and simple.'

Devon grinned and patted his backpack. 'Simple,' he repeated. He had no idea his backpack felt a little heavier than it should.