Commander in Cheese Super Special #1 Read online

  #1: The Big Move

  #2: Oval Office Escape

  #3: Have a Mice Flight!

  #4: The Birthday Suit

  Super Special #1: Mouse Rushmore

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2017 by Lindsey Leavitt, LLC

  Cover art and interior illustrations copyright © 2017 by A. G. Ford

  Photo permissions this page president portraits, this page Mount Rushmore construction, this page Crazy Horse Memorial from the collection of Bernard Spragg at www.wikimedia.org, this page Theodore Roosevelt from the collection of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division online at www.loc.gov.

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks and A Stepping Stone Book and the colophon are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 9781524720476 (trade) — ISBN 9781524720490 (lib. bdg.) — ebook ISBN 9781524720483

  This book has been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System.

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

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  Contents

  Cover

  Other Titles

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  The Presidents of the United States

  Mount Rushmore

  Mice Are Smart! Four Totally Fun Facts About Mount Rushmore

  The Lakota Sioux: The Original Occupants

  Theodore Roosevelt: Not Just a Pretty (Stone) Face

  Learn to Draw Ava and Dean!

  To the Harris crew—Ed, Anne, Kyrsti, Devon, Brynn, and Taylor—for kicking down signs and breaking glass ceilings

  Humans think they know everything about mice. Guess what. They don’t.

  Over the years, mice have tricked humans again and again. Mice have played dumb, sick, and even dead so humans will never know the truth: Mice are smart. Very smart. Take the smartest smart you can imagine and add two more smarts. Mice are even smarter than that.

  Because mice are so smart, they let humans believe the following “facts.”

  (Note: These facts are NOT REALLY TRUE. That’s why there are quotation marks around “facts.”)

  1. Mice don’t live very long. Mouse years are different from human years. There is a mouse in Ohio who is seventy-two. She does jumping jacks every day. Seriously.

  2. Mice are dirty. Um…excuse me? Mice groom themselves. Not as often as c-a-t-s, but that’s because c-a-t-s are lazy and don’t do anything else all day.

  3. Mice have poor vision. Not true! Mice have excellent vision. They just don’t like bright lights shining in their face. Really, who does?

  4. Mice are nocturnal. It depends on where the mice live. Take the Squeakerton family, for example. This colony of mice has lived in the White House for over two hundred years. If the mice slept all day, they would miss out on all the presidential action.

  5. Mice don’t wear clothes. Mice are actually quite fashionable. They especially like a well-made hat. Okay, so some mice forget to wear clothes. These are also the silly mice who get caught in mousetraps.

  6. Mice don’t talk to mice outside of their colony. So untrue. Every mouse knows they can communicate using a radio. Mice in Alaska can discuss the weather with mice in Paris. Country mice and city mice have many things in common.

  The Squeakertons are city mice. They are used to living in the White House, with its delicious food, warm walls, and many treasures. The Squeakertons have lived with over forty presidents. Yes, there are dangers that come from living so close to humans, but the Squeakertons like living with the Abbey family. They are nice to the mice and nice to the family c-a-t. You can tell a lot about humans by how they treat animals.

  The Squeakertons talk to country mice on the radio, but they’ve never actually visited farms. Or mountains. Or the desert. Or anywhere, really. Other places have just seemed less…cozy.

  But mice are kind. They help out other mice, no matter how different they may be. When one colony of mice is in trouble, other colonies of mice help. Sometimes this is easy to do, like running to the mouse family next door to drop off a treat.

  Sometimes helping other mice is NOT easy. Sometimes it’s difficult. But the Squeakertons have done difficult before.

  What they haven’t done before is solve a mystery.

  Dean Squeakerton tossed his sister, Ava, a Frisbee made from an acorn cap. School was over for the day. Tonight their homework was to exercise for thirty minutes, read for thirty minutes, and count one hundred items in the Treasure Rooms.

  Mouse school is awesome.

  The long hallway outside their mom’s office was excellent for Frisbee tossing.

  “Don’t throw it too hard,” Dean said.

  Ava flicked her wrist. The Frisbee slapped the office door. Besides being smart, mice are also strong.

  The office door creaked open. When Dean bent over to pick up the Frisbee, he heard a shaky voice coming in through the office radio.

  “It’s behind the faces,” the voice said.

  “Is there danger?” Mrs. Squeakerton asked.

  Dean crouched by the door. “Ava, come here,” he whispered. “Mom’s talking to someone on the radio.”

  Mice have their own radio station for talking to mouse colonies around the world. Ava and Dean had never heard the top-secret discussions.

  Until now.

  “So what…problem?” Mrs. Squeakerton’s voice was hard to hear.

  Ava and Dean only heard some of the words:

  “…five treasures already lost…”

  “…hundreds of years of history…”

  “…will have to leave if this goes on…”

  “…not safe…”

  Then…silence.

  “What are they saying now?” Ava asked her brother.

  Dean paused. If the voices stopped, that meant…

  The door pulled open, and Ava and Dean flopped to the ground.

  “Well, hello, little mice,” Mr. Squeakerton said. “Come in. I think we need your help.”

  The children stepped into the office. Vivian Squeakerton was a botanist. That means she studied plants. One wall of her office was covered with pressed flowers. Another showed her plant drawings. A bookcase held seeds.

  Mrs. Squeakerton spent most of her days working the dirt in the White House garden or greenhouse. She always said that Mother Nature was the greatest treasure room.

  Today she had on a nice white dress and a straw hat. Ava and Dean’s father, James F. Squeakerton, joined her on the couch. Gregory, a Secret Service mouse, stood behind them. Their smiles looked worried.

  Ava plopped onto the lace doily that served as a rug. “What’s going on, Mom? What does behind the faces mean?” she asked.

&
nbsp; “Little mice should not spy,” Mrs. Squeakerton said.

  “Then big mice should close the door,” Dean said.

  “True.” Mrs. Squeakerton brushed her hands on her skirt. “We know you’re friends with the president’s children. We need your help.”

  Ava and Dean liked sharing a house with Macey and Banks. The humans and mice talked by writing things down on paper. The friendship was new, but it seemed to be working.

  “I’m not giving back that Lego, if that’s what you’re asking.” Dean sat on the couch. “Banks gave it to me.”

  Mr. Squeakerton laughed. “No. This is something…bigger. Banks and Macey are going on a trip.”

  Mrs. Squeakerton rubbed her daughter’s head. “You see, the National Park Service gives a free pass to every fourth grader in America.”

  “Which is a great honor!” Gregory added.

  “Yes,” Mr. Squeakerton agreed. “And because Macey is in fourth grade, the First Gentleman, Dr. Abbey, is taking the kids to visit five national parks this year. Wind Cave National Park is their first one.”

  “Where’s that?” Ava asked.

  “South Dakota,” Gregory said. “It’s close to Mount Rushmore, a national memorial. The faces of four of our greatest presidents are carved on the stone!”

  “I’ve always wanted to go there!” Dean said.

  “Well…good,” Mrs. Squeakerton said. “Gregory and I will come with you.”

  “Will we fly on Air Force One?” Ava squeaked.

  “Absolutely!” Mr. Squeakerton smiled. “Now go write a note to your human friends, and we’ll get ready for the trip.”

  Ava and Dean ran to the door. But then they stopped and looked back at their parents.

  “Wait, but why are we going there?” Ava asked.

  Mr. Squeakerton cleared his throat. “That’s…um…official mouse business.”

  “What kind of mouse business?” Dean asked.

  “Top-secret official mouse business,” Mr. Squeakerton said. “Nothing for you to worry about. Run along, little mice!”

  Mice are smart. Mouse kids are especially smart. Ava and Dean knew something big had happened in South Dakota. They knew it involved faces, treasure, history, and probably danger.

  Most of all, they knew their parents weren’t telling them everything.

  “On the radio…when you were talking about behind the faces, you meant the presidents’ faces,” Ava said. “In the mountain.”

  “So we’re going there. Because there’s danger,” Dean said. “And lost treasure.”

  Mr. Squeakerton shrugged. He said to his wife, “Mice are smart, honey. We need to tell them.”

  Mrs. Squeakerton crouched low so she was at eye level with her children. “There is a colony of country mice that live in Mount Rushmore. Their Treasure Rooms have been robbed. We need to go help them. Are you mice up for the adventure?”

  Ava and Dean saluted their mom. A vacation and a chance to solve a mystery? They were in.

  So in.

  Ava and Dean poked their heads out from Macey’s backpack. South Dakota looked bright. That might have been because they stayed in the dark backpack the entire flight. Ava wished she could see the view outside the plane, especially since she missed it when she got sick the first time she flew on Air Force One. But it was safer this way. Safe but not fun. Gregory’s foot was in Dean’s face most of the time. And now Gregory could not stop talking. He just kept shouting Mount Rushmore facts.

  “Did you know it took fourteen years to carve Mount Rushmore?”

  “Did you know there is a cave behind Abraham Lincoln’s face called the Hall of Records?”

  “Did you know the whole project cost almost a million dollars? That’s like twenty million dollars today….”

  “No, we didn’t!” Dean yelled, then took a deep breath. “We don’t know anything about Mount Rushmore. We don’t even know who we are meeting there. Mom, will you tell us now?”

  “I don’t know much myself, dear. I just know we’re meeting a mouse named Mina Testerman today at three p.m.” Mrs. Squeakerton ran her hand along Dean’s ears. “Why don’t you hop over to Macey’s pocket and give her this note? Be safe, little mice.”

  So Ava and Dean hurried out of the backpack. The Abbey kids stood in front of the Avenue of Flags, a long walkway displaying the state flags. Beyond that was…

  “Whoa,” Dean said.

  “Mount Rushmore,” Ava said.

  “Whoa,” Dean said again.

  The blue sky stretched across Mount Rushmore. The presidential faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln looked out on the green forest. Washington’s eyes even seemed to twinkle.

  As amazing as it was to see the mountain, the mice didn’t want anyone seeing them. They scurried into a mesh pocket in Macey’s hiking vest.

  “Hey, friends!” Macey patted her pocket. “I’m glad you can still see everything from there. It’s fun having you come on this adventure with us.”

  “I can’t believe how big this mountain is,” Banks said. “The memorials in Washington, D.C., are neat, but this is huge. I wonder how long this took to create.”

  Dean knew Gregory was mumbling the answer from inside the backpack.

  The more Dean learned about Mount Rushmore, the more it fascinated him. He wanted to be an architect when he grew up, and seeing such a large sculpture was almost as cool as seeing tall buildings.

  Ava tapped Macey with a rolled-up sheet of paper. Macey read the note out loud.

  Dear Macey and Banks,

  Thanks for bringing us to South Dakota! We know you will see Wind Cave National Park next. You should also see the Crazy Horse Memorial. Maybe even the bison at Custer State Park. Isn’t our country cool to explore?

  Before you leave, will you please drop us at the Sculptor’s Studio? Don’t worry. We’ll stay out of trouble. We are just visiting family. Let us know when you will be back. And meanwhile, we’ll get you a souvenir!

  Your friends,

  Ava and Dean

  “How can you possibly have family in the middle of the wilderness?” Macey asked.

  “Maybe all mice are family. Maybe all mice are smart,” Banks said. “I mean, these mice wear clothes. We saw one dressed like Abe Lincoln. Who knows what’s happening in their mouse world.”

  This was very clever. For a human.

  Macey looked into her pocket. “Are you sure you want to stay overnight in the great outdoors? This isn’t the cozy White House.”

  “True. There are lots of dangers outside,” Banks added. “Predators, weather, avalanches…”

  Ava and Dean had never slept outside in their life! Where were they supposed to sleep? They hadn’t brought pillows. What would they eat? Country mice often ate things like berries and seeds. Did they have to gather food themselves? What about water?

  Maybe the Squeakerton parents hadn’t planned for this adventure.

  “I would feel better about dropping you off at a building instead of on a trail,” Macey said. “You are house mice.”

  “Yes! Our dad read us a story about that once,” Banks said. “ ‘The City Mouse and the Country Mouse.’ What happened again, Macey?”

  “Didn’t the mice get eaten?” Macey asked.

  Ava and Dean gulped.

  “No, no. They learned there is good and bad in each place,” Banks said. “Something like that. Wait. Maybe only one mouse got eaten.”

  A man with a stiff green hat and pointy elbows shook hands with the Abbey kids. Behind him stood five Secret Service agents, three cameramen, and one press secretary. “Hi! My name is Ranger Dan. I’m taking you on a hike on the Presidential Trail. We’ll head up just as soon as your father is done with the press conference.”

  The group waited as the First Gentleman tied his hiking boots. Then he said, “I’m so excited to tour the country, visiting different national parks, monuments, and memorials with my kids as part of my new project: See This Nation with Your Family!
” He waved at the cameras. “The average parent only spends a few moments of quality time a day with their kids, but the average kid uses hours of technology. Hours! Less screen time and more family time, America.”

  Too bad the whole family couldn’t make it. President Abbey was back at the White House. There was a crisis, but no one outside of the Situation Room knew that. Ava and Dean didn’t quite know what the word crisis meant, but they knew the president worked hard to keep America safe.

  “Let’s start walking, Ranger Dan!” Dr. Abbey said.

  The walk was very slow because the Abbey kids had to stop and take lots of pictures. Pictures walking along the pathway, pictures next to trees, pictures hiking up the 422 stairs. As they walked, Ranger Dan shared facts about Mount Rushmore.

  “And look! We also have beautiful wildlife at the park. Do you see that mountain goat on the cliff?”

  Banks picked up his binoculars. Ava and Dean couldn’t see clearly through the mesh. Dean had been nervous since he heard the word predators. What did goats eat again?

  “You can also see jackrabbits, mule deer, and my favorite, the Townsend’s solitaire. These birds are often seen alone. And aren’t the pines wonderful?”

  Ava was starting to understand her mother’s love of nature. The air was crisp and the sunlight warm. There was a special kind of peace and quiet that she’d never felt anywhere else.

  But this is an adventure story. And in adventures, peace and quiet don’t last very long.

  “Excuse me!” a man in a cowboy hat shouted. “Dr. Abbey! Dr. Abbey! We want to talk with you.”

  A group of humans wearing jeans, vests, and flannel shirts walked up the pathway. The Secret Service agents stood in front of the Abbey family.