Mouse in a Bottle is a middle grade adventure novel that weaves in science concepts of sailing, navigation, ocean currents, and communication into a story of adventure and love.
Twelve-year-old Maya lives in Daphne, Alabama, along with her parents and pet mouse, Coco. Coco’s world turns upside down when she finds herself adrift in the Gulf of Mexico, trapped inside a ship in a bottle.
Alone and uncertain, Coco must find the courage to trust in her love for Maya. Will she overcome her fears and find her way back home?
And how far will Maya go to get Coco back?
This is the first of my science adventure series: The Adventures of Coco the Mouse
Upcoming titles in this series include: Mouse Aglow and Mouse in Motion.
The cover art was done in acrylic paints by me.
Mouse in a Bottle is available on Amazon. Please follow the link below.
Paperback: $9.99
Mouse in a Bottle can also be purchased on amazon.in, flipkart, and Notion Press store.
Paperback: Rs. 299
Hardcover: Rs. 449
amazon.in: https://amzn.in/d/02TrXugt
Notion Press Store: https://direct.notionpress.com/in/read/mouse-in-a-bottle
Preface
Coco woke to gentle rocking, stretching as the warm sunlight hit her back. She lazily opened her eyes. An unfamiliar world appeared before her. Her eyes flew open. Wait! Is that the ship?
It was. The magnificent ship stood before her, its sails standing proud and erect. The bottle that held the ship shone in the bright sunlight.
I must have fallen asleep on the deck, Coco thought, springing to her feet.
She jumped off the ship and ran to the neck of the bottle, eager to escape. To her shock, the cork was shut tight, trapping her in.
Fighting her rising fear, Coco scampered about the bottle, hoping to see Maya. What she saw instead shook her to the core. Where she expected to see sand, there was water. Frantically, she looked around for Maya. Where was the beach, the sandcastle, the beach towel? Where were Maya and Dave? Everywhere she looked, she only saw endless water.
Coco ran blindly around the bottle, her throat tightening in panic. She was alone. Everywhere she turned, she met with the confines of the bottle or the hull of the ship within it.
Overwhelmed by a strong desire to escape, she tore from one end to another. A sudden gust shook the bottle, throwing Coco to the side.
“Ouch,” she yelped, clutching her head where it had struck the glass. Rubbing it gingerly, Coco rose onto her hind paws, steadying herself against the glass. She scanned the horizon for any sign of land.
There was none.
Coco was adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.
***
Coco’s mind raced as she tried to comprehend what had happened. I was in and out of the bottle, getting crumbs. It was hot. I must have fallen asleep when Maya and Dave stopped playing with me. Coco pieced the story together. The waves must have taken the bottle. Why didn’t Maya take care of me? How mean of her! Did she do this on purpose? Coco’s mind went into overdrive.
Calm down. Think. Coco scolded herself harshly. Picking up a pumpkin seed that lay close to her, she chewed on it thoughtfully, thinking about how she had gotten into this mess.
Her thoughts drifted back a few days, when she had been grabbing the pumpkin seeds that Maya offered to her while she scampered about on Maya’s belly. She could hear Dad’s voice echoing in her ears as he came looking for Maya after work.
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