The Adventures of Rug Bug: The State of Emergency by Kay M. Bates

Rug Bug and the Dixies are back with more heroics after a housequake devastates Mousetopia in Kay M. Bates’ The Adventures of Rug Bug Vol. II: The State of Emergency. Rug Bug and his friends must negotiate a new alliance for aid and protection between the residents of the House in order to ensure their mutual survival, for a work of middle grade fiction that deftly and sensitively mirrors real-world events. Just as the first volume subtly touched on the need for representative government and clear-eyed ideals of leadership, this second installment focuses on the aftermath of a natural disaster in Mousetopia, and the many solutions and adjustments such calamities demand. Though the characters and setting may lean towards children’s fiction, this entertaining book for young readers has real substance, with an empathetic and inspiring storyline.