Mission Microraptor — Philip Kavvadias

A boy tries to protect his new dinosaur companion by hiding out in the wilderness in this hilarious and action-packed first book in the R.A.P.T.O.R. middle grade series perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Jurassic Park.Finn is more of a video games and pizza guy than a hiking guy. So when his class takes a field trip to the Alps, he and his assigned partner Milo take a shortcut back to the hotel. On the way, they stumble upon an egg buried in ice and decide to take it with them. Later that night, the egg hatches and a baby Microraptor is brought back from extinction. Finn quickly bonds with the hatchling—who he names Arty—but he’s not the only one interested in the paleontological anomaly. From agents of the British Museum of Natural History to corporate goons for hire, everyone wants to get their hands on the discovery of the century. Before they know it, Finn and Milo are on the run to protect both their lives and Arty’s, seeking refuge in the woods. It seems like hiking is in their future after all...