When some of his gerbils escape and he gets in trouble for not paying attention in class, fourth-grader Andy Russell worries about asking if a friend can move in with his family--especially when he learns that his mother is going to have another baby.

When seventh grader Nicholas V. Landrew, his beloved pet gerbil Henrietta, and a package of ground beef are beamed aboard an alien space ship, they soon find themselves on the run in a madcap chase across the universe. Now all Nicholas wants to do is get back home before his parents find out and ground him forever, but with the Universal Police hot on his trail, that won't be easy. Before it's all over, Henrietta will find herself safely ensconced...

Emily has enjoyed her pet gerbil for five years, but one day after school she finds Petey huddled up in a corner of his cage.

D.W. volunteers to take care of the class gerbil during Christmas vacation and finds that he is difficult to keep track of.

Mandy and James find a runaway gerbil by the river.

"Nicholas, Jeef, and Henrietta the gerbil face their most existential crisis yet when the universe is attacked by beings from a parallel universe intent on conquering every other parallel universe. If Nicholas fails in his mission to defend the universe, it'll mean the end of life itself...."--