Rise of the Dirtlings: Book 1 of the Enkep Series

Eighth graders, Wilson Josephs and Jeremiah Thompson have never fought an army of biting, clawing creatures. They've never wandered through dark caves, dodged government agents, encountered strange cave dwellers or come face to face with Sasquatch-looking beasts. All they know is how to dodge the junior high school bully, Melvin Matthews. Mel and his gang, Zachary Schmitt and Paul "Pails" Olsen, are a constant torment and tease. However, all of that is about to change when the school janitor finds an ancient Sumerian pendant: a pendant that gives strange but draining powers. With it the janitor, Mr. "Jed" Jediason, finds himself in charge of a vicious army of creatures. In the ensuing invasion Wilson and Jeremiah see combat with monsters, endure underground survival and learn the truth about the pendant. If they can somehow unite with Mel and his gang, they may survive.