My sincere thanks to the many people who aided in bringing this book to life.

I’m fortunate enough to have early readers who give priceless feedback, among them Jay Kramer; Caleb, Joshua, and Lisa Edmond; Ami Rosebud and Heidi Thomas; Howa Furrow; Annaliese Furrow-Casement; Camden Furrow-Casement; and especially, once again, Rose Casement.

This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my many friends at Scholastic who worked so hard to make this book the best it could be: Joy Simpkins, Rachael Hicks, Megan Bender, Caitlin Mahon, Jody Revenson, Susan Hom, and Elizabeth Parisi. And the biggest thanks of all to Anamika B. and Andrea D. P.; their skill as readers and editors amazes me. Thank you for the many hours of work you devoted to our madman.

Huge thanks are sent to my daughters, Ayaan and Ebyaan, and my son, Libaan. You guys make every day so special and interesting.

Finally, thank you to my dear wife, Habon. Your steadiness and patience have guided me through the storms. I love you so much!