An oddball family goes on a scavenger hunt to recover their grandfather’s dead body. It takes a special (crazy?) group of people to think that’s a good idea for a children’s book, starting with the dynamic duo at Adams Literary (thanks, Josh and Tracy) and extending to the equally talented group at HarperCollins: Tiara Kittrell, Katie Fitch, Amy Ryan, Megan Barlog, Ann Dye, and Meghan Pettit—thank you all for all your contributions. To Renée Cafiero and Laaren Brown, thanks for making my messy manuscript readable. Much gratitude to Deb Kovaks and Donna Bray for continuing to believe in me—you are the Masters of the Universe. Special thanks goes to my partner in crime, the Broomstache to my Freckles, Jordan Brown, who knows more about ThunderCats than I do, proving, once again, that I will never be as cool as him.
To my incredible family: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. And even if you should happen to catch a glimpse of your personalities or eccentricates in any of the characters, it’s not my fault. You raised me, encouraged me, supported me, loved me, and inspired me. You are the reason I write, so really you have only yourselves to blame.
Finally, to all the oddballs out there—the kooky, nutty, wackadoodles who dance to their own special tune—remember this: being out of the ordinary only makes you extraordinary. So keep dancing.