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First published in the United States of America by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2015
This edition published in 2019
By Egmont UK Limited
The Yellow Building, 1 Nicholas Road, London W11 4AN
Text copyright © 2015 Max Brallier
Illustrations copyright © 2015 Douglas Holgate
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted.
First e-book edition 2019
ISBN 978 1 4052 9512 3
Ebook ISBN 978 1 4052 9513 0
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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For my Lila Bean.
– M. B.
For Turtle and Panda.
– D. H.
CONTENTS
So, we are about to be astro-blasted. Catapulted and launched. Propelled off the roof of our tree house by something called the Sled-Shot.
Why? Why load ourselves into a massive slingshot and blast ourselves off the roof?
Why did some old guy climb Mount Everest? BECAUSE IT’S THERE!!!
Actually, that’s not the reason at all. The Sled-Shot was of course not just ‘there’. My best friend, Quint Baker, built it.
‘Quint, are you sure this is safe?’ I ask.
He thinks for a moment, then says, ‘No. But I’m not not sure.’
‘What’s the matter? A little nervous, Jack?’
That’s my buddy-crush, June Del Toro. I know she’s teasing me, but I actually do feel kind of queasy. Usually, I’m super gung-ho about all things action, no matter the danger. But not this.
I give the Sled-Shot a final look before