Revenge of the EngiNerds

by Jarrett Lerner

  My heart starts to beat a bit harder.

  Sweat prickles up on my forehead and the back of my neck.

  Is the alien’s reason for being here so terrible that he can’t even bear to tell us?

  FFFffpffweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-PARP!

  It sounds like someone with a too-tiny mouth trying to play a trumpet, followed by that same someone burping and popping a bubble at the same time.

  The alien rests a hand on his stomach.

  “Excuse me,” he says, opening his eyes. “Those Food-Plus veggie burgers are not sitting well.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, I am here to let you know that your planet is in grave danger. If something is not done, it will be reduced to dust within a week.”

  Beside me, Mikaela gulps.

  “A . . . week?” she says.

  The alien lifts a shoulder, then lets is fall.

  “Two if you’re lucky.”

  Acknowledgments

  THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY and friends for the love and countless other things.

  Thank you to Myrsini Stephanides for the support, encouragement, and advocacy. Also for patiently explaining (and then occasionally re-explaining) all the stuff about this book-making business that I don’t understand.

  Thank you to Karen Nagel and Tricia Lin for the attention, care, and enthusiasm you’ve shown these books, in particular when you’re (kindly, constructively) telling me they aren’t as good as they can be and helping me make them so much better.

  Thank you to Serge Seidlitz for yet another unbelievably awesome cover.

  Thank you to Karin Paprocki, Beth Adelman, Hilary Zarycky, Mara Anastas, and everyone else at Simon & Schuster/Aladdin who had a hand in making this book a reality.

  Thank you to every educator, librarian, bookseller, parent, and other person who has helped get my books into the hands of young readers. And thanks especially to those educators and librarians who have become such a cherished part of my book life—you know who you are, and you should know that you were already included in these acknowledgments when I thanked my “family and friends.”

  Thank you to my debut group, and all the other creators I’ve met on this journey so far, for the camaraderie, whether we’re celebrating, commiserating, or critiquing.

  And a big, huge, heartfelt THANK-YOU to my readers, every single one of the kids (and kids at heart) I’ve been lucky enough to meet, listen to, learn from, and share the excitement of stories and storytelling with.

  And last but most of all, thank you to my two everythings: Danni and Isla.

  About the Author

  Illustration by Jarrett Lerner

  JARRETT LERNER KNOWS THERE’S FAR more he doesn’t know than he knows. (In other words, he’s pretty sure there are aliens out there, somewhere or other.) He lives with his wife, his daughter, and a cat in Medford, Massachusetts. You can visit him online at jarrettlerner.com and find him on Twitter at @Jarrett_Lerner.

  JARRETTLERNER.COM

  ALADDIN

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Jarrett-Lerner

  The first epic adventure:

  EngiNerds

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

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  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Aladdin hardcover edition February 2019

  Text copyright © 2019 by Jarrett Lerner

  Jacket and interior illustrations copyright © 2019 by Serge Seidlitz

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  ALADDIN and related logo are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  Jacket designed by Karin Paprocki

  Interior designed by Hilary Zarycky

  Library of Congress Control Number 2018959532

  ISBN 978-1-4814-6874-9 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-6876-3 (eBook)