The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond. Max Brallier

      

      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

       www.egmont.co.uk

      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

       Cover

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

       Map of Wakefield

       chapter one

       chapter two

       chapter three

       chapter four

chapter five

       chapter six

       chapter seven

       chapter eight

       chapter nine

       chapter ten

       chapter eleven

       chapter twelve

       chapter thirteen

       chapter fourteen

       chapter fifteen

       chapter sixteen

       chapter seventeen

       chapter eighteen

       chapter nineteen

       chapter twenty

       chapter twenty-one

       chapter twenty-two

       chapter twenty-three

       Acknowledgments

       About the Author

chapter one

      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