CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU CRACKED THE CODES.
I’D LIKE TO THINK I HAD
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO DO
WITH YOUR SUCCESS. I MEAN,
I ALWAYS KNEW YOU
HAD IT IN YOU.
WHAT?
WELL, I DIDN’T EXACTLY
CALL YOU A LOSER. YES,
I MAY HAVE SUGGESTED
THAT YOU WOULD FAIL.
BUT IT WAS ALL IN
GOOD FUN. YOU KNOW,
I WAS TRYING TO SPARK
A DESIRE TO PROVE
ME WRONG. YEAH.
THAT’S WHAT I WAS
DOING . . .
AND IT WORKED!
ALL THOSE PUT-DOWNS
AND INSULTS MADE YOU
INTO A FIRST-RATE SECRET
AGENT. WHEN THE PRESIDENT
AWARDS YOU THE MEDAL
OF FREEDOM SOMEDAY,
I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU
THANK ME, THE GUY WHO
MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE.
I MEAN, IF I HADN’T SEEN
YOUR POTENTIAL WHEN
EVERYONE ELSE WAS READY
TO GIVE UP ON YOU, WELL,
WHO KNOWS WHERE YOU WOULD
HAVE ENDED UP!
YOU’RE NOT BUYING ANY
OF THIS, ARE YOU?
FINE . . . FINE.
SO, YOU ARE NOW
OFFICIALLY A MEMBER
OF NERDS, WITH ALL
THE PRIVILEGES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES. I’D
LIKE TO WELCOME YOU
PERSONALLY.
Acknowledgments
Many secret agents to thank: Susan Van Metre for believing in this series; Chad W. Beckerman for his inspired art direction and Ethen Beavers for his fantastic art (you are why kids buy these books!); Jason Wells, who shouts to the heavens about what I do; as well as everyone at Amulet Books for their incredible support.
Thanks to Alison Fargis and her entire team at the Stonesong Press. Thanks to Alison for marrying me, and giving me Finn, too. Thanks to Joe Deasy for being an eager reader, even after a dozen drafts. Thanks to Howard Sanders and his lovely family: Zoe, Sylvie, and Phoebe. Thanks to Lauren Meltzner, and everyone at UTA. Thanks, thanks, thanks!
About the Author
Michael Buckley, a former member of NERDS, now spends his time writing. In addition to the top-secret file you are holding, Michael has written the New York Times bestselling Sisters Grimm series, which has been published in more than twenty languages. He has also created shows for Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., TLC, and Nickelodeon. He lives with his wife and their son, but if he told you where, he’d have to kill you.
This book was art directed and designed by Agent Chad W. Beckerman. The illustrations were created by Agent Ethen Beavers.
YOU STILL HERE?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE
TO GET YOU OFF
THAT COUCH?
FINE. I’LL GIVE YOU
A PEEK AT THE NEXT
NERDS CASE FILE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO
BUY THE REST!
The Cheerleaders of Doom
By Michael Buckley
Read NERDS: Book Three today!
Contrary to the belief of nearly everyone who knew him, Heathcliff Hodges was not insane. All you had to do was ask him. Sure, he was angry and irrational and had attacked several of the guards at the Arlington Hospital for the Criminally Insane, but anyone would react that way if they had to sit in the group therapy room 414 three hours a day learning how to hug. Every day he and a collection of insane misfits talked about their feelings. It was driving him bonkers.
“I almost destroyed the world,” Dr. Trouble cried, tears streaming out of the eye holes of the huge black mask he refused to take off his head. It had big antler-like appendages that were incredibly distracting. They were also prone to poking the other patients in the eyes. “I mean, I was this close! If I could have just gotten my mystic pyramid to line up correctly with the path of the sun I would have fried the entire Earth like an egg!”