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Listen, Street Punk. You're A Guy, And You're A Couple Inches Taller, And Maybe Forty Pounds Heavier, And Ooh, You're In A Gang. But I've Survived Ten Years Of Catholic School, And I Will Cut You Off At Your Knees Without A Blink. Do You Understand?

-James Patterson

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Listen, Street Punk. You're

James Patterson

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Listen, Street Punk. You're A Guy, And You're A Couple Inches Taller, And Maybe Forty Pounds Heavier, And Ooh, You're In A Gang. But I've Survived Ten Years Of Catholic School, And I Will Cut You Off At Your Knees Without A Blink. Do You Understand?

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Walking Over To Iggy, He Poked Him With His Shoe. "does Anysing On You Vork Properly?" Iggy Rubbed His Forehead With One Hand. "well, I Have A Highly Developed Sense Of Irony." Ter Borcht Tsked. "you Are A Liability To Your Group. I Assume You Alvays Hold Onto Someone's Shirt, Yes? Following Dem Closely?" "only When I'm Trying To Steal Their Dessert," Iggy Said Truthfully.

Part 3 Back To School (the Normal Kind)

Fang? Are You- Like Max?" Asked Dr. Martinez. "nope,"he Said, Sounding Bored. "i'm The Smart One." I Resisted The Urge To Kick Him In The Shin.

Why Can't You Just Get Out Of Here And Leave Me Alone?"i Bellowed. "i Can't!" Dylan Shouted Back,his Face Twisted With An Anger I'd Never Seen From Him. "you Can,"i Said Through Gritted Teeth."just Point Your Wings That Way And Flap!

Unfortunately, Every Time Someone Said “debriefing,” The Entire Flock Had One Image: Someone’s Tighty-whities Disappearing In A Flash. We Were Smothering Our Giggles, But It Was Getting Harder. Coupled With The Whole “naval This, And Naval That,” With Its Undeniable Belly-button Connotations, We Were Essentially Turning Into A Sugar-jacked, Sleep-deprived Flock Of Incoherent, Silly, Recombinant-dna Goofballs. This Was Not Going To End Well.

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What Was Premeditated Murder If Not Calculated Leverage?

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I Won’t Lie To You—it Was Hilarious. Yes, We Were In Trouble, Yes, This Was A Disaster, And So One And So Forth, But I Have To Say, Seeing Those Upturned Faces, The Looks, Was Bout The Best Thing That Happened To Us Since We’d Come To New York.

Listen, Street Punk. You're A Guy, And You're A Couple Inches Taller, And Maybe Forty Pounds Heavier, And Ooh, You're In A Gang. But I've Survived Ten Years Of Catholic School, And I Will Cut You Off At Your Knees Without A Blink. Do You Understand?

The Best Way To Get Kids Reading More Is To Give Them Books That They'll Gobble Up - And That Will Make Them Ask For Another.

Why Aren't Crazy People Content To Take Over, Like, One Town? It Always Has To Be The Whole Word. They Can't Just Control Maybe Twenty People. The Have To Control Everyone. The Can't Just Be Stinking Rich. The Can't Just Do Genetic Experiments On A Couple Unlucky Few. They Have To Put Something In The Water. In The Air. To Get Everyone. I Was Tired Of All Of It.

Boy, You Just Can't Kill People Like You Used To.

My Life Would Never Contain A Convenient, Pain-saving Plan When It Could Stretch A Problem Out Into An Endless Agony Of Uncertainty And Torture.

Keep This In Mind: There Are No Coincidences.

"there Is One Bright Side To This," Said Fang. "yeah? What's That?" The New And Improved Erasers Would Mutilate Us Before They Killed Us? He Grinned At Me So Unexpectedly I Gorgot To Flap For A Second And Dropped Several Feet. "you Looove Me," He Crooned Smugly. Holding His Arms Out Wide, He Added, "you Love Me This Much." My Shriek Of Appalled Rage Could Probably Be Heard In California, Or Maybe Hawaii.

Did You Know That Wasn’t Me, The Other Max?” I Asked. “yeah.” “when?” “right Away.” “how?” I Persisted. “we Look Identical. She Even Had Identical Scars And Scratches. She Was Wearing My Clothes. How Could You Tell Us Apart?” He Turned To Me And Grinned, Making My World Brighter. “she Offered To Cook Breakfast.

Six Seconds Should Be Rick Mofina's Breakout Thriller. It Moves Like A Tornado.

It's Okay, Ig." Said Fang. "just Give It Your Best Shot." Sometimes The Fangster Is Incredibly Supportive, Just Not With Me.

Life Is Hard, And A Lot Of People Come Home Tired From Work. If They're Gonna Spend Half An Hour Reading, They Want Some Entertainment And A Sense Of Achievement. So That's What I Give Them. That's All I'm Trying To Do. Is That Really So Wrong?

Holy [insert Your Choice Of A Swear Word Here]," Said Fang Stunned.

Fang Will Be The First To Die

What I Said Yesterday Didn't Mean Anything! I Love Everyone In The Flock! Plus, It Was The Valium Talking!" "uh-huh. You Just Keep Telling Yourself That. You Looove Me." Max: (tries To Punch Him) "pick A Tree. I'll Go Carve Our Initials In It." Max: (screams And Runs Into Bathroom)

The Hardest Part About Parenting Is When I Have To Be The Dad--aka The Fun-sucker--as Opposed To Being A Friend.

Max, You're The Last Of The Hybrids Who Still Has...a Soul.' ... 'she Doesn't Have Soul,' Gazzy Scoffed. 'have You Ever Seen Her Dance?

Congratulations. The Fact That You're Reading This Means You've Taken One Giant Step Closer To Surviving Until Your Next Birthday.

Congratulations

Fear Is Not The Answer, Not Ever.

Jeezum—humans Were Like Eggshells.

Nowhere Will You Meet More Interesting People Than In Books.

I Don't Know Why, But Life Is Usually More Complicated Than The Plans That We Make.

Yeah, And So Max And Dylan Are Supposed To, Like, Go To Germany And Have Kids Together," I Heard Gazzy Say. My Eyes Popped Open And I Bolted Upright. "what?" Fang Said, His Voice Icy. "gazzy!" I Yelled. Wide Blue Eyes Looked At Me In Surprise, Then Back At Fang's Stoic Face. "oh. Was I Not Supposed To Say Anything?" Gazzy Asked.

I Play A Mean Harmonica

You're A Diabolical Little Pyro, Aren't You? He Blushed Modestly.

Warning If You Dare To Read This Story, You Become Part Of The Experiment

People Always Remember The Worst Day Of Their Lifes. It Becomes A Part Of Them Forever.

Can I Come In? No! I'm In A Towel! I'm Blind!

You Love Him So Much It Feels Like You Can't Go On Without Him. You Feel Like You Might Die Without Him.

Have You Ever Been To Colorado?" I Frowned. "is That One Of Those Square Ones, In The Middle?

I Knew My Transformation Was Complete When Dr.keyes Asked, "how Are You Feeling Today, Tandy?" And I Responded "i'm Not

Bombs Are Good. I Love Bombs."--iggy

Part 5 The Voice- Make That My Voice

The Act Of Laughing Releases Some Nice Chemical Into Your Brain, You Feel Good And It's Free.

He Landed 10 Feet Below With A Sickening Crunch-i'm Guessing His Enhancements Didn't Allow Him To Bounce Back Up Like A Ball. We Call That A Design Flaw.

I Never Miss A Good Chance To Shut Up

Witihin Seconds The Headhunter Had Lost Control Of His Car And It Squealed, Sliding Sideways Right Into Several Other Cars. Cool!' Said The Gasman.

When You Go Out To Hollywood, It's Like, "here's The Book. It Is What It Is. It'll Always Stay The Same."

It Is What It Is

Fang And I Searched In Every Way We Could Think Of And Found A Million Institutes Of One Kind Or Another, In Manhattan And Throughout New York State, But None Of Them Seemed Promising. My Favorite? The Institute For Realizing Your Pet's Inner Potential. Anyone Who Can Explain That To Me, Drop A Line.

Then I Found It: The Source Of The Blood, The Place Where He'd Been Shot. 'total?' I Said, And I Got A Slight Whimper. 'you Have A Boo-boo On Your Tail.

I'm Very Emotional. I Do Feel Stuff, For Better Or Worse.

I Hate You!” I Screamed At Fang. Tucking My Wings In, I Aimed Downward, Diving Toward The Ground At More Than Two Hundred Miles An Hour. “no You Dooonnn’t!” Fang’s Voice Spiraled Away Into Nothingness, Far Above Me. Inside My Head, Almost Drowned Out By The Roar Of Wind Rushing By My Ears, I Heard The Voice Make A Tsking Sound. You Guys Are Crazy About Each Other, It Said.

When Did They Start Coming After You?” “was It—was It After The Oil- Slick Hummer Crash?” The Gasman Asked Iggy Tentatively. My Eyes Widened. Oil-slick Hummer Crash? Iggy Rubbed His Chin, Thinking. “or Maybe It Was More---after The Bomb,” The Gasman Said In A Low Voice, Looking Down. “i Think It Was The Bomb,” Iggy Agreed. “that Definitely Seemed To Tick Them Off.” “bomb?” I Asked Incredulously.

I'm Big On Having A Blistering Pace. That's One Of The Hallmarks Of What I Do, And That's Not Easy. I Never Blow Up Cars And Things Like That, So It's Something Else That Keeps The Suspense Flowing. I Try Not To Write A Chapter That Isn't Going To Turn On The Movie Projector In Your Head.

I Don't Get A Chance To Be Funny With The Thrillers. I Like To Be Funny, And I Think I Am Really Funny. So With 'middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life', It Was Fun To Let Loose.

Hey. Not Sure What’s Going On-gonna Go Find Out. Be Careful And Don’t Do Anything Stupid. Don’t Come After Me-your Better On Your Own. See You. F I Sat On The Edge Of The Bed, Holding The Note. Okay, So Fang Had Looked Up Vague In The Dictionary And This Was What It Had Said To Write.

Fang! Angel?" I Yelled, Not Even Trying For Stealth. I Was Storming The Castle, Not Stealing The Jewels.

He [iggy] Started Reaching For Things Around The Table, And His Hand Landed On Total. “you’re Black.” “i Prefer Canine-american,” Said Total.

I Guess I Write Four Or Five Hours A Day, But I Do It Seven Days A Week. It's Very Disciplined, Yes, But It's Joy For Me.

For Me, "zoo" Has Always Been A Fable. It Has Nothing To Do With Realism. It's A Fable About What Man Is Doing To The World, And The Animals Have Retribution. But In The Real World, This Would Not Happen. But In The World Of 1984, This Kind Of Thing Can Happen In A Story.

Here's What I Was Thinking About:1.who The New Threat Was 2.the Air Show In Mexico City 3.how To Get Total To Quit Milking His Injury, Because Enough Was Enough 4. My Mom And Half Sister Ella 5.fang 6.fang 7.fang

What Are We But Our Stories?

And Then As Always, I Saw The Prayer Coming At Me. And, As Always, Number 1 Killed Me! Set Me On Fire, Cooked Me To Medium Rare And Then Ate Me! I Really, Really, Really Hope I Haven't Just Given Away The Ending Of This Story.

I Looked Into Her Eyes. "mom, Who Do You Pray To?" I Just Pray, Daniel. That's All.

Yes," I Said. "my Name Is Seven-five-nine-nine-three-nine-ex-dash-one. Junior.

Max?” Said The Gasman. “are Those, Um, Rats?” Lovely. “yes, Those Do Appear To Be Either Rats Or Mice On Steroids,” I Said Briskly, Trying Not To Shriek And Climb The Walls Like A Girly-girl.

Jane-sweetie, We've Talked About Your Weight-" My Mother Began. I'm Only Eight Years Old," I Said. "how About I Promise To Be Anorexic Later?

It's Been Said That Love Finds You When You're Ready.

You Love Me This Much.

Okay, If This Is What Falling In Love Feels Like, Someone Please Kill Me Now. (not Literally, Overzealous Readers.) But It Was All Too Much - Too Much Emotion, Too Much Happiness, Too Much Longing, Perhaps Too Much Ice Cream.

Falling In Love

I Don't Know About The Rest Of You Who Have Little Voices, But Something About Mine Made Me Feel Completely Compelled To Listen To It.

If You Love Something Let It Go.. If It Comes Back Its Yours

Love Coming Back

Letting Things Go

Good Memories Are Like Charms...each Is Special. You Collect Them, One By One, Until One Day You Look Back And Discover They Make A Long, Colorful Bracelet.

Max, If You Survive Your Final Test, Can You Steal Me One Of Those Magic Outfits For Me?" I'll Try To Get One For Each Of Us. Hey! 'if'?

You Mean Other Than The Wings? I Once Ate Nine Snicker Bars In A Row Without Barfing. It Was A Record.

What Happened To Your Tan?"--fang "it Was Dirt." --max

I Took A Bite Of Cookie And Chewed. “hmmm,” I Said, Trying Not To Spit Crumbs. “clear Vanilla Notes, Too-sweet Chocolate Chips, Distinct Flavor Of Brown Sugar. A Decent Cookie, Not Spectacular. Still, A Good-hearted Cookie, Not Pretentious.” I Turned To Fang. “what Say You?” “it’s Fine.” Some People Just Don’t Have What It Takes To Appreciate A Cookie.

I Have An Idea. It’s Risky, And Max Will Kill Us When She Finds Out.” Iggy Raised His Head. “sounds Like My Kind Of Idea.

It's Our Job - As Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles - To Find Books Our Kids Are Going To Like.

Let's Just Say That If These Scientist Had Been Using Their Brilliance For Good Instead Of Evil, Cars Would Run Off Water Vapor And Leave Fresh Compost Behind Them; No One Would Be Hungry; No One Would Be Ill; All Buildings Would Be Earthquake-, Bomb-, And Flood-proof; And The World's Entire Economy Would Have Collapsed And Been Replaced By One Based On The Value Of Chocolate.

It's Funny How Different People Are. If I'd Been This Kid And Someone Was Snarling "ordering A Pizza?" At Me, Without Even Thinking, I Would Have Snarled Back "yeah. You Want Pepperoni?" -maximum Ride

You're My Best Friend, My First And Only Love, And The Most Beautiful Girl I've Ever Seen

You See, One Of The Best Things About Reading Is That You'll Always Have Something To Think About When You're Not Reading.

A Classroom . People Trying To Stick Me In Classrooms Was Becoming As Predictable And Annoying As People Trying To Kill Me, But With Less-fun Results.

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Steve Prefontaine

Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

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