text: There are many people to whom I am indebted for their help, their support, and their incredible kindnesses along the way.
  
  To readers, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, reviewers, dear friends, and fellow authors, who have embraced "Sid," and by extension, me, please know, your hugs are everything.
  
  Tom Carbone, a man who for some reason answered an email with a subject line of "help," I will always be grateful. Without you, Sid's gaming would have no Veritas, nor Gravitas— neither truth nor dignity. Thank you, Tom, for leveling me up, and then some.
  
  Taycora Canfield, who took my call and introduced me to both Robotics and the amazing students who comprise Team 79 KRUNCH. Thank you, Coach Canfield. And thank you Kelley Hays. And thank you East Lake High School students Kayley Brkljacic, Carter Dabney, Jack Daniels, Allie Ghisson, Alex Iannucci, Aaron Lang, Orion Mendes, Alex Pelletier, Joe Sanders, Canada Tibbatts, and Austin Viens-DeRuisseau for a most amazing afternoon. Your commitment and enthusiasm took this story unexpected places.
  
  FIRST® INSPIRES. Dean Kamen and Dr. Woodie Flowers, what an amazing organization you have built. I was thrilled to "borrow" a small part of it. Haley Dunn and Amanda Bessette, thank you for making that possible and real. Thank you all for inspiring so many to achieve brainy rock stardom.
  
  Fay Jacobs. More than a wordsmith par excellence, you are an adept translator of gibberish, a reader of writer's tongue, and a soother of writer's nerves. And you are my friend. Thank You.
  
  Russell Kolody, for always "riding shotgun" when I need it, thank you.
  
  Shamim Sarif and Hanan Kattan, "Annie" adores you. Alex Kelm, it was a most surprising and helpful conversation, thank you. Pat Heil. Scrabbits. Just perfect. To Ellen Burditt and Joe Saraceni, thank you for the backstopping. Ann Aptaker, Jesikah Sundin, Amanda June Hagarty, Sheryl Wright, Gregory Murphy, Michael Boyle, Brenda Abell… it truly does take a village, thank you.
  
  Cheryl Head. Thank you for the phone support. Rachel Talalay. Thank you for saying Sid is "that kind of cool."
  
  Ann McMan. Your cover art leaves me striving to write "worthy."
  
  Bywater Books. My Publisher. Thank you all for believing in me and loving "Sid." Salem West, Marianne K. Martin— you make the world a better place. Elizabeth Andersen and Nancy Squires, my copy editing and proofreading pals, you make it easier to understand.
  
  For friends, who take that extra minute to ask how it's going.
  
  And for family, who doesn't, because they already know.
  
  And for Nancy Prescott, my partner, who knows, but asks anyway.
  
  She makes this journey possible.
  
  I love you all.