“Well, sir…”

  “Please, Max. Don’t call me sir. I told you, I’m fourteen.”

  “Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Ben. I trust the kids on my team. I’d trust them with my life. In fact, I already have.”

  “Terrific. Here’s our car.”

  He gestured toward a stretch limousine.

  “Come on. I can’t wait to show you your new apartment. I think you’ll love the neighborhood. I hear the Chinese food is terrific.”

  71

  The limo took Max and Ben to the far west side of Manhattan.

  To Max’s old neighborhood. To her old home!

  The stalls. The horse stables where Max had squatted with the other homeless people.

  “I bought the place from Mr. Sammy Monk,” said the benefactor. “Gave him twice what he was asking for. I found most of the horses new homes upstate. You know—barns, fields, oats, the works. They don’t have to haul carriages around Central Park anymore. A few horses are still here. Domino, Kit Kat, Opie.”

  Those were Max’s favorites!

  “They don’t have to do any work, either,” said the benefactor. “They just have to eat, exercise, and poop.”

  “Is Mr. Kennedy still here?” asked Max. “What about Mrs. Rabinowitz?”

  “No. We found them apartments after they had that little run-in with Dr. Zimm.”

  “What about me? What if Dr. Zimm comes looking for me?”

  “Let him try. We have twenty-four-hour security. Including some spookily sophisticated satellite stuff.”

  “Seriously?”

  The benefactor shrugged. “I still like spending some money on toys, gizmos, and gadgets. If they’re for a good cause.”

  “So, I have my own apartment?”

  “A one bedroom, one bath. We’ve set this up as transitional housing for folks who might be going through a rough patch in their lives—like Mr. Kennedy and Mrs. Rabinowitz were before my associates found them steady, good-paying jobs and more permanent housing. We also have two- and three-bedroom units for families. Oh, and Max?”

  “Yes?”

  “The heat inside is incredible. We used your idea. The green gas mill. It’s one of the reasons we kept a few horses downstairs on the first floor. We need their manure!”

  When the benefactor showed Max her brand-new, sunny apartment, she was overcome with joy.

  “Thank you, Ben,” she said, throwing her arms around the benefactor to give him a hug.

  “Uh, you’re welcome,” he said, patting her on the back and breaking the hug as quickly as he could. “Not really a hugger.”

  “Sorry.”

  “No worries.”

  “So, Max,” asked the benefactor after the awkward hug, “are you ready to solve your next problem?”

  “I think so.”

  “It’ll be a tough one. Maybe something as huge as the international water crisis. Nobody’s been able to solve that one.”

  “Then it’s time to try solving an old problem with some new thinking. Kids are good at that. After all, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’”

  The benefactor smiled. “Albert Einstein said that.”

  “I know.” Max tapped the side of her head. “Sometimes, we Einsteins all think alike.”

  WHAT WOULD MAX DO?

  Read on for fun activities and experiments you can do yourself!

  SEE THE FUTURE!

  Where is Max headed in her next action-packed adventure? Crack the codes to find out!

  How well do you know the Change Makers?

  Use information in the book about Max’s new friends and their daring trip to Africa to find out where the change makers’ next mission takes place. Record your answers on a separate piece of paper. The answer has seven letters; use one letter from each clue to decode the location. HINT: notice the clue number is not always in the same place!

  Did Albert Einstein say that?

  Finish the Albert Einstein quotes below using the book to help Max escape Dr. Zimm and make it to her next adventure! The first letter of the missing word will reveal the answer—another place Max will be traveling to in the next book… if the Corp doesn’t get her first!

  1. “_______ is more important than knowledge.”

  2. “Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. _____ cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.”

  3. “Only one who ______ not question is safe from making a mistake.”

  4. “The _____ that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth.”

  5. “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong ____ to acquire it.”

  DO IT YOURSELF! HOW TO MAKE QUINCY’S SLIME

  Materials:

  Glass mixing bowl

  Small bowl or cup

  White glue (like Elmer’s)

  Water

  Borax

  Food coloring (optional)

  Parental supervision advised: Borax can be toxic if ingested and can irritate the eyes and skin.

  Instructions:

  1. Mix 1 tablespoon of borax with one cup of water in the separate cup or bowl. Stir it so the borax dissolves completely.

  2. In the large mixing bowl, add as much white glue as you’d like (more glue = more slime). Just leave enough room in the bowl to add the borax solution.

  3. Add water to the mixing bowl with the white glue. Use the same amount of water as glue. Hint: If you used a full 8 oz bottle of glue, just fill it with water, swirl it to mix any extra glue, and pour it in. That’s the perfect amount of water.

  4. Wash your hands! (You don’t want dirt and germs in your new slime.) Now it’s time to get messy in the name of science. Use your hands to mix the water and the glue solution in the bowl.

  5. If you want colored slime, now’s the time to add a few drops of food coloring. Mix it together with your (clean) hands so the color is even.

  6. So you’re probably thinking: “This is way too sticky to be slime.” It’s because you haven’t added the final ingredient! Add just a little bit of the borax solution at a time and keep mixing as you do. Keep adding borax and mixing until you get the kind of slime you want. Go slow! You can always add more borax, but you can’t take it out.

  7. Keep kneading and working the goo until it has a smooth consistency. When you get the slime you want, take it out of the bowl and play with it—uh, that is, explore its properties—on a plate or wax paper or in a baggie. Be careful: the food coloring will stain.

  8. When you’re done learning as much as you want with your slime, just bag it up and throw it away.

  How It Works

  The glue is actually made of a polymer material. A polymer is a long chain of identical, repeating molecules. When you mix it with water and borax, it makes a putty. That’s because the chemical in borax (sodium tetraborate) takes those chains and sticks them together! The more borax, the more sticking. And boom! You’ve got slime.

  THINK LIKE AN EINSTEIN!

  Max chases a dusty sunbeam out a window and follows it through space and time. Check out some sample Thought Experiments below and try them yourself to see where your mind might travel. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” So get imagining!

  Sit on a swing or step and just stare at a shadow. Let your mind wander… then chase it!

  Where does it take you?

  What does it make you think about?

  Find a source of water: the ocean, a lake, your bathtub, the shower, a bowl of water… Stare at the water and get lost in its color and changing shape. Let your mind wander.

  What shapes do you see?

  How does it make you feel?

  What about when you’re stuck in a car or—gasp!—the power goes out at home? Try thinking about these wild What If questions.

  What if… you strapped a piece of buttered toast (butter side up) to the back of a cat, then dropped the cat from a large height. Cats always land on their feet—but toast always lands butter side down! What happens? (Psst! This is called a paradox.)

  What if… you had a big sailing ship, but over time it got old and needed repair. Eventually, you replace every single part on the ship—is it still the same ship or is it a completely new one? (Psst! This is about identity—what makes you, you?)

  What if… you had an underwater, backward sprinkler? A lawn sprinkler spins because the water jetting out forces it in the opposite direction. But what if you submerge the sprinkler and have it suck water in? Will it spin or stay still? (Psst! This is about physics, Max’s favorite subject!)

  Try writing your own Thought Experiment! Observe something around you… where does it take you?

  BE THE CHANGE!

  Max is asked to be a part of a very special team—the Change Makers Institute (CMI). The purpose of CMI is “to make significant changes to save this planet and the humans who inhabit it.” Now it is your turn to make a difference. Create your own Change Makers Club in your school or community!

  Gather a group of kids who are interested in making change. Remember to create a team like Max did where everyone brings a different skill to the club.

  Find an adult to be an advisor or helper for your club.

  With your club, think about a change you would like to make in your school or community to help improve it in some way. Try some Thought Experiments to get those brainstorms going! For example, create a program to reduce bullying in your school.

  Make a plan! Some things to think about…

  What role will each person take? (What roles existed on Max’s team? What personalities fit each role?)

  Who are the people you need to talk with to move your plan along?

  What materials will you need?

  Put your idea into action and make that change!

  Don’t stop there… reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Remember, even Albert Einstein made mistakes! Make those changes and plan your next problem to solve with your new Change Makers Club!

  MAX’S NOTEBOOK

  Newton’s Laws of Motion

  When Sir Isaac Newton was bonked on the head with an apple it gave him a knot but also a big idea! He came up with three rules to explain how objects behave in motion:

  1st Law: an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Like when you’re riding a bike! If the bike is in motion, you can coast without pedaling. But if the bike is at rest (not moving), it’ll stay that way until you give it a push.

  2nd Law: the more force you put on an object the faster it moves. But if you put the same amount of force on a bigger object, it will move slower. For example, if you push Albert Einstein on a swing, he will swing a lot slower than if you push me, Max, because grown-up Albert is a lot bigger (more mass). Force = Mass x Acceleration.

  3rd Law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Okay, let’s do an experiment. Stand up and push on the ground with your legs. You jumped in the air, right? That’s because the force you applied to the ground also propelled you into the air.

  Theory of Relativity

  This is my favorite Albert Einstein theory—but you probably already knew that! It’s actually two theories: One is called “special” relativity and the other is called “general” relativity.

  Special Relativity

  Scientists discovered that light is really cool and weird—it doesn’t act like anything else in the universe. No matter how fast you move and no matter what direction you go, the speed of light is always the same. This was very confusing to scientists, and it took Albert Einstein to figure out how this could be true: It’s only possible if time slows down!

  Scientists call this time dilation. Whether you’re riding a horse, driving a race car, or piloting a fighter jet—you measure the speed of light to be exactly the same. So time must move slower the faster you move! That’s why astronauts on the International Space Station, who are zooming around the Earth at 5 miles per second, age slower than people on Earth. Whoa.

  General Relativity

  Einstein’s other theory of relativity says that gravity (the powerful force that keeps us on planet Earth and not floating into space) and inertia (an object in motion tends to stay in motion) are pretty much the same. For instance, when an airplane speeds down the runway, the inertia pushes you against your seat in a way that feels just like gravity. This is why future spacecraft designs often have large spinning cylinders attached to them—it’s manufactured gravity for astronauts. Heavy stuff.

  Photoelectric effect

  A photon is a bundle of electromagnetic energy. It is the basic unit that makes up all light. In some cases, a photon can be absorbed by stuff (scientists call it matter) and the result is extra energy released as heat. Have you ever walked barefoot on pavement? Hot, hot, hot! That’s because blacktop absorbs the sun’s rays (i.e. photons) and releases heat.

  Sometimes, when photons interact with matter, it can release electrons, and this is called the photoelectric effect. That’s how the solar panels we installed in the Congo are able to convert light into electricity. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. I think the Change Makers should win a Nobel Prize in friendship!

  Select content was created by Room 228 Educational Consulting, with public school teacher Michelle Assaad as lead teacher.

  Art by Katy Betz

  HOW BIG IS YOUR IMAGINATION?

  Do you like to draw like Max? Send us your Max Einstein–inspired artwork at Max.Einstein@hbgusa.com or ask a parent to post your artwork on social media using the hashtag #MaxEinstein.

  Max’s adventures continue in Book #2.

  COMING SOON!

  Art by Barbara Szepesi Szucs

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community from the National Book Foundation. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, including Middle School, I Funny, and Jacky Ha-Ha, and his books have sold more than 380 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson created a children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.’” He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers, and funds more than four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities. He has also donated millions of dollars to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

  Chris Grabenstein is a New York Times bestselling author who has collaborated with James Patterson on the I Funny, Jacky Ha-Ha, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series, as well as Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment, Word of Mouse, Katt vs. Dogg, Pottymouth and Stoopid, Laugh Out Loud, and Daniel X: Armageddon. He lives in New York City.

  Beverly Johnson is an LA-based illustrator and character designer. She grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. She loves whimsical stories, clever protagonists, and fluffy cats.

  JIMMY PATTERSON BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

  James Patterson Presents

  Ernestine, Catastrophe Queen by Merrill Wyatt

  How to Be a Supervillain by Michael Fry

  How to Be a Supervillain: Born to Be Good by Michael Fry

  The Unflushables by Ron Bates

  Sci-Fi Junior High by John Martin and Scott Seegert

  Sci-Fi Junior High: Crash Landing by John Martin and Scott Seegert

  The Middle School Series by James Patterson

  Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

  Middle School: Get Me Out of Here!

  Middle School: Big Fat Liar

  Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill

  Middle School: Ultimate Showdown

  Middle School: Save Rafe!

  Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck

  Middle School: Dog’s Best Friend

  Middle School: Escape to Australia

  Middle School: From Zero to Hero

  Middle School: Born to Rock

  The I Funny Series by James Patterson

  I Funny

  I Even Funnier

  I Totally Funniest

  I Funny TV

  I Funny: School of Laughs

  The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever

  The Treasure Hunters Series by James Patterson

  Treasure Hunters

  Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile

  Treasure Hunters: Secret of the Forbidden City

  Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World

  Treasure Hunters: Quest for the City of Gold

  Treasure Hunters: All-American Adventure

  The House of Robots Series by James Patterson

  House of Robots

  House of Robots: Robots Go Wild!

  House of Robots: Robot Revolution

  The Daniel X Series by James Patterson

  The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

  Daniel X: Watch the Skies

  Daniel X: Demons and Druids

  Daniel X: Game Over

  Daniel X: Armageddon

  Daniel X: Lights Out