Sometimes life is hard, sometimes people are mean, and sometimes only a big change can make someone realize they really do belong somewhere else. 

That is the inspiration for this story. 

Max had the unfortunate experience of being bullied at school because he wasn't into baseball or soccer and liked to spend his time elsewhere. Feeling that he wasn't accepted, he pushed himself further into his stories and drawings, which only seemed to make things worse at school. Eventually Max came to realize that he needed a change, that maybe things would be better somewhere else. He saw his surroundings as just a kind of book he wasn't interested in reading any more, and decided he wanted a story he liked better. This was just before the Summer that he started working on The Book of R&D. He then began putting all his efforts into making this story something he could be proud of, something he could show at a new school, to new friends, and be proud of his love for reading and drawing.