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    Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself ourself
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    Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself ourself
    Unavailable
    Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself ourself
    Ebook201 pages2 hours

    Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself ourself

    By Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

    In Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab, we meet the characters and learn how to make everything from rocket launchers to soda-powered vehicles. Learning about science has never been so dangerous—or so much fun!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateNov 5, 2013
    ISBN9781594746628

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    Reviews for Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab

    4/5

    72 ratings45 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Little BookwormQuirk Books sent this one for review and I thought it would be a fun book to read with my 6 year old son. We have just got into chapter books and I was looking for one to engage him with. This turned out to be a good choice. He really liked it and asked to read the science book at night. Some of the chapters are longer so I would break them into two parts but mostly we read a chapter a night. This might be one of the longer books we've read together. He is really excited to read the second book which Quirk Books also sent to me for review.We both enjoyed the story and I like how the science and inventions really helped them out. The twins are as clever as their names and they were good characters. Plus it is a mystery which I always like. My son liked the dogs, Jaws and Claws, for some reason. He thought they were hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to try out a few of the inventions. Because that is another cool thing. The plans and instructions for the things Nick and Tesla invent are included in the book. And it is nothing too complicated and something that would be fun for a kid and parent to do together.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in a middle grade series especially for kids who like science and mysteries. The main characters, Nick and Tesla (11 year old twins) are sent to their Uncle Newt for the summer because their scientist parents were sent out of the country. To say they are unhappy is an understatement. It is summer vacation and they had many things they were looking forward to. Their Uncle Newt happens to be an eccentric mad scientist, who gives them free reign in his lab. When they build a rocket that they lose in the yard of an old, rundown mansion, their adventure begins. The yard is guarded by two vicious dogs, they spy a mysterious girl on the top floor of the mansion who warns them to stay away, and they are being followed by a black SUV. They have their brains, two new friends and their uncle's old junk to solve their problems.

      I love the step-by-step directions for making the gadgets used in the book. They were simple, yet helped to solve the mystery. There were some twists, but the mystery was not the most compelling.
      A great addition to a school or class library. Parents and their children would enjoy making the gadgets together.I think this will be fun series for those budding scientists out there and I am looking forward to picking up the next one.
    • 4/5
      One of the techniques the kids in this book use to stop the "bad guys" is pretending to fall on a bicycle in front of a moving vehicle. I usually don't worry about people taking what they read too seriously, but in this case I do. This "solution" may appeal to some 10 year old readers.
    • 5/5
      Great book as rated by my 11 yr old son. Great mystery and great gadgets. He loves science and inventions, so this book really appealed to him.
    • 5/5
      Nick and Tesla are brother and sister. Their parents have gone to Uzebkistan. They have sent Nick and Tesla to stay with their uncle for the summer. When they arrive they find their uncle covered in orange goo. He is a scientist. He tells Nick and Tesla that they are welcome to use his lab.When Nick and Tesla go investigating the neighborhood, they find that they will have to get creative building gadgets to save themselves from mean dogs and bad guys. Think the movie Home Alone. This book is a keeper. I read this book in 1 day. This book kind of reminded me of the choose your own adventure books. Not that this is one of those books but the fact that you can build some of the gadgets that Nick and Tesla use in the book makes it very interactive. You just may want to purchase two copies of this book. 1 to keep and 1 to give as a present. Besides you will want to keep a copy so that you can build all the cool gadgets. You know you will build them. This book brings back the little child inside of all of us. I can not wait to read the next adventure that Nick and Tesla find themselves in.
    • 4/5
      11 year old twins Nick and Tesla must spend the summer with their eccentric Uncle Newt. This loving inventor opens his lab to the children and as mysteries start piling up, they make use of his equipment to make some pretty interesting gadgets. Diagrammed instructions are included for many of these. The team meet some other kids in the neighborhood who help them to solve mysteries such as the pale girl in the window of a creepy, "haunted" house, the black SUV that is following the kids and the 'break-in" of Uncle Newt's house. A great way to get students interested in science! Warnings are included for contraptions that could cause harm. Recommended for grades 4-7, although the story line alone could hold interest for a grade or two younger.
    • 4/5
      Eleven year old twin brother and sister, Nick and Tesla, are sent to live with their crazy Uncle Newt while their parents are off on an agricultural mission on the other side of the world. The children know that they are in for an "interesting" time when they realize that their Uncle Newt forgot to pick them up from the airport. After taking a taxi to Uncle Newts house, the children are greeted with a remote-controlled lawnmower that has gotten out of control and has mowed over the neighbor's flower gardens. They proceed into the house and find out why Uncle Newt wasn't at the airport to pick them up... He was glued securely to the floor of his laboratory. As the story progresses there are hints that make the twins start thinking that their parents are more than agricultural scientists but there is another mystery unfolding right in the neighborhood that grab their attention. Why are there big, mean dogs at the vacant house? Who is the girl in the window? Why is that black SUV following them?What sets this story apart from other young reader mysteries is that this one includes science! Newt's laboratory has a massive inventory of all sorts of pieces and parts to spark the imaginations of Nick and Tesla and they have been given permission to explore to their hearts content. During the story, they build a rocket, a dog distractor, a tracking device and more. Not only do they build them, but the book includes step-by-step instructions on how to build them yourself! This book and the included science experiments would be great for 4th-6th grade aged kids who like mysteries and or science! Even though I didn't try the science experiments, it was still a quick, fun read for the um, ahem, older generations as well!
    • 5/5
      As an adult, I could say a lot of things about this book. I could talk about how it could appeal to those who like mysteries or to the ones that like heroines. I could mention the science in the book. But maybe it would be better to make it simple and use the words of a 13 year old girl who read the book in one afternoon. She said "It's a really good book. I like it." That sums it up well.
    • 4/5
      I'm obviously not the target audience for this series, but I did enjoy it. The projects range in complexity (a few require adult supervision or assistance with power tools), but they didn't feel gimmicky or shoe-horned-in, which was one concern I had before reading. The characters are well-rounded and likeable: Nick and Tesla are both intelligent, but have distinct personalities that have nothing to do with being twins named for a respected inventor. Their uncle, Newt, stays just this side of "Mad Scientist" caricature by attempting to (and somewhat succeeding at?) being a Responsible Caregiver. The plot is a pretty standard mystery story, but even I didn't figure it out until the end. The only quibble I have is that this is obviously the first book in a series because it leaves you with so many questions about Nick and Tesla's parents. I'm not sure if I'll continue to read the series personally, but I'll recommend it to younger readers without hesitation.
    • 4/5
      This scientific mystery begins when Nick and Tesla arrive at the eccentric Uncle Newt's home. Their parents have been call to Uzbekistan to study irrigation techniques on soybeans. They work for the US Department of Agriculture. The eleven-year-old twins are supposed to spend the summer with their uncle. Their uncle starts things off by forgetting to pick them up at the airport. They take a taxi to his home and find him glued to the floor of his lab. One of his inventions isn't working quite as he expected! The kids are left pretty much on their own and their uncle gives them free reign in his lab though he does tell them areas to avoid.Tesla is the more adventurous of the twins and Nick is the more cautious one. However, each support the other no matter what they are doing. They first decide to build a rocket. The step-by-step directions are included in the book. When they launch the rocket, it goes into a spooky neighbor's house taking a locket their parents gave Tesla with it. Determined to get it back, they run into mysterious and unfriendly "remodelers," fierce rottweilers, and a mysterious young girl in an upstairs room. They recruit a couple of the neighborhood kids to help them with their plans to outwit the "remodelers" and rescue the girl. They need some more inventions including an alarm system made with a Christmas tree light, a battery, wire and a couple of quarters and a tracking system using a highlighter and a black light. Directions for both of those inventions are included too. The story is exciting and suspenseful. Adding to the mystery is the black SUV that seems to be following the kids wherever they go. When the driver comes to their rescue, she raises more questions than she answers. Nick and Tesla really begin to wonder if their parents really are scientists working for the Department of Agriculture...or are they spies?We will need to read book 2 - Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage - to learn more about the bigger story. While waiting, young scientists can visit NickandTesla.com for instructions to build more gadgets, videos of science experiments, author interviews, and other cool stuff.
    • 5/5
      I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the book. This is a high energy middle grade mystery that would appeal to both boys and girls. While the book is perfectly suited for children with an interest in science, I feel that the attractive cover would also draw in readers who were not science enthusiasts, perhaps converting them to science lovers.I am a children's librarian, and our 2014 summer reading theme is science based. I enjoyed this book so much, I'm already thinking about how to base a program around it next year!
    • 4/5
      This is a fun story for kids. Nick and Tesla use science to uncover a mystery in their Uncle's neighborhood. The directions that are included so kids can try some of the projects are home are a plus.
    • 4/5
      Free LibraryThing Early Reviewer book. My 6-year-old daughter didn't stick with it, but my 8-year old son gave it two thumbs up. He liked the suspense and the inclusion of experiments that he could do himself, or at least dream of doing himself.
    • 4/5
      In Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab, we are introduced to Nick and his twin sister Tesla, who, as their parents, government scientists, must inexplicably study soybeans in Uzbekistan, have found themselves in the care of their eccentric uncle Newt.The book is part adventure, part mystery, and part science experiment, complete with actual devices you (and possibly your child) can build. This separates this book from other books targeted at the 9-12 demographic, giving kids more to do once the book is done, aside from waiting for the next book or playing Pokemon.I enjoyed this book, and I'm sure that if you like adventurous and mysterious children's fiction, especially that with an educational slant towards STEM, then you'll find this book enjoyable too.
    • 4/5
      _Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab_, by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith, is a nice combination of juvenile mystery and science project. The two main protagonists in the book are Nick and Tesla, twins who have been shipped off to live with their uncle while their parents deal with a soybean emergency in Uzbekistan. Uncle Newt is a stereotypical absent-minded scientist who takes a benign interest in the children but doesn't know how to take care of kids. Nick and Tesla are given free reign to tinker in Uncle Newt's basement laboratory. They start creating gadgets first to amuse themselves and then to help solve the mystery of the Old Landrigan Place. This was an amusing book to read to my son. I also like that it portrays Tesla, a girl, as interested in science and technology as her brother. In addition to the story, the book also contains instructions on how to build the gadgets that Nick and Tesla create. We didn't try any of them but the parts list and directions appear fairly straight-forward.Overall, both my son and I enjoyed reading about the twins and their problem-solving approach to unusual circumstances.I requested, and received, this book through LibraryThing's Earlier Reviewer program.
    • 5/5
      "Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab" is written by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith, the author of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." The story is about Nick and Tesla, science loving twins, who are sent to Half Moon Bay, California to stay with their Uncle Newt for the summer while their parents study soybeans in Uzbekistan. Their uncle is your typical absent-minded professor, inventing and blowing up experiments in his basement lab. He lets the kids use the lab for their own inventions, as long as they stay away from anything dangerous.I loved the story. I enjoyed how the kids used logic, how they solved problems by creating devices, and how the book shares instructions for building these devices, such as an intruder alert system and an electromagnet. I like that the kids and their friends don't try to solve everything on their own, but look to the adults for guidance when things get really dangerous. Much healthier than most kid adventure books where the child is resigned to figuring things out on their own because they don't think the grown-ups will understand. There is a lot packed into this book: a good story with mystery and suspense that will even interest the parents and activities to try out together. I would definitely recommend this book to friends in our homeschooling community.
    • 4/5
      Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab is a great read for any middle-schooler who is into science. The fast pace and funny details will have them sticking with the story, and the easy-to-engineer science projects throughout the book will have them scavenging the house for supplies so they can build their own. A bit off the wall and over the top, but it only adds to the humor and fun. Overall, a fast, fun read for boys and girls alike.
    • 5/5
      What a fantastic book for a budding scientist! The combination of suspenseful story, eccentric uncle and science projects can't be beat! With twins Nick and Tesla (boy and girl) this book will appeal to both boys and girls. By the way, loved the robocat!
    • 5/5
      For the target age-group (middle school age), this book is a total winner. As an adult, I even enjoyed it -- the story was engaging, and the main characters were well written, smart, and interesting. The 'experiments' in the book were a nice bonus. My 10 and 13 year old girls give this book four thumbs up. We all look forward to reading the next installment.
    • 4/5
      An excellent mystery for middle-schoolers, both boys and girls. Ten year old twins Nick and Tesla are sent to stay in California with their eccentric Uncle Newt, when their parents supposedly travel to Uzbekistan! They become involved with neighborhood mysteries, including a strange girl they glimpse in an apparently abandoned old house. Nick and Tesla use their amazing scientific minds to create devises to help them solve the mysteries. An interesting addition to the book are directions to create the devises that Nick and Tesla create in the book (bottle rockets, intruder alerts, etc.). Because these experiments involve electricity and quasi-explosive devises, I think they should only be attempted with adult supervision. But overall, I recommend this book for kids interested in mysteries and/or science.
    • 4/5
      A quick read, Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab is a fun middle-grade book about a brother and a sister sent off to live with their mad scientist uncle for a summer. Basically left to their own devices, they end up investigating a mysterious abandoned house and end up foiling a kidnapping. In getting into and out of their scrapes, these science-minded kids concoct homemade rockets, burglar alarms, robot cats, and other gadgets and experiments.The fun part of the book is that the reader is invited to do the same experiments with common household objects, and under adult supervision. Sometimes the story felt a little one-dimensional. The plot was interesting but there wasn't much character development in the main characters or their two friends. Another disappointment was that the book felt a bit too safe. Part of the allure of the story is the crazy high jinks and adventures the kids have while unsupervised, but a responsible adult presence is always around the corner (the nagging moms, the cops that get called, the agent that saves the day).
    • 4/5
      This was really fantastic. Super cute and the inventions were really fun. I haven't actually built one but they seemed like fun to do with a kid if you have any. The story was a good time. This is definitely one of the better middle grade books out there. I'd recommend for anyone that has kids. Honestly, parents will probably enjoy the book as much as their kids.
    • 5/5
      Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab by Science Bob Pfugfelder and Steve HockensmithAge Range: 9 - 12 yearsGrade Level: 4 - 7Series: Nick and Tesla (Book 1)ISBN-10: 1594746486 - Hardcover $12.95Publisher: Quirk Books (November 5, 2013), 240 pages.Review copy courtesy of Quirk Books.Eleven-year old twins Nick and Tesla were looking forward to a trip to Disneyland with their parents but a work emergency (soybean irrigation issues in Uzbekistan in the far reaches of the former Soviet Union) forces them to stay with their scientist and absentminded uncle Newt. They arrive at Half Moon Bay, California to find a suburban house with a self mowing lawn. The inside of the house is just as strange: full of inventions in different stages of development, various lab equipment, a Christmas tree, a polar bear, and strange food combinations. Their Uncle Newt is sprawled on the floor, made immobile by strange orange foam. The judicious use of a specific purple spray destroys the sticky bond of the orange substance - and the twins are welcomed.Nicke and Telsa find unprecedented personal freedom which they exploit fully. It starts innocently enough - with the low-tech bottle launcher that they make one afternoon. Science Bob includes instructions on how to make the bottle launcher, so it's possible for readers to try the experiment on their own - with adult supervision. The rocket launcher leads Nick and Tesla to the abandoned large estate at the end of their block where they find a mysterious young girl in an upstairs window, protected by a pack of frighteningly angry dogs and suspicious characters.Nick, Tesla and their young neighbors decide to investigate further but they don't do it like regular kids. Their special interests and skills lead them to make and to teach us how to make a mints-and-soda robocat dog distractor. Remember the YouTube videos of menthos and coke explosions? Nick and Tesla take the idea behind those explosions and put it to good use. Science Bob, Nick and Tesla incorporate science and engineering in coming up with solutions and they do so in ways that make science fun. Think of Invisible ink trackers and electromagnetic answers to locked doors and home alarm systems.The science and experiments are tools to help Nick and Tesla solve problems, save a young girl and make sense of the strange goings on in their new neighborhood. Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab is an unusual adventure story that introduces us to fun new detective heroes.
    • 5/5
      This is a promising beginning to a new series that I will definitely include in my k-8 school library. Nick and Tesla are reluctantly spending their summer in Half Moon Bay outside of San Francisco, at the home of their eccentric uncle, who could be described as a mad scientist. Although their uncle is kind and well-meaning, he is mostly out of the picture as Nick and Tesla encounter mysterious happenings in their neighborhood. The two siblings use their own science and logic skills, and their access to mad-scientist equipment, to solve mysteries. Included in the book are easy-to-follow instructions on building some of the tools Nick and Tesla use, like the Robo-Cat Dog Distractor. Enjoyable plot, fun dialogue and clever use of science to engage readers. My 8-year-old is reading it now and can't wait to build some of the inventions. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      The perfect book for an inquisitive middle-schooler. Nick and Tesla are independent and bright, dealing with being separated from their parents, living with a very quirky uncle, making new friends, and solving a mystery all in their own unique way. Although I didn't make any of the projects myself, the directions seemed clear, and the sort of thing that would interest many types of learners. My one complaint was that the flow between narrative and project was not always fluid. For example, adult assistance is required in the first project. When the story switched to the project directions, the uncle had gone off on his own; when it picks back up again after the project, we learned he'd come back to help with it then left again. Very straightforward, of course, but it's written in such a way that it felt like we should have read that before.
    • 4/5
      A great middle-school book for those who like to walk on the nerd side of life. Nick and Tesla have to stay with their uncle in his experiement ridden house for the summer. The man doesn't seem to have a clue that they are there half the time and the other half he is working on some crazy experiement. In order to keep themselves entertained, Nick and Tesla decide they will work on some experiements of their own. Their first experiement is a bottle rocket which ends up in their creepy neighbor's yard along with Tesla's necklace. The adventure they have while trying to retrieve the necklace sets the pace for the rest of the book.This book is full of fun experiments for children in the middle school age group. The story is light and fun which keeps the reader on their toes the entire time. I really enjoyed the way the author tied in the experiments so not only are they reading about what Nick and Tesla make, they can do it themselves. Parents be warned, if your child is reading this, you will want to keep an eye on the experiements but you will also have fun helping them out as they make them. A great addition to any library especially a school open to using the ideas in their science curriculum.
    • 4/5
      My son (11) read this book in one day. He really enjoyed it and said it was "Awesome". It was fast paced and kept his attention. The experiment ideas were a clever touch.
    • 4/5
      Nick and Tesla are 11 year old siblings with a knack for science and gadgets, who find themselves spending the summer with an eccentric uncle. While out testing a rocket they made with common household items, the kids discover a neighborhood mystery and are determined to get to the bottom of it. The story that follows is a combination of danger, comedy, science, and adventure as Nick and Tesla take risks and use their homemade gadgets to solve a crime. Readers can make the same projects at home, following step-by-step instructions in the book.
    • 4/5
      This book was about Nick and Tesla, whose parents went away to study giant lima beans. Since they decide to do this Nick and Tesla had to go stay at their Uncle Newt's house. My 10 year old son enjoyed reading this book very much. His favorite part was when they find a girl character in the book and they try to break out of the room they were locked in. He found this part of the book exciting. He liked some of the inventions included in the book. He also thought Nick and Tesla were fun characters. We appreciate the opportunity for him to read this book for free thanks to the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Giveaway.
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer's Program.There's been a lot of buzz about this new Nick and Tesla series for middle grade readers, and the concept intrigued me since my son is eight and loves science. The book appeals to both girls and boys and uses the old model of mystery novels ala Hardy Boys and Bobsey Twins, but with detailed how-to instructions on building all kinds of cool gadgets. The novel itself is a fast, enjoyable read, and wasn't nearly as predictable as expected. Actually, the ending came as a complete surprise, though it made sense in hindsight. Nick and Tesla are distinct characters that aren't just two-dimensional "this is a boy" and "this is a girl" protagonists. Their Uncle Newt is a mad scientist who made me think of Brent Spiner's character in Independence Day--a well-meaning sort who is not quite connected to reality. Really, the book would stand well on its own, but the gadgets set it apart. These aren't simple-minded experiments like "stick bread in a closet and see if mold grows." No, the authors instruct kids on how to build model rockets from scratch, modify the Mentos-in-Diet-Coke fountain to power a robo-cat, make a burglar alarm out of old Christmas lights, and my favorite--dicing apart a highlighter marker and using the fluid to dribble a trail that can only be detected under black light. This is some seriously cool stuff. I think my son will really enjoy this book, and I can definitely see him trying out some of the gadgets with his dad. This book is really a great way to freshen up the children's mystery genre and foster interest in the sciences at the same time.