Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

By Science Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

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!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Quirk Books
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781594746628

Science Bob Pflugfelder

"Science Bob" Pflugfelder is an elementary school teacher based in Newton, Massachussetts. He has made many television appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Dr. Oz Show, and other media outlets. These are his first books.

Book preview

sense.

Someone climbed into Joe Devlin’s cab, and he put down his newspaper and looked in the rearview mirror and started to say Where to?

He froze.

Sitting behind him were a boy and a girl with sad, serious expressions on their faces. They looked like they were eleven or twelve years old.

There were no adults in sight.

Two kids getting into a taxi, alone, outside San Francisco International Airport?

Trouble, Joe’s gut said.

The boy looked down at a letter he was holding.

Five-thirteen Chesterfield Avenue, he said.

Joe could hear the paper rustling as he spoke. The boy’s hands were shaking.

In Half Moon Bay, the girl said, her voice firm, resolute. That’s near here, right?

Joe turned around to squint at his would-be passengers. They were dressed like any other kids—T-shirts, jeans, sneakers—yet they seemed subdued and grave in a way that didn’t fit their ages. All they had with them were the letter and two small, black suitcases and a book each.

The boy was holding something called A Brief History of Time. The girl had Theory of Applied Robotics: Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control.

You’re not running away, are you? Joe said. Where are your parents?

No, we’re not runaways, the girl said. Our parents are … well …

They’re in Uzbekistan, said the boy.

Joe blinked.

Uzbekistan? he said.

The boy nodded. Watching soybeans grow.

Well, the girl said, it’s a little more complicated than that.

Oh, said Joe. Oooooookay.

We’ve been sent to live with our uncle for the summer, the boy said. He was supposed to meet us here, but he didn’t show up.

Joe stared at the kids a moment, trying to decide if he believed them. Even if he did, they still looked like trouble. And Joe didn’t like trouble.

The girl stuffed a hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a wad of wrinkled bills.

We have ninety-three dollars, she said.

The boy reached into his pocket, too. And fifty-eight cents. That’s enough, right?

Absolutely, Joe said.

He turned around and started the engine. And the meter.

Joe didn’t like trouble. But he did like money.

Every so often, Joe stole a peek at the kids in the rearview mirror. The girl was watching the rolling Northern California hills slide by. The boy was toying with a silver pendant he wore on a chain around his neck. It was shaped like a star.

Stop that, the girl said when she noticed what her brother was doing. You might break it.

Break what? I still haven’t even figured out what it is.

It’s jewelry, that’s all. A keepsake from Mom and Dad.

Since when have Mom and Dad been into keepsakes?

The girl shrugged.

The boy started picking at the pendant again.

Anyway, he muttered, I don’t wear jewelry.

The girl went back to staring out the window.

After a moment, though, she pulled out an identical pendant hanging around her neck and began rubbing it absentmindedly.

About twenty yards behind her, Joe noticed, was a big, black SUV that had been following them for miles. It was probably just a coincidence that it had stayed with them as they went from the airport to 101 South to 92 West. But then again, if Trouble had to drive, wouldn’t it drive a big, black SUV?

Joe gave his cab a little more gas.

Joe made the winding drive down to Half Moon Bay at least once a week. Though it was just a speck of a city, it was perfectly situated—nestled on the coast at the edge of a long stretch of lush, hilly forest—and had built up a healthy tourist trade. The town itself was quiet and quaint and cute. And boring, but the tourists didn’t seem to mind.

Five-thirteen Chesterfield Avenue was in a nice neighborhood not far from the ocean. The house looked a little shabby, though. The paint was more faded, the driveway more cracked, the yard more choked with weeds than any of its neighbors. Even the mailbox was dented and scorched on one side.

As Joe’s cab slowed to a stop out front, a lawn mower was going around and around in the yard. No one was going around and around behind it, though. It looked like a ghost was mowing the lawn.

Rope ran from the mower to a metal pole in the middle of the yard. The end of the rope was wrapped around the top of the pole in a coil. As the mower moved, the rope unraveled itself, slowly feeding more slack to the mower so it could go in bigger and bigger circles.

It was a self-mowing lawn.

Cool, said the girl.

Uhh, said the boy.

He pointed to the pole. The more the mower tugged on it, the more it tilted to the side.

Oh, said the girl.

The pole sagged, then fell over completely, and the mower rumbled off-course into a neighboring yard. It chewed through row after row of beautifully manicured flowers before rolling over a garden gnome, getting snagged, and—with a screech and a pop and a puff of black smoke—bursting into flames.

Well, the girl said, "cool idea."

Sixty-five dollars, Joe said.

The girl counted out the money.

And we’re supposed to tip you, right? the boy said.

Don’t worry about it, said Joe. His conscience was yelling at him not to abandon a couple of kids outside a run-down house with an exploding lawn mower. He needed to leave quick or he might actually listen.

He glanced at the kids in his rearview mirror as he sped away. They were kneeling beside the fallen pole examining the rope. They looked like they wanted to put the pole back up, find another mower, and try again.

A little farther down the street, Joe could see the black SUV he’d noticed behind them on the highway. A shadowy figure sat behind the wheel. Whoever it was, he or she seemed to be watching the kids.

Joe’s gut had been right about those two. They were trouble. Weird trouble.

As he drove away, fast, Joe made a promise to himself that he planned to keep the next time he was at the airport.

From now on, middle-aged tourists only. Middle-aged tourists only. Middle-aged tourists only.…

At least we know Uncle Newt’s around here somewhere, Tesla said.

How do we know that? asked her brother Nick.

Tesla nodded at the lawn mower. Who do you think started that?

That doesn’t prove anything, Nick said. If you could rig it to mow by itself, you could rig it to start itself, too.

True. Want to go check for a timer?

The lawn mower wasn’t burning anymore, but the engine still sizzled and smoldered ominously.

Maybe later, Nick said.

All right then.

Tesla picked up her suitcase and started toward the house. She’d taken it upon herself to be the leader lately. She was the elder sibling, after all.

She’d been born twelve minutes before her twin brother.

Nick got his own suitcase and followed her onto the porch.

Tesla started to reach for the doorbell. It chimed when her finger was still two feet from the button.

Hey, Tesla said, looking around the porch.

Nick looked, too.

Motion detector? he said.

Could be.

Tesla was standing on a welcome mat. Printed on it were the words IF YOU’RE SELLING GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, I’M NOT HOME.

Tesla noticed a wire running from the mat to the door frame. She stepped off the mat, then back on.

The doorbell chimed again.

Pressure sensor, Nick said. Nice.

Yeah. Only, if Uncle Newt’s so smart, how come he wasn’t at the airport?

Mom and Dad always said he was a little … off. Maybe he just forgot.

Forgot that his niece and nephew were coming today to live with him?

Nick gave his sister a sad, weary shrug.

Their summer was off to a pretty lousy start. Two days out of school and bang—their trip to Disneyland is canceled, their scientist parents tell them they have to rush to Central Asia to observe dramatic new soybean irrigation techniques, and they’re shipped off to live with the reclusive uncle no one else in the family can talk about without smirking or shivering.

Fun in the sun it was not.

Tesla sighed.

We’re not here to sell you Girl Scout cookies! she called out.

Still no one came to the door.

Tesla reached for the knob. The door wasn’t locked.

Tesla opened it.

Are you sure you should do that? Nick said.

Why not? Tesla stepped inside. This is supposedly our house now, too. For the next three months anyway.

But … what if Uncle Newt has, like, a vicious attack dog?

Then it would’ve started barking the second the doorbell rang.

Oh. Right.

Tesla moved deeper into the darkness of the house.

Nick stayed on the porch.

What in the—? My begonias! he heard someone say behind him.

Nick looked over his shoulder.

A small but muscular woman in sweaty workout clothes was stepping out of a big shiny car in the neighbor’s driveway. She was gaping in horror at the chewed-up flowerbed and the smoking lawn mower.

Scowling, she turned toward Uncle Newt’s house. And the scowl didn’t go away when she noticed Nick looking back at her. In fact, it got scowlier.

Nick smiled weakly, waved, and hurried into the house. He closed the door behind him.

Whoa, he said when his eyes adjusted to the gloom inside.

Cluttering the long hall in front of him were dozens of old computers, a telescope, a metal detector connected to a pair of bulky earphones, an old-fashioned diving suit complete with brass helmet, a stuffed polar bear (the real, dead kind), a chainsaw, something that looked like a flamethrower (but couldn’t be … right?), a box marked KEEP REFRIGERATED, another marked THIS END UP (upside down), and a fully lit Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made from broken beakers and test tubes (it was June). Exposed wires and power cables poked out of the plaster and veered off around every corner, and there were so many diplomas and science prizes and patents hanging (all of them earned by Newton Galileo Holt, a.k.a. Uncle Newt) that barely an inch of wall was left uncovered.

Off to the left was a living room lined with enough books to put some libraries to shame, a semitransparent couch made of inflated plastic bags, and a wide-screen TV connected by frayed cords to a small trampoline. The ceiling over the trampoline was cracked and cratered, as if someone kept bouncing a little too high. A dented football helmet was lying nearby on the floor.

To Nick’s right was a dining room with a conveyor belt running to the kitchen, a gas grill built into the middle of the table, and straps and buckles hanging from the ceiling, instead

Reviews for Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab

[bogreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[ljldml · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!

[ljbryant_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[mclane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[sylliu_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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).

[jll112 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[dschander_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[dixielandcountry.com · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a really fun kids book. If you have a middle school aged boy and you want to drag him away from those video games for a bit, well here is your chance. My son loved this book he is 13 and had a blast making the gadgets along with Nick and Tesla. The book not only tells a story with short chapters and a few cool pictures but it is loaded with science experiments and the making of gadgets like burglar alarms and electromagnets, with easy to follow instructions. It is set to go on sale November 5, 2013. It would make a great Christmas gift for your middle school aged kid.Nick and Tesla are bright 12-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!

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[bubblezki-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nick and Tesla’s High voltage danger lab is a whimsical children’s novel. The basis of the plot, twins sent to live with their mad scientist’s uncle, is simple enough and allows for all kinds of shenanigans. The plot is high paced and littered with humorous remarks. Even as someone not in the targeted audience, I found myself cracking up and becoming invested in the characters. The story itself is works surprisingly well with the “experiments you can do yourself” and make a good companion to the novel. Both the story and the experiments could potentially stand on their own, but together they make for a uniquely enjoyable reading experience. I hope the inclusion of them will be the initial attraction for readers, who will end up with an engaging story.

[livebug · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jenritchie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My kids, aged 8 - 14 enjoyed this - interesting to look at and read over a couple of times already. Look forward to another one.

[cherierj_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[ella6kennen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grade mystery full of tongue-in-cheek humor, fast-paced action, and a healthy dose of science. While I wish Nick and Tesla's characters had been a little bit more nuanced and less clichéd (he's the overly cautious one, she's more impulsive, sort of like a slightly older version of the Magic Treehouse Kids), and while some of the experiments seemed a bit more involved/complicated than necessary, this book still makes for a fun, clever read with a fully developed plot and an interesting cast of supporting characters. I look forward to reading Nick and Tesla's future exploits.

[adriane_adams_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[mydustyshelves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Here is an exciting, educational mystery that will be enjoyable for both boys and girls. The brother and sister team of Nick and Tesla are dropped off at their eccentric Uncle Newt’s home while their parents are out of the country. Uncle Newt has an awesome lab in his basement and the children are given full access to it. Nick and Tesla use this lab while trying to solve the mystery of a supposedly abandoned house down the street. They get into dangerous situations, but I never felt too worried for their safety. I like that directions for actual experiments are included throughout the book. This is a fun book that can also be used as a starting point for basic science lessons.

[heatherms · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab” by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith is the first book in a brand new series aimed at ages 9-12. This book had me at the title. It revolves around twins, Nick and Tesla, and what happens when they are left with an eccentric uncle while their parents are sent away by the government to study soy beans.I think that kids will really like Nick and Tesla and how they come up with ideas and how they execute them. The great thing is that the book actually shows how they built their contraptions. The first one, with pictures and step by step instructions, is how to build a “Low-Tech (Practically No-Tech) Bottle Rocket and Launcher.” After reading this, I bet a lot of kids are going to be asking their parents pvc pipes, electrical tape and a 2 liter bottle of soda. That is what makes this book good… it is a fun read but it also has activities that will excite kids! It engages their minds and their bodies!This book doesn’t have anything objectionable in it. The kids treat each other with respect. It shows how to work with others. All positives. This book is one that both parents and children will love!This book was received through Librarything.com Member Giveaway. This did not affect this review.

[deathsmistress · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! Its reminds me a lot Trixie Beldon. That is... its feels like a story that any kid could participate in, Nick and Tesla are geniuses, but they don't have fancy tools or equipment. They use items that any kid could find. The instructions to build the science projects are quite ingenious. I can see this book being used as part of a science experiment. The one thing that might make this a better story is if they actually explain what is happening. I also like that while there is danger, parents take a role in safety and kids actually talk to them. The twin's uncle is mostly missing, but he listens, gives suggestions, and tries. There is also a deeper mystery involving Nick's and Tesla's parents. They are supposedly studying soy beans, but there a few clues that they might be doing something else entirely.This is a good book - I would think that pre-teens will love it.

[shelleydaugherty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[unrulysun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't real sure what to expect with this one-- sometimes children's books written by those famous in other fields don't turn out so well. In this case, however, it came out great.Nick and Tesla are 11-year-old twins, into science and experimentation and books and technology. They've been shipped off to their estranged Uncle Newt's house for the entire summer, and Uncle Newt turns out to be the very model of an absent-minded professor. He's got one hare-brained scheme brewing after another-- but that's nothing compared to what Nick and Tesla are about to get themselves caught up in. When Tesla loses her necklace over the fence of a seemingly-abandoned house, the kids soon find out it's not abandoned at all. In fact, there are some shady-looking "construction workers", two vicious slobbering rottweilers, and a mysterious young girl peering out from the top window.The kids soon make some new friends in a couple of local boys, and together the four work to get Tesla's necklace back and solve the mystery of the strange girl in the window.I found the story light and fun, but not silly, and the resolution to mystery may be far-fetched but it isn't condescending. No eye-rolling or groans when you find out the truth (which is so often the case with young-reader mysteries). There's room left for many more stories as well.What really sets the book apart from the pack though, are the experiments included in the story. There are actual instructions for a pressure-rocket, a burglar alarm, and a spying method using highlighters and a black light. For the most part the supply lists are realistic-- nothing too complicated or special-order here, just household items and adult supervision. These are things kids can actually try out and see results with.I'd recommend this one to boys and girls alike, perfect for the 8-12 crowd.

[fremdeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyable mystery with enough experiment ideas to keep kids busy during the summer and into the school year. I'm glad to know this is the first in a series and I look forward to reading the upcoming titles.

[madhatr-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun read. If anyone has a child who is interested in science and or science experiments, this book would be very engaging. I did not attempt any of the science experiments while reading the book but a couple of them were very similar to one that I have done before. The two characters, Nick and Tesla, are easy to imagine having as friends, or in my case as a children's minister, being in my ministry. I would and have recommended this book to parents.

[janeslist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer's Program.This book was a cross between a Series of Unfortunate Events (minus the sarcasm) and a book I no longer own that explained how to make radios and remote control things with household items. It tells the story of Nick and Tesla, twin inventor kids who are staying with their mad scientist uncle while their parents are "away". For a first book in the series, I think it shows promise, although it is a bit uneven at times. I do like that the inventions were integrated into the story, although there is room for improvement. For example, the instructions for the rocket say it is best to wait overnight for the glue to dry, but Nick and Tesla use their launcher later in the day. The inventions for the most part involve little more complicated than superglue, but the rocket launcher did require the use of PVC cement, which is perhaps getting a bit complicated. I prefer things that don't need as much supervision, if it is for kids. On the other hand, I can picture some aunt giving her niece or nephew this book and a box filled with all the requisite components. I would want to wait to hear from reviewers who have tried the inventions first, however. Will cardboard wheels really run that well over grass? In all it was an entertaining quick, if imperfect read, but now I want to know what happens next!

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Nick and Tesla are sent to live at their goofy uncle Newts house, they love being able to work in his labotory but don't love the odd things that are happening at a house down the street. They must use their scientific know-how and their new friends to figure it out before its too late. not only did this book have a fun plot, it also gave instructions for different science experiments and projects you can do. I really liked the format and will look forward to the rest of the series.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[vaterolsen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[gaby317 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[rena613 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jessidee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.