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Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself ourself Spiral-Bound | November 5, 2013
Bob Pflugfelder, Steve Hockensmith
$20.09
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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 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!Synopsis:
As the story opens, 11-year-olds Nick and Tesla learn they'll be spending the summer with their eccentric Uncle Newt, who lives on the other side of the country -- thousands of miles from the kids' home and friends. When Nick and Tesla arrive at Uncle Newt's house, they find a man so unprepared to take care of a pair of 11-year-olds all he has in the refrigerator is four-month-old milk and a beaker of hydrochloric acid.
But there is a silver lining for the science-loving twins: Their uncle's a brilliant if unorthodox (and outright reckless) inventor, and his house and basement laboratory are packed with kooky gadgets and gear. Soon the kids are building their own contraptions -- and readers are encouraged to join in the fun thanks to diagrams and step-by-step instructions that explain how Nick and Tesla bring their ideas to life.
When the twins try to build an air pressure-powered rocket, however, they find that their latest creation works too well. After a mishap on the launch pad, the rocket takes off with an unintended passenger: the mysterious pendant Mr. and Mrs. Holt gave Tesla just before they left the country. To make matters worse, the rocket lands near a run-down mansion guarded by a pair of vicious Rottweilers named Jaws and Claws, and the surly, secretive workers renovating the home aren't interested in calling the dogs off or helping Nick and Tesla find the pendant.
What are a pair of young invention-loving geniuses to do? Build more gadgets, of course!
Using a homemade "robo-cat" fueled by soda pop and Mentos, the kids distract the dogs and go searching for Tesla's pendant. They find something unexpected, though: a mystery! A young girl appears in one of the windows of the dilapidated mansion, and sends them a cryptic message. Using more cool do-it-yourself gadgets (such as a tracking device made from old high-liter markers and an alarm system built from quarters and Christmas lights), the kids learn that the girl's being held for ransom. They set out to engineer the ultimate escape--and to foil the crooks--using one last top-secret contraption. Learning about science has never been so much fun!
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!Synopsis:
As the story opens, 11-year-olds Nick and Tesla learn they'll be spending the summer with their eccentric Uncle Newt, who lives on the other side of the country -- thousands of miles from the kids' home and friends. When Nick and Tesla arrive at Uncle Newt's house, they find a man so unprepared to take care of a pair of 11-year-olds all he has in the refrigerator is four-month-old milk and a beaker of hydrochloric acid.
But there is a silver lining for the science-loving twins: Their uncle's a brilliant if unorthodox (and outright reckless) inventor, and his house and basement laboratory are packed with kooky gadgets and gear. Soon the kids are building their own contraptions -- and readers are encouraged to join in the fun thanks to diagrams and step-by-step instructions that explain how Nick and Tesla bring their ideas to life.
When the twins try to build an air pressure-powered rocket, however, they find that their latest creation works too well. After a mishap on the launch pad, the rocket takes off with an unintended passenger: the mysterious pendant Mr. and Mrs. Holt gave Tesla just before they left the country. To make matters worse, the rocket lands near a run-down mansion guarded by a pair of vicious Rottweilers named Jaws and Claws, and the surly, secretive workers renovating the home aren't interested in calling the dogs off or helping Nick and Tesla find the pendant.
What are a pair of young invention-loving geniuses to do? Build more gadgets, of course!
Using a homemade "robo-cat" fueled by soda pop and Mentos, the kids distract the dogs and go searching for Tesla's pendant. They find something unexpected, though: a mystery! A young girl appears in one of the windows of the dilapidated mansion, and sends them a cryptic message. Using more cool do-it-yourself gadgets (such as a tracking device made from old high-liter markers and an alarm system built from quarters and Christmas lights), the kids learn that the girl's being held for ransom. They set out to engineer the ultimate escape--and to foil the crooks--using one last top-secret contraption. Learning about science has never been so much fun!
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1594746486
Item Weight: 0.8 lbs
Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 7.3 inches
“Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab has the perfect formula: Mega-watts of funny writing plus giga-hertz of hands-on science equals fun to the billionth power!”—Chris Grabenstein, New York Times best selling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
“Real project blueprints are included along with this tale of 11-year-old siblings who create outrageous contraptions and top-secret gadgets.”—Los Angeles Times
“...the combination of exciting elements and innovative DIY projects in action yields a guaranteed pager turner.”—ScienceBuddies.org
“[Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab is] a great way to show kids that problems can often be solved by applying a bit of creative energy with some tech know-how. And Nick and Tesla (and Uncle Newt) are the perfect companions for your young reader looking for some (safe) adventures.”—Geek Dad
“A mystery, adventure, and activity book all rolled into one entertaining story....Plenty of excitement, with science.”—Common Sense Media
“Part mystery, part mad science...the story will leave readers wondering what mayhem will be forthcoming.”—School Library Journal
“...a strong start...”—Publishers Weekly
“How do you connect students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) with fiction reading? Look for science adventures. Get started with the NICK AND TESLA series. Each book contains an engaging adventure revolving around a “build-it-yourself” science project.”—Teacher Librarian
“Engaging characters and brisk plotting make this a fun and educational read.”—Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries and The Physics of the Buffyverse
“A promising first offer in a series that offers plenty of appeal for middle-grade and middle school readers.”—Kirkus
“Suspenseful, funny, and loaded with do-it-yourself robots, rockets, and burglar alarms. Nick and Tesla are an unforgettable new detective team, sure to inspire an entirely new generation of scientists and readers. Can’t wait for the next book!”—Amy Herrick, author of The Time Fetch
“A book with action, adventure, mystery, humor -- and instructions on how to build rockets and robots. What more could young readers possibly want? 'Nick & Tesla' is a great book that will keep your kids enthralled with its intriguing story -- and inspire them with its clever science experiments. I can't wait for the further adventures of these fascinating characters.”—Stuart Gibbs, Edgar-nominated author of Spy School and Belly Up
“I love the book! It combines science, intrigue and great fiction together in a wild ride for the reader. Nothing tickles me more than seeing a story really charged up with science. And the projects are so much fun! More please!”—Lynn Brunelle, four-time Emmy Award–winning writer for “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and the author of Pop Bottle Science
“What kid wouldn't want to join Nick and Tesla and their wacky family? This is a great way for budding scientists to have fun while exploring the intricacies of physics, chemistry, and more--up close, personal, and hands-on!”—Jane Hammerslough, author of Owl Puke: The Book and Dino Poop: And Other Remarkable Remains of the Past
“Pflugfelder and Hockensmith debut a captivating series about crime-solving kid inventors in the spirit of Tom Swift and Alvin Fernald. But Nick and Tesla give us what their literary predecessors always omitted: blueprints for whiz-bang inventions that kids can actually build themselves (with some adult assistance). Electromagnets, tracking devices, rockets and the like. Hands-on science has never been so cool.”—Joseph D'Agnese, author of Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci
“Real project blueprints are included along with this tale of 11-year-old siblings who create outrageous contraptions and top-secret gadgets.”—Los Angeles Times
“...the combination of exciting elements and innovative DIY projects in action yields a guaranteed pager turner.”—ScienceBuddies.org
“[Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab is] a great way to show kids that problems can often be solved by applying a bit of creative energy with some tech know-how. And Nick and Tesla (and Uncle Newt) are the perfect companions for your young reader looking for some (safe) adventures.”—Geek Dad
“A mystery, adventure, and activity book all rolled into one entertaining story....Plenty of excitement, with science.”—Common Sense Media
“Part mystery, part mad science...the story will leave readers wondering what mayhem will be forthcoming.”—School Library Journal
“...a strong start...”—Publishers Weekly
“How do you connect students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) with fiction reading? Look for science adventures. Get started with the NICK AND TESLA series. Each book contains an engaging adventure revolving around a “build-it-yourself” science project.”—Teacher Librarian
“Engaging characters and brisk plotting make this a fun and educational read.”—Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries and The Physics of the Buffyverse
“A promising first offer in a series that offers plenty of appeal for middle-grade and middle school readers.”—Kirkus
“Suspenseful, funny, and loaded with do-it-yourself robots, rockets, and burglar alarms. Nick and Tesla are an unforgettable new detective team, sure to inspire an entirely new generation of scientists and readers. Can’t wait for the next book!”—Amy Herrick, author of The Time Fetch
“A book with action, adventure, mystery, humor -- and instructions on how to build rockets and robots. What more could young readers possibly want? 'Nick & Tesla' is a great book that will keep your kids enthralled with its intriguing story -- and inspire them with its clever science experiments. I can't wait for the further adventures of these fascinating characters.”—Stuart Gibbs, Edgar-nominated author of Spy School and Belly Up
“I love the book! It combines science, intrigue and great fiction together in a wild ride for the reader. Nothing tickles me more than seeing a story really charged up with science. And the projects are so much fun! More please!”—Lynn Brunelle, four-time Emmy Award–winning writer for “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and the author of Pop Bottle Science
“What kid wouldn't want to join Nick and Tesla and their wacky family? This is a great way for budding scientists to have fun while exploring the intricacies of physics, chemistry, and more--up close, personal, and hands-on!”—Jane Hammerslough, author of Owl Puke: The Book and Dino Poop: And Other Remarkable Remains of the Past
“Pflugfelder and Hockensmith debut a captivating series about crime-solving kid inventors in the spirit of Tom Swift and Alvin Fernald. But Nick and Tesla give us what their literary predecessors always omitted: blueprints for whiz-bang inventions that kids can actually build themselves (with some adult assistance). Electromagnets, tracking devices, rockets and the like. Hands-on science has never been so cool.”—Joseph D'Agnese, author of Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci
“Science Bob” Pflugfelder is a science teacher, author, maker, and presenter that knows how to share the world of science like never before. He is a regular guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Live With Kelly and Ryan, The Dr. Oz Show, and Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. His television appearances also include The Today Show, Hack My Life, Good Morning America, Home & Family and others.
Steve Hockensmith is both a New York Times bestselling author (for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls) and a Best First Novel Edgar Award nominee (for his mystery Holmes on the Range). He has two young children and lives near San Francisco.
Scott Garrett is a UK-based freelance illustrator whose clients have included Vodafone, Nestle, VW, GQ, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Business Week, Klutz Books, Faber & Faber and Random House. He lives by the sea in Hastings, East Sussex, with his family.
Steve Hockensmith is both a New York Times bestselling author (for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls) and a Best First Novel Edgar Award nominee (for his mystery Holmes on the Range). He has two young children and lives near San Francisco.
Scott Garrett is a UK-based freelance illustrator whose clients have included Vodafone, Nestle, VW, GQ, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Business Week, Klutz Books, Faber & Faber and Random House. He lives by the sea in Hastings, East Sussex, with his family.