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Often, the heroes in kids’ novels use magic—or some other kind of other-worldly powers—to solve their problems. But in Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab, the first book in a fabulously clever kids’ series by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith, the young heroes use science—and they share their love of science with readers, too.
The story follows 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla Holt as they travel to California to spend the summer with their eccentric uncle, Newt, while their parents are studying soybeans in Uzbekistan—or at least that’s what they’ve been told. When they arrive at their uncle’s home, they find all sorts of oddities—as well as a laboratory that Uncle Newt is happy to share with the budding young scientists.
While out exploring their new neighborhood, Nick and Tesla find themselves at an old, abandoned house down the street. When Nick spots a sad-looking girl in the window, he and his sister and their new friends decide to help her.
Filled with action, adventure, humor, and science experiments, Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab is the perfect book for aspiring Einsteins. You won’t find any wizards or witches or vampires here—just smart young MacGyvers in training who build clever contraptions that help them solve mysteries and get out of trouble. As the twins set out to search for answers about their uncle’s mysterious neighborhood, they create things like robot cats and rocket launchers and intruder alarms. Not only do their projects add a scientific twist to the story, but, thanks to the step-by-step instructions for creating these ingenious inventions at home, they give young readers a little bit of scientific inspiration, too. They’re such creative projects, in fact, that parents will be eager to join in the fun.
Still, there’s more to the story than just a few science projects. The cute characters are brimming with personality—from shy and nervous Nick to his bold and daring sister, Tesla, to their kooky uncle. The adventures are thrilling, and they’re written with a sense of humor that’s equal parts smart and silly—and the likable characters only add to the entertainment value. It’s every bit as quirky and fun as you’d expect a book written by an elementary school science teacher and the guy who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls to be.
Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab is an action-packed kids’ book that makes science cool. If your kids are little science buffs, they’ll love following along with these like-minded inventors—and if your kids tend to shy away from science, it might just spark their interest. Then, once you and your young reader finish this first book in the series, you’ll want to move on to the next. After all, while one mystery may come to a satisfying conclusion, this is just the beginning of the adventures for these young inventors.
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