Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle

April 1, 2014
Determined to uncover the identity of the secret agent who seems to be right inside their uncle Newt's house with them, 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla construct a variety of spy-revealing gadgets in this third of an ongoing mystery-and-how-to series. When an unfinished phone message from their mother reveals that there is someone nearby they can't trust--and the message is suddenly erased--Nick and Tesla begin to see spies everywhere. Is it Oli, Uncle Newt's new apprentice, who's obviously not from Australia? Is it Skip, the exterminator from Verminator Pest Control, or Ethel and Gladys from Maids-to-Order? All these strangers are suspiciously hanging around the house where Uncle Newt is supposed to be keeping them safe while their parents are away on a shadowy mission. The inventive twins construct a fingerprint finder, alarm, spy camera and code wheels to use with their friends Silas and DeMarco, who help their investigations. Even Uncle Newt joins in at the end to distract the discovered evildoers with his mashed-banana-filled balloon weaponry. Instructions and diagrams are provided so that readers can do the same. Fast-paced, suspenseful and enlivened with grayscale illustrations, this is appealing middle-grade reading. Hot-glue-gun fans will barely need the story that surrounds this new set of do-it-yourself gadget projects, but the continuing mystery will keep readers wanting more. (Adventure. 9-13)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-With a penchant for inventing and sleuthing, 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla return for a third mystery. The siblings have been visiting their Uncle Newt, an eccentric scientist, for the summer, while their parents work on a mysterious government project in Uzbekistan. After receiving a cryptic message from their mother warning them of a potential spy, Nick begins to suspect everyone of espionage, while Tesla is not so sure-until the pendant her parents gave her is stolen. The list of possible culprits is lengthy, including Uncle Newt's burly new apprentice, a pair of geriatric maids, a spider-fearing exterminator, and a disgruntled neighbor with an affinity for garden gnomes. Using their ingenuity and science know-how-and a multitude of homemade gadgets-the twins catch the thief and uncover a few more clues about the true nature of their parents' work. Although the third in a series, this entertaining and humorous whodunit is straightforward enough that it can be read as a stand-alone. Cautious Nick and confident Tesla are both well defined, as is the quirky cast of comical characters that surrounds them. As with the previous books, instructions for each of Nick and Tesla's inventions are included, giving resourceful children the opportunity to make their own gadgets. With the promise of more mystery, science, and humor to come, children will be anxiously waiting for more adventures-and more inventions-from Nick and Tesla.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 After foiling a kidnapping ring in Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab (2013), 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla Holt solidified their status as certified gadget-handy crime solvers, and this third installment features a new mystery and a whole new set of devices. The last time Nick and Tesla heard from their parents, who are ostensibly working on a soybean-irrigation project in Uzbekistan (yeah, right), their mother warned them to keep an eye out for spies. That, and the convenient timing of several odd guests, including an Australian with a heavy Russian accent and passion for borscht, spurs Nick and Tesla on to build a series of nifty traps to catch the spy red-handed. As usual, charts and instructions for building a few of the projects, some of which involve batteries and wire stripping, with an adult's help, are included. Though the directions would be greatly improved by clearer illustrations, this high-speed caper with comical characters, clever kid detectives, and an ever-deepening mystery (with a cliff-hanger, of course) will keep the pages turning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)