Nick and Tesla #1: High-voltage Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

My name is Nick. My twin sister and I are spending the summer with our uncle, an inventor with some eccentric ideas. (Bizarre? Crazy?) We built a small rocket in his lab, but the test launch didn't go well. The rocket snagged my sister's pendant and then crashed over the fence of a creepy, empty, old house. that's guarded by two, blood-thirsty dogs. The thing is, I later found the necklace and rocket were gone, and I saw a young girl in an upstairs window. She was holding up a note that said, "Go away!" Little did we know how important this girl would become to our future.


This is a fun book with a plot that's easy to read and follow. It includes directions for building some "inventions", like Nick and Tesla's rocket and a robot cat. Anyone can try making them at home, although you probably shouldn't! The plot reads like a mystery, and the clues kept me guessing until the end. I was surprised that such an easy-to-read story could keep me guessing. Young readers who love science and mysteries will enjoy this book!