Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle

Hilarious, mysterious read for middle grade boys and girls, complete with step-by-step instructions on creating home-made spy gear.

Tesla and Nick are strong, determined and admirable. Uncle Newt is the storybook definition of mad scientist.

Perfect for reading clubs, because of the built in activities and the broad appeal of the characters and story.

The third book in this series starts off with a slight nod to the first two, giving only the most important information and moving on to the story at hand. I like this because we all know how kids are--if they like spies more than robots, they'll read the series out of order. Making each book work well as a standalone is smart.

While the experiments were fun as always, the e-arc I received didn't quite translate the formatting. This isn't an issue though, as I plan to get physical copies.

Another great book in the Nick and Tesla series! I have every intention of purchasing each and ever one of these books. I love the stories (not too scary for young readers), the science (experimenting and learning!) and the characters (sweet kids who care about their family). A great series I try to share with others are every opportunity. My daughter ASKS to read Nick and Tesla and that's the best recommendation a mom and educator can receive.

If you are looking for a story that combines adventure and science then this series is definitely what you are looking for. The kids and I enjoy reading this and trying to create science experiments together. It makes for a fun and educational library program.

No matter which of Nick and Tesla's adventures you read, it is always a good time. Their friends Silas and DeMarco always find some sort of crazy stunt to attempt, and this time it is riding a bike down a slide and then jumping it over a mud pit that they have dug in the backyard. Uncle Newt is busy trying to perfect his latest invention, which is a vacuum cleaner powered by rotten fruit. Newt's neighbor Julie is busy trying to replace the garden gnomes that the kids and Uncle Newt's inventions keep destroying. And they still miss their parents, who are off on an agricultural trip studying soybeans. Or are they?

The kids receive a cryptic phone message from their mother warning them that they are not safe and not to trust... Okay, the message was cut off and they don't know who it is that they shouldn't trust. And when they try to play the message back for Uncle Newt, it has mysteriously vanished from the voice mail. So it seems that the kids will have to look out for themselves and figure out who the bad guys are. They don't have a lack of suspects. Could it be their uncle's new girlfriend? What about the intern that has just arrived to study with their uncle through the M.A.D. Scientists union? Or the two cleaning ladies who just happened to show up and offer the first day's service for free? Maybe it's Skip the exterminator, who also just happens to be in the neighborhood making sales calls?

To find the spy, retrieve the pendants from their parents that have been stolen, and discover what everyone is up to, Nick and Tesla will have to create more of their awesome gadgets. Within the book you will find the instructions for how to make Nick's Fingerprint-Finder Powder and Evildoer Identification System, Tesla's Ring-a-Ding-Ding Spy Exposure System, Nick and Tesla's Spybusting InvisiCam, Nick and Tesla's Code Wheels, and Nick and Tesla's Booby-Trap Balloon Drop. Young scientists and inventors will have a blast constructing the gadgets, as well as cheering on Nick and Tesla as they outwit the bad guy(s), whomever that might be.

The action is fast paced, there is plenty of humor, and true friendship to make the stories entertaining and enjoyable. The added bonus of instructions for all the gadgets used in the story makes this a perfect book to include in any library or classroom where kids enjoy MakerSpace activities.

I have to say I have enjoyed this third installment just as much as the two previous. Nick, Tesla, and their friends continue to amaze me with their ingenuity and guts. Further into their wacky summer at their Uncle Newt's home, the twins realize that there is a spy in their midst that has something to do with their parents' mysterious scientific work for the government. And even when no one who can do anything about it believes them, the twins work together using whatever is available to them to figure out who the spy is and thwart their evil intentions. It was hugely satisfying.