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Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle: A Mystery with Spy Cameras, Code Wheels, and Other Gadgets You Can Build
Last updated Saturday, March 30, 2024
Author: Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith
Date of Publication: 2014
ISBN: 1594746761
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Apr. 2024
Synopsis:
After foiling a gang of kidnappers and fending off an army of robots, 11-year-old siblings Nick and Tesla Holt could use a little rest! But as their third mystery opens, they discover there's a spy in their midst, searching for secrets in the home of their beloved (and slightly crazy) Uncle Newt. Is it the new laboratory assistant? The exterminator? The housekeepers? Or someone completely unexpected? To expose the mystery agent, Nick and Tesla must engineer all kinds of outrageous contraptions, from code wheels and fingerprint powder to spy cameras and burglar detectors. Best of all, instructions are included throughout the story, so you can build the projects, too!
| Note to readers: |
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This is the third in a series of six books about Nick and Tesla Holt, a pair of very smart 11 ½ year old
twins who spending the summer with their uncle Newt Holt in Half Moon Bay, California. They are
convinced they are being spied on and it may have something to do with their parents’ sudden trip to
Uzbekistan.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Read the paragraph above.
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The kids are named for famous invertor Nicolo Tesla (1856-1943). Born in Croatia, he moved to the
United States in 1884. A brilliant scientist in his own right, he worked for Thomas Edison before going
out on his own. The two became rivals regarding the distribution of electricity to the general public.
The electric car, Tesla, is named for him. Google him or check your library for a book about him.
Vocabulary
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Uzbekistan: (ooze-bek-e-stan) a small country in west Central Asia, northwest of Afghanistan. Once
part of the Soviet Union, now an independent country with strong ties to Russia.
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flambe: cover food with liquor and set it on fire. Examples: Bananas Foster and Baked Alaska.
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drone: an uncrewed aircraft guided by remote control.
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experiment: an operation or procedure done under controlled conditions to discover an unknown
effect.
t
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ermite: any of a number of flying insects that live in colonies and feed on wood.
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gnome: a dwarflike creature from folklore often cast in plaster and found as a decoration in a garden.
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bulbous: a large, round object shaped like a bulb.
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compost: a mixture of decayed matter like grass, food scraps or coffee grounds that once decomposed
can be used as fertilizer.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Uncle Newt is supposed to be a babysitter/caregiver/foster parent to Nick and Tesla. What do you think
of the job he is doing? How would you feel if you had someone like him looking after you?
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Uncle Newt and the kids to various experiments in the book. Have you ever done any yourself? What
kind? How did they turn out?
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Even though the kids are very smart and take some care, do you think it’s a good idea for them to
running around doing experiments, inventing things, etc. Would your parents let you?
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Have you ever eaten anything that has been flambeed? What did you think of it? If you haven’t, would
you like to try it?
READER: The kids will want to read the rest of the book to learn if there are spies watching them. Also,
read the rest of the series to find out what is going on and where and what their parents are and what
they are doing. Two other books in the series were used for Reading to Kids, one in November 2016 and
another in November 2018. They will be in you school library. All six books are available through the Los
Aneles Public Library.
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| Craft ideas: |
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Draw a picture of an experiment you have done or would like to do.
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Earth Day is April 22,2024. Make a poster or flyer about something pertaining to the day.
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Draw a picture of something you did on your spring break.
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| Special activities: |
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Do the word search
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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