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Infuse your students with the love of learning by visiting Nick and Teslas High-Voltage Danger Lab!
This November, Quirk Books released the first book in a new middle-grade series, Nick and Teslas
High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You
Can Build Yourself (November 5, 2013; Ages 9 & up; $12.95). Written by Science Bob Pflugfelder,
an award-winning elementary school science teacher and a regular guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and
Edgar Awardnominated author Steve Hockensmith, this series fuses make-it-yourself science projects
with witty, fun mysteries that even reluctant readers will love.
Nick and Teslas High-Voltage Danger Lab follows the exploits of brother and sister twins Nick and
Tesla, kids with a healthy love for science coupled with a knack for getting into trouble.
The duo use their science know-how to build electromagnets, rocket launchers, burglar alarms, and
other contraptions to help them solve neighborhood mysteries. The book features diagrams and easy-tofollow instructions for all five of the contraptions that the twins build, allowing young readers to make
their own gadgets and join in the adventure.
And now you can turn your classroom, library, or bookstore into your very own high-voltage lab!
Enclosed youll find an event kit containing the first two chapters from the book, along with a project
students can make themselves. Kids can get to know Nick and Tesla, challenge their inner geniuses, and
start inventing with their new science-loving friends!
The Do-It Yourself Electromagnetic and Picker-Upper is the perfect gadget for budding scientists and
only requires a few easy-to-find materials: D-size battery, 24-gauge wire, iron or steel nail, tape, and
scissors. Were also happy to share posters and bookmarks for giveaways upon request.
Visit NickandTesla.com for more information about the series, an educators guide, and sneak previews
of Nick and Teslas next adventures.
Best,
Nicole De Jackmo
Publicity & Marketing Manager
215-627-3581 x217
nicole@quirkbooks.com
Suzanne Wallace
Associate Publicist
215-627-3581 x223
suzanne@quirkbooks.com
N I C K A N D T E S L A S
HIGH-VOLTAGE
DANGER LAB
!
A MYSTERY WITH
ELECTROMAGNETS, BURGLAR
ALARMS, AND OTHER
GADGETS YOU CAN BUILD
YOURSELF
BY SCIENCE BOB
PFLUGFELDER
AND STEVE
HOCKENSMITH
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
SCOTT GARRETT
DANGER! DANGER!
DANGER! DANGER!
The how-to projects in this book involve electricity,
explosions, toxic substances, sharp tools, contents under
pressure, and other potentially dangerous elements.
Before you build any of the projects, ASK AN ADULT TO
REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Youll probably need their
help with one or two of the steps, anyway.
While we believe these projects to be safe and
family-friendly, accidents can happen in any situation,
and we cannot guarantee your safety. THE AUTHORS
AND PUBLISHER DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY FROM ANY
HARM OR INJURY THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE USE,
PROPER OR IMPROPER, OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK. Remember, the instructions in
this book are not meant to be a substitute for your good
judgment and common sense.
CHAPTER
he was holding.
than that.
Oh, said Joe. Oooooookay.
Weve been sent to live with our uncle for the
summer, the boy said. He was supposed to meet us
here, but he didnt show up.
Joe stared at the kids a moment, trying to decide
if he believed them. Even if he did, they still looked
like trouble. And Joe didnt like trouble.
The girl stuffed a hand into the pocket of her
jeans and pulled out a wad of wrinkled bills.
We have ninety-three dollars, she said.
The boy reached into his pocket, too. And fiftyeight cents. Thats enough, right?
Absolutely, Joe said.
He turned around and started the engine. And
the meter.
Joe didnt like trouble. But he did like money.
11
12
13
brother.
Nick got his own suitcase and followed her onto
the porch.
Tesla started to reach for the doorbell. It chimed
when her finger was still two feet from the button.
Hey, Tesla said, looking around the porch.
Nick looked, too.
Motion detector? he said.
Could be.
Tesla was standing on a welcome mat. Printed on
it were the words if youre selling girl scout cookies, im
not home.
15
house.
Nick stayed on the porch.
What in the? My begonias! he heard someone
say behind him.
Nick looked over his shoulder.
A small but muscular woman in sweaty workout
clothes was stepping out of a big shiny car in the
neighbors driveway. She was gaping in horror at the
chewed-up flowerbed and the smoking lawn mower.
Scowling, she turned toward Uncle Newts house.
And the scowl didnt go away when she noticed Nick
looking back at her. In fact, it got scowlier.
Nick smiled weakly, waved, and hurried into the
house. He closed the door behind him.
Whoa, he said when his eyes adjusted to the
gloom inside.
Cluttering the long hall in front of him were
dozens of old computers, a telescope, a metal detector connected to a pair of bulky earphones, an oldfashioned diving suit complete with brass helmet, a
stuffed polar bear (the real, dead kind), a chainsaw,
something that looked like a flamethrower (but
couldnt be . . . right?), a box marked keep refrigerated,
16
from broken beakers and test tubes (it was June). Exposed wires and power cables poked out of the plaster and veered off around every corner, and there
were so many diplomas and science prizes and
patents hanging (all of them earned by Newton
Galileo Holt, a.k.a. Uncle Newt) that barely an inch of
wall was left uncovered.
Off to the left was a living room lined with
enough books to put some libraries to shame, a semitransparent couch made of inflated plastic bags, and
WELCOME
ICK AND TESLA
19
KEEP OUT
PRIVATE PROPERTY
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
HAZARDOUS
FLAMMABLE
POISON
HIGH VOLTAGE
DANGER
BEWARE OF DOG
The word DOG had been crossed out and replaced
with CAT.
As Nick and Tesla crossed the kitchen, the muffled cries grew louder.
20
21
CHAPTER
23
24
enough to drive!
Uh . . . no, Nick said.
Uncle Newt? Tesla said.
All right, almost old enough to drive, said Uncle
Newt. When can you get a learners permit? When
youre twelve?
Uh . . . no, Nick said.
Uncle Newt? Tesla said.
Thirteen, then? Fourteen? Uncle Newt said.
Anyway, weve got plenty of time to figure that out.
25
26
27
28
Yes. And . . .?
30
nuts!
Nick and Tesla looked at each other. Theyd never
thought of their parents as inventors. They were staff
horticulturists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
which seemed like about the least inventive thing
one could be.
Also, go nuts was not the kind of thing they
were used to hearing from authority figures.
Uncle Newt stopped and pointed at an especially
dark corner of the basement.
Oh. Only, whatever you do, dont touch that. Or
that. Or that. Uncle Newt began moving his hand
here and there, though it was hard to tell exactly
31
32
Best,
Nicole De Jackmo
Publicity & Marketing Manager
215-627-3581 x217
nicole@quirkbooks.com
Suzanne Wallace
Associate Publicist
215-627-3581 x223
suzanne@quirkbooks.com
N I C K A N D T E S L A S
HIGH-VOLTAGE
DANGER LAB
!
A MYSTERY WITH
ELECTROMAGNETS, BURGLAR
ALARMS, AND OTHER
GADGETS YOU CAN BUILD
YOURSELF
BY SCIENCE BOB
PFLUGFELDER
AND STEVE
HOCKENSMITH
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
SCOTT GARRETT
DANGER! DANGER!
DANGER! DANGER!
The how-to projects in this book involve electricity,
explosions, toxic substances, sharp tools, contents under
pressure, and other potentially dangerous elements.
Before you build any of the projects, ASK AN ADULT TO
REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Youll probably need their
help with one or two of the steps, anyway.
While we believe these projects to be safe and
family-friendly, accidents can happen in any situation,
and we cannot guarantee your safety. THE AUTHORS
AND PUBLISHER DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY FROM ANY
HARM OR INJURY THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE USE,
PROPER OR IMPROPER, OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK. Remember, the instructions in
this book are not meant to be a substitute for your good
judgment and common sense.
CHAPTER
he was holding.
than that.
Oh, said Joe. Oooooookay.
Weve been sent to live with our uncle for the
summer, the boy said. He was supposed to meet us
here, but he didnt show up.
Joe stared at the kids a moment, trying to decide
if he believed them. Even if he did, they still looked
like trouble. And Joe didnt like trouble.
The girl stuffed a hand into the pocket of her
jeans and pulled out a wad of wrinkled bills.
We have ninety-three dollars, she said.
The boy reached into his pocket, too. And fiftyeight cents. Thats enough, right?
Absolutely, Joe said.
He turned around and started the engine. And
the meter.
Joe didnt like trouble. But he did like money.
11
12
13
brother.
Nick got his own suitcase and followed her onto
the porch.
Tesla started to reach for the doorbell. It chimed
when her finger was still two feet from the button.
Hey, Tesla said, looking around the porch.
Nick looked, too.
Motion detector? he said.
Could be.
Tesla was standing on a welcome mat. Printed on
it were the words if youre selling girl scout cookies, im
not home.
15
house.
Nick stayed on the porch.
What in the? My begonias! he heard someone
say behind him.
Nick looked over his shoulder.
A small but muscular woman in sweaty workout
clothes was stepping out of a big shiny car in the
neighbors driveway. She was gaping in horror at the
chewed-up flowerbed and the smoking lawn mower.
Scowling, she turned toward Uncle Newts house.
And the scowl didnt go away when she noticed Nick
looking back at her. In fact, it got scowlier.
Nick smiled weakly, waved, and hurried into the
house. He closed the door behind him.
Whoa, he said when his eyes adjusted to the
gloom inside.
Cluttering the long hall in front of him were
dozens of old computers, a telescope, a metal detector connected to a pair of bulky earphones, an oldfashioned diving suit complete with brass helmet, a
stuffed polar bear (the real, dead kind), a chainsaw,
something that looked like a flamethrower (but
couldnt be . . . right?), a box marked keep refrigerated,
16
from broken beakers and test tubes (it was June). Exposed wires and power cables poked out of the plaster and veered off around every corner, and there
were so many diplomas and science prizes and
patents hanging (all of them earned by Newton
Galileo Holt, a.k.a. Uncle Newt) that barely an inch of
wall was left uncovered.
Off to the left was a living room lined with
enough books to put some libraries to shame, a semitransparent couch made of inflated plastic bags, and
WELCOME
ICK AND TESLA
19
KEEP OUT
PRIVATE PROPERTY
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
HAZARDOUS
FLAMMABLE
POISON
HIGH VOLTAGE
DANGER
BEWARE OF DOG
The word DOG had been crossed out and replaced
with CAT.
As Nick and Tesla crossed the kitchen, the muffled cries grew louder.
20
21
CHAPTER
23
24
enough to drive!
Uh . . . no, Nick said.
Uncle Newt? Tesla said.
All right, almost old enough to drive, said Uncle
Newt. When can you get a learners permit? When
youre twelve?
Uh . . . no, Nick said.
Uncle Newt? Tesla said.
Thirteen, then? Fourteen? Uncle Newt said.
Anyway, weve got plenty of time to figure that out.
25
26
27
28
Yes. And . . .?
30
nuts!
Nick and Tesla looked at each other. Theyd never
thought of their parents as inventors. They were staff
horticulturists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
which seemed like about the least inventive thing
one could be.
Also, go nuts was not the kind of thing they
were used to hearing from authority figures.
Uncle Newt stopped and pointed at an especially
dark corner of the basement.
Oh. Only, whatever you do, dont touch that. Or
that. Or that. Uncle Newt began moving his hand
here and there, though it was hard to tell exactly
31
32
DO-IT-YOURSELF
ELECTROMAGNET AND
PICKER-UPPER
THE STUFF:
1 D-size battery
Tape
1 strand of 24-gauge
plastic-coated wire
1 3- to 4-inch (7.5 to 10cm) iron or steel nail
DO-IT-YOURSELF
ELECTROMAGNET AND
PICKER-UPPER
THE STUFF:
1 D-size battery
Tape
1 strand of 24-gauge
plastic-coated wire
1 3- to 4-inch (7.5 to 10cm) iron or steel nail
THE SETUP
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tape one exposed end of the wire to the top of the battery
and the other to the bottom.
2.