Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2013 Gr 3–7—Eleven-year-old twins Nick and Tesla are sent to live with their absentminded Uncle Newt for the summer while their parents are in Karakalpakstan (a region of Uzbekistan) working on soybean irrigation (or are they?). When the kids arrive, their uncle is nowhere to be seen and when they find him glued to his basement laboratory floor in a giant orange blob, it is the first clue that they are in for a wacky summer. The twins have no time to be homesick when strange things start occurring-a black SUV seems to be following them and there's a mysterious girl in a window of a creepy "haunted" house. Befriended by two local kids, the foursome devise clever contraptions designed to outwit ferocious rottweilers (a Mints-and-Soda Fueled Robocat Dog Distracter) and solve the mysterious happenings before it's too late. The authors concoct experiments that science buffs will be delighted to try, with clear instructions and illustrations included (plus safety warnings about having an adult present and helping). Part mystery, part mad science, the story unfolds at a quick pace and is only a smidge far-fetched. With some unexpected plot twists and turns, and a cliff-hanger pointing to the next book in the series, the story will leave readers wondering what mayhem will be forthcoming.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2013 Eleven-year-old twins Nick and Tesla have been foisted on their uncle Newt while their parents are supposedly in Uzbekistan on a government agricultural project, but considering that the siblings love science and Uncle Newt is an inventor, that’s not a bad deal. And in fact, it leads to adventure: when Tesla’s keepsake pendant from her mother goes airborne with a bottle rocket into the yard of a spooky house in the neighborhood, the siblings and a couple of local kids wind up saving a kidnapped girl and revealing the identity of her captors. The mystery story itself is a fairly bare-bones affair, but it’s laced with humor to add dimension to the ensemble cast. The appeal of this title (first in a projected series) lies in the inclusion of homemade gadgetry the kids use in their detective activities and the instructions for readers to build their own replicas. Taking several science fair staples, such as Mentos and diet cola gas propulsion and a basic nail, wire, and battery magnet, and making them a vital part of the crime story should attract some mystery/science crossover readers, and the introduction of genuine doubt about the twins’ parents’ actual job generates enough intrigue to draw audiences back for another volume. Science teachers may be less than impressed by the lack of rigorous information on the science behind the inventions, but there’s no law that says middle-grade science must remain within the confines of a classroom lab. Doesn’t a midnight bike ride with a “semi-invisible nighttime van tracker” sound cool? EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 12/01/2013 Eleven-year-old twins Nick and Tesla are a little gloomy about spending the summer with their eccentric inventor uncle, Newt, while their parents are overseas. But once Newt gives them free rein of his very messy, probably very dangerous lab, they’re a little more optimistic. Their inventions—the illustrated directions for which are included in each chapter—lead them to a creepy mansion guarded by rottweilers and thugs, where a ghostly girl lurks in the upper windows. Brave, no-nonsense Tesla and slightly skittish Nick are well-rounded, bright kids who use deductive reasoning to build gadgets and outsmart the thugs. Though some inventions are potentially hazardous—an electromagnet made out of a battery and a nail, for instance, could burn little fingers—Pflugfelder, an elementary-school science teacher, carefully warns readers of the potential dangers. Apart from the tantalizing experiments, the authors have crafted an engaging, entertaining mystery peppered with intrepid kids, perilous action, and a cartoonishly silly absentminded inventor. Though Nick and Tesla successfully solve this STEM-themed mystery, a planned sequel means there are plenty more gadget-fueled investigations in their future. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

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