lauriehnatiuk's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an ARC with #bookportage.
I was very excited for the opportunity to read a fiction book from one of my favourite nonfiction authors Canadian @jess_keating and I wasn’t disappointed.
Nikki Tesla is a young girl who due to her curiousity, interest in inventing and smarts has had trouble fitting in at school and working with others.
Some of Nikki’s inventions have caused some issues in the neighborhood - the latest being her death ray gun. After a near mishap, her mother decides she needs to be with kids with her own passion and intelligence in a safe environment and thus agrees to accept an invitation for Nikki to attend Genius Academy.
Nikki reluctantly agrees to attend after being told it is the only way to keep her mother out of jail because of the death ray incident. Once at the Academy, we meet six other students all with their own special interests and skills. From here, Keating introduces the mystery when Nikki’s death-ray gun is stolen. The Academy turns out to be a school where students learn skills to save the world and so now the students are tasked with figuring out who has taken the gun, and to retrieve it before any eminent disaster occurs.
This book reminded me of the Alex Rider series (kids being spies) and many books revolving around puzzles to be solved. There is a lot of action and I liked how Nikki had to learn to work with others and viceversa - accepting one another for who they are and recognizing that their differences make them stronger. What makes Elements of Genius unique is the use of STEAM and teamwork into the plot and characters. I loved how the text is printed on grid paper, chapters are short and there are illustrations to accompany the story. I think this will be a popular series and look forward to Nikki’s and her new found friends in their next adventure. A great addition for libraries and classrooms.
I was very excited for the opportunity to read a fiction book from one of my favourite nonfiction authors Canadian @jess_keating and I wasn’t disappointed.
Nikki Tesla is a young girl who due to her curiousity, interest in inventing and smarts has had trouble fitting in at school and working with others.
Some of Nikki’s inventions have caused some issues in the neighborhood - the latest being her death ray gun. After a near mishap, her mother decides she needs to be with kids with her own passion and intelligence in a safe environment and thus agrees to accept an invitation for Nikki to attend Genius Academy.
Nikki reluctantly agrees to attend after being told it is the only way to keep her mother out of jail because of the death ray incident. Once at the Academy, we meet six other students all with their own special interests and skills. From here, Keating introduces the mystery when Nikki’s death-ray gun is stolen. The Academy turns out to be a school where students learn skills to save the world and so now the students are tasked with figuring out who has taken the gun, and to retrieve it before any eminent disaster occurs.
This book reminded me of the Alex Rider series (kids being spies) and many books revolving around puzzles to be solved. There is a lot of action and I liked how Nikki had to learn to work with others and viceversa - accepting one another for who they are and recognizing that their differences make them stronger. What makes Elements of Genius unique is the use of STEAM and teamwork into the plot and characters. I loved how the text is printed on grid paper, chapters are short and there are illustrations to accompany the story. I think this will be a popular series and look forward to Nikki’s and her new found friends in their next adventure. A great addition for libraries and classrooms.
hamandaj's review against another edition
4.0
With an opening scene that stars a ferret aiming a death ray at a teenage girl, Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray is an adventure from start to finish. Nikki Tesla is a teenage inventor who doesn’t fit in with the rest of the world. Her father accidentally blew himself up while planning to destroy the town. Nikki has sworn to herself not to be anything like her father, but her inventions keep getting her in trouble. When her death ray and its damage are featured on the news her mom has no other option than to turn to Genius Academy. Nikki is hesitant to go but ends up at the school with a lot of concerns. Will Nikki be able to make friends? Worst of all her death ray gets stolen. Will she and the rest of Genius Academy be able to recover it before global disaster?
This book is a fast-paced adventure novel with cameos from historical great minds reimagined as teenagers. There is a light romance but nothing that detracts from the whirlwind capers that the team go on. Overall a fun read.
This book is a fast-paced adventure novel with cameos from historical great minds reimagined as teenagers. There is a light romance but nothing that detracts from the whirlwind capers that the team go on. Overall a fun read.
suzannekm's review against another edition
4.0
Nikki Tesla is a genius inventor with a ferret, some family problems, and trouble making friends.
Fun middle-grade book with interesting characters and problem solving. I probably wouldn't allow my child to attend this school - but it's a quick and fun read. I'll probably spend a few happy hours with the sequels as they emerge.
Fun middle-grade book with interesting characters and problem solving. I probably wouldn't allow my child to attend this school - but it's a quick and fun read. I'll probably spend a few happy hours with the sequels as they emerge.
lkstrohecker's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
A fun addition to the spy-kid genre. My favorite thing about this was the fact that the term "genius" was broadly applied to not only math and science but also to writing and leadership and psychological skills.
At its core, this is a friendship story that really digs into the desire to protect yourself when you have been hurt before and weighing the costs and benefits of opening yourself up to potential friends after being hurt. At times, it can be hard to "like" Nikki because she is holding so much of herself back and pushing the others away. But the author does a great job of showing early on WHY Nikki is doing that, so the reader knows it's okay to hope that with some time, Nikki will warm up to her team and give them a chance. Science pieces as well as some history (all of the kids are named for historical figures), but never anything that would be over the heads of any middle grade reader. A terrific series launch with a great cliffhanger right at the end to propel kids to book 2 (Feb 2020).
At its core, this is a friendship story that really digs into the desire to protect yourself when you have been hurt before and weighing the costs and benefits of opening yourself up to potential friends after being hurt. At times, it can be hard to "like" Nikki because she is holding so much of herself back and pushing the others away. But the author does a great job of showing early on WHY Nikki is doing that, so the reader knows it's okay to hope that with some time, Nikki will warm up to her team and give them a chance. Science pieces as well as some history (all of the kids are named for historical figures), but never anything that would be over the heads of any middle grade reader. A terrific series launch with a great cliffhanger right at the end to propel kids to book 2 (Feb 2020).
krickster's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kateteaching7and8's review against another edition
4.0
@KidLitExchange #Partner
Thank you to the @KidLitExchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray by Jess Keating.
After Nikki Tesla accidently vaporizes a portion of her bedroom floor with her newly developed death ray, she is invited (or maybe blackmailed might be the better term) into attending Genius Academy. Genius Academy is home to 6, now 7, students each genius specializing in their own unique area of expertise. Shortly after arriving at Genius Academy and narrowly avoiding drowning in the school's pool, Nikki and the other geniuses learn that her death ray has been stolen. The kids are then deployed on a daring mission around the globe to find the thief and reclaim the death ray.
This is a story about science, accepting who you are, and friendship. Nikki has never really had friends because the other kids have always viewed her intense love of science and her high intelligence as weird. Because of this, she doesn't trust others easily and has a hard time making friends. Keating masterfully addresses the themes of friendship, not fitting in, and accepting your abiliities and quirks in a fun and engaging way. The story has humor and adventure that is sure to pull in middle grade readers. I personally loved how each of the students at Genius Academy is a reimagined version of a real-life individual whose made an important contribution to our world's history. The reimagined geniuses are: Grace O'Malley (Irish Pirate Queen), Nikola Tesla (inventor), Leonardo da Vinci (polymath and artist), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (musical prodigy), Charles Darwin (biologist), Mary Shelley (author), and Albert Einstein (physicist and visionary). I also really like that the author encourages readers to learn more about the real-life inspirations for the characters and suggests that they read more about them.
Thank you to the @KidLitExchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray by Jess Keating.
After Nikki Tesla accidently vaporizes a portion of her bedroom floor with her newly developed death ray, she is invited (or maybe blackmailed might be the better term) into attending Genius Academy. Genius Academy is home to 6, now 7, students each genius specializing in their own unique area of expertise. Shortly after arriving at Genius Academy and narrowly avoiding drowning in the school's pool, Nikki and the other geniuses learn that her death ray has been stolen. The kids are then deployed on a daring mission around the globe to find the thief and reclaim the death ray.
This is a story about science, accepting who you are, and friendship. Nikki has never really had friends because the other kids have always viewed her intense love of science and her high intelligence as weird. Because of this, she doesn't trust others easily and has a hard time making friends. Keating masterfully addresses the themes of friendship, not fitting in, and accepting your abiliities and quirks in a fun and engaging way. The story has humor and adventure that is sure to pull in middle grade readers. I personally loved how each of the students at Genius Academy is a reimagined version of a real-life individual whose made an important contribution to our world's history. The reimagined geniuses are: Grace O'Malley (Irish Pirate Queen), Nikola Tesla (inventor), Leonardo da Vinci (polymath and artist), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (musical prodigy), Charles Darwin (biologist), Mary Shelley (author), and Albert Einstein (physicist and visionary). I also really like that the author encourages readers to learn more about the real-life inspirations for the characters and suggests that they read more about them.
pages_and_procrastination's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
An action-packed story filled with spy gadgets and international escapades! Nikki Tesla is a genius—in fact, she’s a little too smart for her own good. When her pet ferret sidekick and the death ray Nikki invented land her in trouble, she has no choice but to attend Genius Academy—the people who run it insist that they can protect the world from possible disastrous results from her inventions. Plus, she’ll meet other kids just like her! Not that Nikki’s all that interested in making friends. But when she gets to the academy, she finds that she has to rely on this new group of comrades (all based on historical figures) to outwit a thief who could use her invention for his own nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, she has trouble letting people in, and she’s afraid that if she tells her new friends the whole truth about her shady family background, they’ll see her as a threat instead of an ally. Nikki has to learn to trust and to rely on teamwork—a tall order for a girl who’s always felt alone.
Kids will be entertained by Nikki’s madcap adventures and they just might learn a little along the way!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
An action-packed story filled with spy gadgets and international escapades! Nikki Tesla is a genius—in fact, she’s a little too smart for her own good. When her pet ferret sidekick and the death ray Nikki invented land her in trouble, she has no choice but to attend Genius Academy—the people who run it insist that they can protect the world from possible disastrous results from her inventions. Plus, she’ll meet other kids just like her! Not that Nikki’s all that interested in making friends. But when she gets to the academy, she finds that she has to rely on this new group of comrades (all based on historical figures) to outwit a thief who could use her invention for his own nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, she has trouble letting people in, and she’s afraid that if she tells her new friends the whole truth about her shady family background, they’ll see her as a threat instead of an ally. Nikki has to learn to trust and to rely on teamwork—a tall order for a girl who’s always felt alone.
Kids will be entertained by Nikki’s madcap adventures and they just might learn a little along the way!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
More...