What reading level is Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle?

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle by Bob Pflugfelder is at a Level 3-4 reading level (Lexile 680L). Recommended for Lower Grades readers (Ages 5-8).

What age is Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle appropriate for?

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle is recommended for Ages 5-8. HootRating: 8LP (Light — Physical).

What genre is Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle?

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle have any content warnings?

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle has a HootRating of 8LP (Light — Physical). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle?

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle by Bob Pflugfelder is 254 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle

Bob Pflugfelder

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Mystery with Spy Cameras, Code Wheels, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Bob Pflugfelder

Illustrated by Garrett, Scott, illustrator

Reading Level 3-4 8LP Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Who could be sneaking around Uncle Newt's house, searching for secrets? Nick and Tesla are on the case, building awesome spy gadgets like fingerprint powder and secret cameras to catch the mysterious intruder. But can they stop the spy before it's too late?

Themes

ScienceJuvenile fictionExperimentsBrothers and sistersAdventure

Quick Assessment

Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle is an engaging early chapter book for ages 5-8, featuring 11-year-old siblings who use science and inventiveness to solve a mystery at their uncle's house. The story encourages hands-on learning with included instructions for building spy gadgets, blending fiction with practical experiments. It's a fun way to inspire curiosity and problem-solving skills without any intense content.

Why we rated Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle 8LP

Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle is written at a Level 3-4 reading level with a Lexile measure of 680L across 254 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 4.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle works for readers up to grade 5.5.

We rate Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle as 8LP ("Light — Physical") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Nick and Tesla's secret agent gadget battle explores science, juvenile fiction, experiments, brothers and sisters, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about science, juvenile fiction, experiments.