What reading level is Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown?

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown by Bob Pflugfelder is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 710L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown appropriate for?

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown?

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown have any content warnings?

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown has a HootRating of 9LE (Light — Emotional). 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 solar-powered showdown?

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown by Bob Pflugfelder is 259 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown

Bob Pflugfelder

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Mystery with Sun-Powered Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Bob Pflugfelder

Illustrated by Garrett, Scott, illustrator

Reading Level 4-5 9LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Nick and Tesla are not your average kids — they’re genius inventors who have faced spies and crooks head-on! This time, they’re up against a high-tech villain with a solar-powered plan that could change everything. Can their clever gadgets and quick thinking save their parents before it’s too late?

Themes

ScienceAdventure Family FriendshipExperimentsJuvenile fiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction follows inventive siblings Nick and Tesla as they tackle a thrilling mystery involving their missing parents and a villainous plot centered on solar technology. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story encourages interest in science and engineering with hands-on project instructions included. It offers an engaging blend of adventure and educational content without intense violence or mature themes.

Why we rated Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown 9LE

Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 710L across 259 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate Nick and Tesla's solar-powered showdown as 9LE ("Light — Emotional") 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 solar-powered showdown explores science, adventure, family, friendship, and experiments — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 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, adventure, family.