Surprise Attack!: Nickolas Flux and the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Nickolas Flux

by Terry Collins, Amerigo Pinelli (Illustrator)

When a spontaneous time leap sends Nickolas Flux back to the attack on Pearl Harbor, what's a teenage history buff to do? Try to avoid going down with the battleships, of course! From the sinking of the USS Oklahoma to the bombardment of the airfields, Nick must survive the Japanese surprise attack that pulled the United States into World War II.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels

40 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

I write. I teach. I teach writing. I write about teaching. I read about writing and write about reading and teach about both when not dealing with the paperwork being a high school educator demands in our current political clime. I'm National Board Certified in my discipline (English).

I've won awards, published constantly since 1989, and just wrapped up a two-year tenure as the editor and designer of Pine Whispers (the newsletter for the North Carolina Poetry Society).

I make time for reflection, which comes in handy with all of the hats I wear. I also buy, sell and collect pop culture items ... from books and comics, to lunch boxes and action figures.

And if you've read this far, please accept my humble thanks.

Reviews

[Andrew ✝️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here I go again.
Nikolaus Flux is a 15-year-old guy with an uncontrollable, unpredictable ability to time travel to a time of historical significance. For the seventh time: Nikolaus has traveled back to the Boston tea party, the Salem witch trials, the California gold rush, the battle of the Alamo, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii, and even to the Ford theatre for a 12-day visit for the assassination of President Lincoln. This time, he's traveled back in time to Dec 7th, 1941: the attack on Pearl Harbor.
For what this series is about, this sequel falls right in line as being a look at an unfortunate part of history..., but there really isn't very much that happens in this one. Flux finds himself in the middle of an all-out attack, but he's nowhere near as helpful as he's been in most of these. Aside from being informational and educational, this random time travel really didn't have as much purpose as it usually does. He was mostly running, which yes, is what civilians tend to do to get to safety...but this is completely uncharacteristic of Nikolaus Flux. The two times he offered help, well, he wasn't really helpful at all. So, at the risk of being accused of redundancy at this point..., what was the point? There should've been more to this one, I feel.
Couple of other things... In this one, you find out that Nikolaus has a brother named Chuck, who hasn't been mentioned in 6 stories and possibly replaces the mother who hasn't appeared since the very first one. Nick and Chuck go out in a boat on a tiny body of water (either a river or a creek; it's not specified). To wait until the 7th installment of a series to announce that a main character has a sibling is a bit... strange. They should have included Chuck on the "introducing" pages since it's so late in the series, even though he's not part of the time travel.
I really don't know what else I could say. I'm gonna give this one 2 stars.

[Brianna Steinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up. ⭐️ Journeying out this summer into middle grade and YA historical fiction for a classroom library build, for the 2022-2023 school year. This was my first Nickolas Flux graphic novel and I adored it! The Flux Facts thrown in as footnotes = kept an active nonfiction timeline playing, liked the Flux Files at the back of the book along with the glossary, and the illustrations were dynamic. Definitely want to check a few more of these out!

[Doctor Doom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good way to introduce historical events to [I assume] a younger audience but does not dumb down the information. Stays apolitical thus far [I can't tell which side of the spectrum the writer is on so that is a plus- a neutrality so to speak]. Very refreshing, informative and interesting.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nickolas Flux again finds himself thrown back in time for another historic adventure. This time, after falling in the lake, he wakes up in Hawaii, December 7, 1941 and experiences first hand the horror of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

This book is interesting, informative and engaging. The facts are told in a way that keeps you turning the pages to find out more. I really enjoyed this book and any kid would too. Highly recommended for ages 8+

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short. This just covers the facts and moments of the attack. Certainly readable. The story is followed by fact "files" which summarize the attack giving much more information especially on what happened afterward.

[Tracy Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting way to learn facts about historical events.