N.E.R.D.S. facts for kids
Cover of the first book NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society
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National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society M is for Mama's Boy The Cheerleaders of Doom The Villain Virus Attack of the Bullies |
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| Author | Michael Buckley |
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| Illustrator | Ethen Beavers |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's espionage-thriller |
| Publisher | Amulet Books |
| Published | 2009–2013 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
The N.E.R.D.S. series is a set of five exciting spy books written by Michael Buckley. The books are about a secret spy agency where kids use their "nerdy" qualities as amazing superpowers to fight bad guys. Each book tells the story from a different agent's point of view. The series was published from 2009 to 2013. There are plans to make an animated movie based on the books by Elton John's company, Rocket Pictures.
Contents
About the N.E.R.D.S. Agency
The N.E.R.D.S. books are all about the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society, or N.E.R.D.S. for short. This is a super-secret spy agency made up of kids who have special "nerdy" abilities that have been turned into superpowers. When agents turn eighteen, they have to retire from the team.
The N.E.R.D.S. headquarters is hidden in Arlington, Virginia. In the first three books, it's secretly located inside Nathan Hale Elementary School. For the last two books, the headquarters moves to Thomas Knowlton Middle School.
The N.E.R.D.S. Books
There are five books in the N.E.R.D.S. series:
- N.E.R.D.S.: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (2009)
- N.E.R.D.S.: M is for Mama's Boy (2010)
- N.E.R.D.S.: The Cheerleaders of Doom (2011)
- N.E.R.D.S.: The Villain Virus (2012)
- N.E.R.D.S.: Attack of the B.U.L.L.I.E.S. (2013)
Meet the N.E.R.D.S. Agents
Main Agents
- Jackson "Braceface" Jones - Jackson used to be a popular football player. He seems confident but is actually a bit insecure. His special power comes from his braces. They can change into any gadget he imagines, but they stay on his teeth!
- Duncan "Gluestick" Dewey - Duncan is a friendly boy who loves to eat paste. His superpower makes the paste he eats super strong. He can stick to any surface and even shoot glue from his hands! Duncan also loves technology.
- Matilda "Wheezer" Choi - Matilda is a tough and spunky girl who loves wrestling. She has asthma, so her upgrades are two special inhalers. These inhalers let her fly, blast enemies, and even use blowtorches! She also got new inhalers that help her jump high and breathe underwater.
- Julio "Flinch" Escala - Julio is a super hyperactive boy who eats a lot of sugary snacks. His power comes from a special harness. It turns his endless energy into superhuman speed and strength. Without the harness, he shakes non-stop. His catchphrase is "I am mighty!"
- Ruby "Pufferfish" Peet - Ruby is a smart and determined girl with many allergies. Her allergies are her superpower! They are so strong they act like psychic abilities. She can sense danger or if someone is lying. Ruby is the current leader of the N.E.R.D.S. team.
Other Important Agents
- Agent Alexander Brand - Agent Brand is a top secret agent and the leader of the N.E.R.D.S. He uses a white cane because of an old injury. He sometimes doubts the team, but he is very proud of them.
- The Lunch Lady - This man is disguised as a lunch lady and flies the N.E.R.D.S. rocket, called "The School Bus." He is very loyal to the team.
- Benjamin - Benjamin is a blue floating orb and the N.E.R.D.S. supercomputer. He appears as a hologram of Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the first spies. Benjamin gives the N.E.R.D.S. their upgrades and tells them about their missions.
- Mindy "The Hyena" Beauchamp - Mindy is a skilled martial artist. She doesn't have an upgrade, but her laugh is so annoying it makes everyone else laugh too! She works on a secret project for N.E.R.D.S.
- Gerdie "Mathlete"/"Lilly" Baker - Gerdie used to be a N.E.R.D.S. member and is a math genius. Her upgrades let her solve hard problems super fast. She can even create machines that take her to other worlds!
The Villains
- Heathcliff "Choppers/Simon/Screwball/Brainstorm" Hodges - Heathcliff is very smart but was often bullied. His first power was a special toothpaste that let him hypnotize people with his teeth. He betrayed the N.E.R.D.S. because he hated bullies and wanted a world where knowledge was most important. He later got new upgrades that made his brain bigger, giving him powers like moving things with his mind and heat vision. He eventually lost his memory but later got it back and even helped the N.E.R.D.S. team.
- Ms. Lisa Holiday/Miss Information/Viktoriya Deprankova - Ms. Holiday was a librarian and Agent Brand's assistant. She made terrible cookies but was surprisingly good at fighting. It was later found out she was a spy from Siberia named Viktoriya Deprankova. She led a group of bullies and tried to change the past, but the N.E.R.D.S. stopped her, and she became an ally again.
- Dr. Jigsaw - Dr. Jigsaw was a mad scientist who wanted to bring back Pangaea (an ancient supercontinent). He worked with Simon to create a special beam.
- Dumb Vinci/The Antagonist - Dumb Vinci was a helper for Dr. Jigsaw and Simon. He lost a hand and got a hook instead. Later, he wore a mask and called himself "The Antagonist."
- Albert Nesbitt/Captain Justice/Captain Upgrade - Albert was a computer genius who loved comic books. He became one of Simon's helpers and got upgrades that gave him new powers.
- Gertrude "Mama" Nesbitt - Albert's 67-year-old mother. She encouraged Albert to be a villain and even tried to hurt Duncan.
Exciting Missions: Plot Summaries
N.E.R.D.S.: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (2009)
In the first book, Dr. Jigsaw and Simon (Heathcliff "Choppers" Hodges) plan to change the Earth's surface. New agent Jackson "Braceface" and the N.E.R.D.S. team must stop them before it's too late.
N.E.R.D.S.: M is for Mama's Boy (2010)
Duncan "Gluestick" Dewey and the team face Heathcliff "Choppers" Hodges again. Heathcliff is working with computer genius Albert and an army of squirrels to mess up computers worldwide. Things get tricky when the N.E.R.D.S. lose their powers and must use their wits to save the day.
N.E.R.D.S.: The Cheerleaders of Doom (2011)
A device that can travel to other dimensions is built by Gerdie "Mathlete" Baker, a former N.E.R.D.S. member who is now a cheerleader. Matilda "Wheezer" Choi, who dislikes anything girly, must go undercover at a cheerleading camp. She needs to find Gerdie before different worlds crash into each other.
N.E.R.D.S.: The Villain Virus (2012)
A dangerous virus that turns people into villains spreads through Arlington. Julio "Flinch" Escala is immune to the virus. He must lead the team to stop it while a former bad guy, Dumb Vinci, has his own plans.
N.E.R.D.S.: Attack of the B.U.L.L.I.E.S. (2013)
Miss Holiday, now known as the evil Miss Information, creates her own team of kids with superpowers called the B.U.L.L.I.E.S. (Brotherhood of Unstoppable Liars, Lowlifes, and Intimidating Enemies of Society). They plan to go back in time to stop N.E.R.D.S. from ever existing. Ruby "Pufferfish" Peet's teammates start disappearing. She teams up with Agent Brand and Heathcliff Hodges to travel back to the 1970s. They must help the original nerdy secret agents make sure the future is not erased. In the end, Miss Holiday becomes good again after the timeline is fixed.
The N.E.R.D.S. Movie
In January 2012, it was announced that Elton John's company, Rocket Pictures, bought the rights to make a movie based on the N.E.R.D.S. series. It will be an animated family film. Michael Buckley, the author of the books, will write the movie script. Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish will produce it, and Elton John will be an executive producer. As of 2024, there haven't been many new updates about the film's progress.
