Nick's Tales (Series)
| Author | Michael Anthony Steele |
| Published | 2011-2013 |
| Publisher | Barron's Educational Series, Inc. |
| Publication Place | Jefferson City, MO, United States |
| Page Count | 133 |
| Links |
Nick's Tales is a series of tie-in novels written by Michael Anthony Steele. Only two books were ever written: Night of the Dragons and Night of the Giants, the latter of which was a digital-only release. The series follows Nick Daley and his adventures throughout the AMNH, often without Larry or any adult supervision at all.
These books were the introduction of Joan of Arc to the franchise as a whole, as well as the addition of characters such as Rasputin, Czar Nicholas II, and the duo Eric and Bryce.
These stories take place between the events of Battle of the Smithsonian and Secret of the Tomb.
Background
The series was inspired by a conversation Steele had with Kevin Ryan, where Ryan asked, "Hey... didn't the night guard have a kid?"[1] sometime in 2010. Steele wrote Dragons in 2010, and later Giants in 2013.
Sometime after publishing, between 2013 and 2023, Giants was made unavailable for purchase digitally, rendering it lost media. In March 2023, Ian of The NatM Search e-mailed Steele directly asking where one could purchase the book, and was sent a work copy by Steele within two weeks of first contact.
Night of the Dragons
Synopsis
On the first night of summer vacation, the museum experiences a very close call when Dr. McPhee arrives early. He's expecting a delivery: six crates of new exhibits. Unfortunately, only two arrive: one containing a twelve-year-old Joan of Arc, and the other Czar Nicholas II, "on loan from the Royal Belgium Institute".[2] The Czar gives Nick an unnatural feeling, and his bushy black beard, raggedy black hair, and cane ("The bone handle bore two intricately carved dragons entwined around a large clear crystal"[3]) aren't helping.
The next evening, McPhee is disappointed that no one seems to be interested in the Czar, and asks Larry to do something similar to the events of NATM 1 and 2 that brought in patrons. After he leaves, Nick and Larry lock up some wings before the magic takes effect: specifically the Hall of Insects and Arachnids, and the "temporary exhibits in B-wing".[4] After doing so, they head to Czar Nicholas to greet him. He acts strangely, but is interested in the Tablet's magic. They begin to explain, but Joan's scream takes their attention. After calming her down and explaining the magic to her, Nick takes her to meet the main gang. She is scared back into her exhibit by the whale in Ocean life and refuses to leave. He finds Ahkmenrah speaking with Czar Nicholas about the magic while searching for Larry. When he reunites with Larry, he tells him to help Joan get used to the place, and Nick agrees.
The third evening begins with Nick doing research on Joan and the Czar, and he finds that Nicholas looked far different than the museum's mannequin. When Joan wakes up, Nick tries to convince her of the things she does later in her life, first by conscripting two suits of armor to demonstrate some combat maneuvers. Joan takes to it quite well, but faints when it's revealed that the suits of armor have no one inside them. Jed and Octavius arrive to tell Nick that they've seen the Czar walking around in the daytime. After checking the cameras, it's proven, and Larry and Nick confront Czar Nicholas. He denies everything, and the group pursues further action. Once the sun rises, Nick and Larry stay at the museum and blend into the crowd. They spot the Czar and corner him in Ahkmenrah's chamber, but it's revealed to be Dr. McPhee in a similar costume, "trying to drum up some excitement for the new exhibit."[5]
The fourth night begins, and Nick finds that Dexter never woke up from his day form. The miniature hall is also still, with no one awake. Joan and Nick meet again, and in the process, they find that Larry has been turned to wax. Dr. McPhee calls, and Nick answers, but the Czar interrupts. He's stolen the tablet, and is using its magic to freeze exhibits. After they escape, Nick realizes while on call with McPhee that the Belgium Insitute sent Rasputin in the wrong outfit. "The magic of the tablet must give him real magic."[6] Rasputin's magic gives him freezing abilities, and he's already frozen Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus shut, sealing the pharaoh inside. The other exhibits are armed against Rasputin, who finally reveals his identity. He confirms his abilities as well: "The real Rasputin didn't have any magical powers. He only thought he did. [...] But because he thought he had powers, the tablet gives me real powers."[7]
A battle begins between Rasputin and the rest of the museum, and most of the exhibits are frozen. Rasputin declares his intent to take over the world, and nearly kills Joan and Nick with a fireball, but Rexy knocks Rasputin away in time. Rasputin summons a red dragon from his staff, which does battle with Rexy. When Rexy proves impervious to fire, Rasputin summons a blue dragon, which freezes and shatters rexy. The dragons break the front entrance of the museum open, and Rasputin escapes. Nick and Joan head to B-Wing, and Joan befriends two pterodactyls, who help them battle Rasputin in the sky. Joan sacrifices herself to destroy the red dragon, and Nick manages to get the tablet back, before falling into the Central Park lake. The lake's surface is frozen over as the blue dragon explodes, and Nick nearly drowns, before being rescued by Joan, who survived the explosion caused by the red dragon's defeat. Rasputin is disarmed, and Nick uses the tablet and staff to reanimate everyone. The Huns bring in Rasputin, and Ahkmenrah "see[s] to it that he no longer comes alive after sunset."[8] Ahkmenrah recites a spell that undoes all the destruction caused, and revives Rexy in the process.
The fifth night begins with the actual Romanov family arriving, who join the museum with joy. The book ends with Nick and Joan leading Alexei and Anastasia to get some costume items to dress up the immobile Rasputin, and discussing a football game with the Huns.
Details
- Some exhibits seen in the films are given names: the wooly mammoth is named Lily,[9] and the jade lion is named Ming.[10]
- Jed and Octavius take offense to being called tiny, with Jed referring to it as "the T-word".[11]
- The Ocean Life exhibit is explored, and the exhibits within "swam through the air above as if they were in the center of a giant fish tank."[12]
- The Tablet of Ahkmenrah is different: "Two corners were broken away and six spinning squares lined its face."[13]
- Nick is confirmed to be twelve: "You're both the same age..."[14]
- The exhibits are conscious and able to see in the daytime: "...you guys can see what's going on while you're frozen?" "Oh, sure, [...] we've been watching you giants for years."[15]
- The dragon Rasputin summons roars loud enough to break glass.[16]
- The tablet's magic "gave the mannequins the knowledge and personalities of whom they represented. That was why Teddy Roosevelt could tell you everything about his presidency even though his mannequin design represented 'Rough Rider' Teddy."[17]
- The magic can repair any damage done by exhibits: "The mischief caused by the tablet can always be reversed by the tablet."[18]
Night of the Giants
Synopsis
One summer evening, Nick is sneaking around with the Tablet in his backpack. After the Rasputin incident, Larry and Nick decided that it shouldn't be on display where it can so easily be stolen, so they are attempting to cast it and put a copy in its place. While Nick is heading for the elevator to the basement, he encounters two kids that haven't left yet: Eric and Bryce. Eric is a bully, and Bryce is a nerd he keeps around. They attempt to steal the Tablet, but Nick escapes with it. In the basement, Nick and Larry test the mold chemicals on a brick, to no avail. Joan watches them, talking to Nick about "the duck" before Larry announces that he has to leave to get the proper chemicals. As Larry leaves, Joan clarifies: some of the Tablet's tiles had been turned around: one being a "duck with a funny hat". She presses each tile as she points them out, and the Tablet glows, shrinking them.
Meanwhile, Eric and Bryce have hidden in a closet past closing, and end up opening the insect wing. When Nick and Joan come to, they are attacked by a praying mantis and end up in the vents, falling into the Hall of African Mammals. After befriending some docile army ants, they encounter Andy, an anteater, who they task with gathering all the ants to put them back in the insect wing. Dexter finds them, finds the situation hilarious, and takes the two to the Hall of Miniatures after they conclude that if the big exhibits can't deal with this, the small exhibits can.
Inside, the minis are dealing with two problems: an orc and a gryphon, both tabletop figurines left behind by Eric. After trapping the orc under a pot, the gryphon is tamed by Nick. Eric and Bryce arrive, and end up kidnapping Octavius and Joan. With help from Jed's dune buggy and the newly befriended gryphon, Nick pursues Eric and Bryce, eventually trapping him with the help of the miniatures after they contain the escaped insects.
Eric and Bryce are sent home, but Eric returns with his mother and brother. His mother intends to press charges, but Nick presents the orc and gryphon, proving his presence at the museum. The adults think it's all a big misunderstanding, and Nick and Larry exchange a knowing smile before the book ends.
Details
- The orc and gryphon are tabletop figurines that come alive, confirming that toys from the outside world come alive if brought in.
- The combination to shrink those close to the tablet is "duck with the funny hat", the Eye of Ra, and "people standing by a fountain".[20]
- Army ants are docile and friendly, but insist on marching in line. They are about the size of Great Danes to the miniatures.[21]
- There are ten dioramas in total: The Mayans at Chichen Itza, the Old West, the Roman Empire, the British-Zulu War, the Inca city of Kuzco, the Edo period, a medieval castle, the American Revolutionary War, World War I, and World War II.[22]
- Jed drives a dune buggy in this adventure.[23]
- Teddy speaks Hunnic.[24]
- Dr. McPhee was absent from this adventure because he was away at a "team building retreat".[25]
Characters
| Character | Presence | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Joan of Arc | First Appearance | Unlike the version seen in KRA, Joan of Arc is only 12 in this series. She is part of the Destined for Greatness display, "a special display [Dr. McPhee] commissioned ... to inspire today's youth with these new characters, showing that they, too, can be great."[19] |
| Rasputin | First Appearance | The antagonist of Dragons. Originally believed to be Czar Nicholas II, he arrived dressed in the Czar's outfit. Using the tablet's power, he gains the magical abilities Rasputin claimed to have, and wreaks havoc on the museum. He notably shatters Rexy, turns Larry to wax, and forces all the other exhibits into their day forms. He is defeated, and Ahkmenrah sees that he never comes alive again after that night. He is then used as a dress-up doll by Anastasia. |
| Czar Nicholas II | First Appearance | Arrives towards the end with his children. |
| Lily | First Appearance | Lily is a wooly mammoth that appears in Chapter 1. She is shown playing football with Nick and the Huns. She may be a different mammoth than Wooly, who appears in KRA. |
| Ming | Seen in films | Ming is a jade lion that can be seen in the background of NATM 1, with a terracotta soldier and a statue of Buddha. He scares Joan when she first wakes up. |
| Suits of Armor | Seen in films | Medieval suits of armor with no one inside. They can hear, but they can't speak. |
| Eric Fines | First Appearance | A 14-year-old bully, and central antagonist of Giants. He enjoys messing up the museum's displays and playing with his older brother's tabletop figurines. |
| Bryce Jenkins | First Appearance | An intelligent boy around the same age as Eric, who Eric keeps around for test-cheating reasons. Bryce goes along with Eric's scheme at first, but eventually revolts against him when he goes too far. |
| Dustin Fines | First Appearance | Eric's 17-year-old elder brother, who loves painting his own tabletop figurines. |
| Mother Fines | First Appearance | Eric and Dustin's mother. She initially intends to press charges, but changes her mind when Eric's guilt is proven. |
| Andy | First Appearance | A friendly anteater in the museum's halls. He slurps up all the escaped ants in Giants and takes them back to the insect wing. |
| Jake Winslow | First Mention | A bully that tormented Nick throughout third grade that moved away before Nick turned ten. |
References
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