Moving, Household -- Juvenile fiction. |
Middle schools -- Juvenile fiction. |
Families -- Juvenile fiction. |
Video games -- Juvenile fiction. |
Bullying -- Juvenile fiction. |
Schools -- Fiction. |
Family life -- Fiction. |
Bullying. |
Families. |
Middle schools. |
Moving, Household. |
Video games. |
Fiction. |
Juvenile works. |
Available:*
Audience | Shelf Location | Material Type | Shelf Number | Current Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kids/Juvenile | Fiction | Book | JFIC BROWN | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Video game lover Josh Baxter knows that seventh grade at a new school may be his hardest challenge yet, but he's not afraid to level up and win!Josh Baxter is sick and tired of hitting the reset button. It's not easy being the new kid for the third time in two years. One mistake and now the middle school football star is out to get him. And Josh's sister keeps offering him lame advice about how to make friends, as if he needs her help finding allies!Josh knows that his best bet is to keep his head down and stay under the radar. If no one notices him, nothing can touch him, right? But when Josh's mom sees his terrible grades and takes away his video games, it's clear his strategy has failed. Josh needs a new plan, or he'll never make it to the next level, let alone the next grade. He's been playing not to lose. It's time to play to win.
Author Notes
Gavin Brown has written stories and designed games for the bestselling Spirit Animals and The 39 Clues series, and is the creator of the highly rated iOS and Android game Blindscape . He lives in a narrow apartment in New York City's East Village.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Replete with gaming metaphors, the otherwise typical plot of a boy grappling with challenges at home and at school is given fresh appeal. Josh has had to move and attend three different schools within two years of losing his father. He relies on his favorite video games to distract him from real-life difficulties. But things seem to take a turn for the worse when Josh starts at a new middle school, becomes the target of a bully, and has his treasured video game collection withheld due to sinking grades. Josh realizes that he needs to take the strategies learned in his games and apply them in life: he evaluates what the heroes of his games would do and makes a plan to "level up." Each chapter ends with a video game-style update of the protagonist's level, health, lives, and new skills unlocked. Readers will be engaged in this likable lead's quest to solidify burgeoning friendships via a school video game decathlon. Secondary peer characters of both genders and diverse backgrounds add texture. Josh's mother and teachers are supportive secondary characters, demonstrating positive relationships between youths and adults. As a video game designer, the author understands the games in detail and what they mean to enthusiasts, rendering the gaming analogies relatable to the intended audience. VERDICT Recommended as an enticing addition, especially for middle school gamers and reluctant readers.-Suzanne LaPierre, Fairfax County Public Library, Burke, VA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Josh sees life through the lens of video games-a useful coping mechanism for someone starting at his third middle school in two years, where he immediately gets on the wrong side of a bully. His school year only gets worse when his mother forbids him from playing video games until his grades improve. In response, Josh fully commits to the life-as-video-game mindset, determining to do what it takes to "become the hero who could get the grades, beat the bullies, and maybe even impress a princess." Along the way, Josh connects with some fellow geeks and video-game lovers, including classmate/crush Maya. Brown includes countless gaming references that will delight in-the-know readers (at various points, Josh contemplates how heroes like Mario, Link, and Sonic the Hedgehog would react to situations), and each chapter ends with an update on Josh's health status, remaining lives, and other stats (he unlocks the "Summon Bully" skill after the first chapter). It's a light, fun approach to typical middle-school struggles from an author who gets his audience and knows his games. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Underachiever Josh sees the world as a video game. He is entering his third school in two years, and it's game on. Unfortunately, he unlocks two useless skills: Summon Bully and Impenetrable Aura of Stupidity. Worse, a dismal school progress report prompts his widowed mom to take away his computer privileges. But Josh is determined to climb up from noob level. An attempt to stand up to hulking Mitten Monster (aka football star and school bully Henry Mittens Schmittendorf) earns him an in-school suspension, but when he teams up with classmate Punk Princess Maya, a fellow gamer, he unlocks numerous useful interpersonal skills, improves his study habits, and takes on the Mitten Monster at the school's Video Game Decathlon. His progress is tracked on scoring charts throughout, and by the end, Josh has climbed to Pencil-Slinging Hero and maybe found the skills he needs to ask Maya to the holiday dance. The gamer theme and the inclusion of various digital diversions add a charge to this upbeat fitting-in story.--Peters, John Copyright 2015 Booklist