 | Leon Levels Up (Orca Currents) Author: Coccia, Paul | |
| Price: $8.98 | ||
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Leon, a short and chubby gamer, is shocked when the cool kid invites him to test out a not-yet-released virtual reality video game. When a glitch puts them in real-life danger, it's up to Leon to battle a dragon and save himself and his friend.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (02/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 02/01/2024 Gr 4–7—Virtual-reality gaming and video games are popular across the board with tweens and teens, regardless of gender. Educators and parents are also often searching for read-alikes for fans of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. Themes of belonging, finding your people, and social acceptance, combined with a gaming-focused plot, will resonate with tweens. Leon, 12, and a gaming savant, has been invited by classmate Nico, the son of a famous video game developer, to play a new game. The VR game is still in experimental stages, and the 4D immersion experience quickly turns deadly as the players lose communication and experience physical ill-effects. Since Leon negatively compares himself to others, this book could be used along with Jarrett Lerner's A Work in Progress in a unit about body shaming, as well as in discussions about the social-emotional effects of poverty, isolation of technology, anxiety, and the value of real friendship. Leon's desire for friendship and popularity almost costs him his life in this high-stakes sci-fi adventure. Coccia's text is dyslexia-friendly with features like accessible font, cream-colored paper, and larger trim size. VERDICT Hopefully, readers will grasp the author's message about obsession with technology and heed the warning. A good choice for most collections..—Laura Dooley-Taylor - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
