Josh Baxter Levels Up

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.)