Leon Levels Up

"""Gives voice to young people who question who they are and whether they are good enough, [with] all the excitement of a video game adventure... Paul Coccia takes us for a wild ride in Leon Levels Up, all at a lower reading level than typical for the middle grade reader, but never forgets to remind us that Leon never needed to advance to a higher level of self. For a twelve-year-old, he was already there."" -- ""CanLit for Little Canadians"" ""Leon Levels Up is a must read. There are many important lessons to learn about friendship, self-worth, what it means to be a hero, as well as a few cautionary notes about tech and the crossover between reality and the virtual world. Highly Recommended."" -- ""CM: Canadian Review of Materials"" ""Themes of belonging, finding your people, and social acceptance, combined with a gaming-focused plot, will resonate with tweens... Since Leon negatively compares himself to others, this book could be used (...) 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."" -- ""School Library Journal (SLJ)"""