Game Over, Pete Watson

Gr 4–6—Pete Watson is a gamer. When the latest hit game gets released, he has a plan to secretly buy it—until he discovers that his mom has borrowed some of his money. Revising his plan, Pete holds a garage sale and sells anything in the house he can find, including his father's CommandRoid game console. This proves to be his biggest mistake as he discovers that his dad is really a super-spy, and is now trapped inside a video game due to Pete's poor decisions. Now the youngster has to pull together all of his skills to undo what he has done. The book's opening line, "On the Saturday morning that I almost triggered the end of the world, I woke up early," will hook readers immediately. Short chapters, engaging titles, lists, and several diary-type sketches will appeal to kids with short attention spans. The plot includes plenty of humor, mystery, crime fighting, and even a bit of romance. Another fun addition is the flip-book character at the bottom of each page, as well as the author's reference to the digital version of the book that doesn't exist. With so much discussion of coding and gaming in education, this is a timely addition, and it could lead to extension activities such as animation, game design, or transmedia projects.—Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA