Level Up!; Tom Nicoll, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar

Flo is not meant to mess with her mum’s scientific inventions. Lately, her mum has been working on a DIS - Digital Imprint Scanner - a device that can create a digital copy of a person so that they can see themselves in a computer game. When temptation gets the better of Flo, she and her friend Max are transported into her favourite computer game, Star Smasher.

Star Smasher is a lot more fun to play when you’re not actually starring in it. Stuck in a world fraught with danger the pair will need all of Flo’s game-playing skills to get out of this one. Can they survive tanks, space soldiers, the Red Ghost and complete the game to make it out alive…

This is a fun science-fiction, fantasy adventure that young players of computer games will really enjoy. It is fun, fast-paced and just a little bit scary. There are tanks, space soldiers with big laser cannons and a hacker player who is determined to wreak havoc in the game.

It is refreshing to have female Flo as the character that is passionate about computer gaming and she is the one that is all clued up on the latest gadgets and technology. Max is her sidekick who is afraid of lots of things and would really rather be at home. He is the perfect counterbalance to Flo’s overconfidence.

There are references to technology from the past, present and future and being an older reader I loved the references to Super Mario and a Commodore 64 - the days when tech and gaming were a lot simpler.

Level Up is a great first chapter book for readers growing in confidence. Plenty of black and white illustrations break up the text and help to tell the story.

Recommended for 6+.