A great short story full of action but with an underlying message about being kind. Written in a dyslexic-friendly format this story is also ideal for reluctant readers.

Barrington Stoke specialize in publishing books in a dyslexic-friendly format: the paper is cream/yellow rather than white for better contrast and they use dyslexic-friendly fonts in a larger size. Reading can be tiring when you have dyslexia so Barrington Stoke books also tend to be shorter than your usual middle grade book. This means they are also often the books I recommend to reluctant readers and that will definitely be the case with Blitzers.

Writing a good short story is difficult. Longer stories have the luxury to slowly introduce the characters, world and plot and to describe and develop them in detail. Short stories usually have to sacrifice something in order to get the word count down. So when a reluctant reader picks one up to read they find it harder to engage with the story and it reinforces their feeling that books are boring. This book does a great job of showing that doesn't have to be the case.

Alastair Chisholm manages to pack a lot into this book. The main story which will hook readers is the latest craze sweeping the playground: Blitzers. These are pocket robots you train to fight and rank up (think violent Tamagotchis). There are global leagues for the best robots and the book touches on pay-to-play and how easy it is to spend money and end up with nothing to show for it. Likewise there is mention of the reality behind influencers and their motivations.

Main character Danny finally gets hold of a Blitzer but it's different to the others. Chew Lip would rather wander the forest than fight and runs away from enemies. Danny is desperate to fit in and scours the internet for ways to make his Blitzer into a fearsome fighter. Events occur and the characters end up infiltrating the Blitzer HQ on a mission. There is intrigue, danger and a shocking reveal.

One of the major themes of this book is about how harmful aggressive behaviour is, and how being aggressive to one individual can cause them to be aggressive to others. It celebrates choosing kindness and accepting yourself and others for who they are. The book isn't explicitly about toxic masculinity but it reads like a counterbalance to the hateful messages a lot of young people are exposed to online about needing to be the alpha. Danny's older brother is a pleasingly positive role model in the story.

I really enjoyed this combination of an action-packed story that celebrates kindness.

I enjoyed this book and so did my 10 year old son. He said it kinda reminds him of Pokémon. The ending to me was bittersweet.

The children adore books by Barrington Stokes, they can all read and enjoy them. The stories, although written for a wide range of reading abilities are always strong on plot and characters. They are all good but this is definitely one of the best ones we have read together. An exciting story but suitable for all of the family.