Team Chu and the battle of Blackwood Arena

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Title:

Team Chu and the battle of Blackwood Arena

Author:

Dao, Julie C., author.

Series:

Team Chu ;

Series Number:

Summary:

Clip and Sadie Chu couldn’t be more different. Popular, athletic Clip wants to become his school’s first seventh-grade soccer captain, while brainy star student Sadie is determined to prove that she can do anything her boastful brother can. They have just one thing in common: they love laser tag. Like, really love it. When the Blackwood Gaming Arena comes to town, bringing virtual reality headsets and state-of-the-art courses, they couldn’t be more excited―or competitive. But then a mysterious figure appears and claims to be a part of the game, forcing the Chus and their friends to save themselves from a sinister force lurking inside the simulation. Together, they must fight their way through epic battlegrounds that will test their speed, skills, and smarts . . . but will Clip and Sadie learn that they’re far better off working together than competing for the ultimate victory? -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 8-12. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Grades 4-6. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

306 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Science fiction.

Subject Term:

Siblings -- Juvenile fiction.

Competition (Psychology) -- Juvenile fiction.

Cooperativeness -- Juvenile fiction.

Virtual reality -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Farrar Straus Giroux,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9780374388751

Publication Information:

New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022.

Call Number:

J DAO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003631457	Juvenile Fiction	DAO	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

A rollicking, action-packed adventure of laser tag and fierce sibling rivalries, Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena is the first book in a commercial middle grade fantasy series by Julie C. Dao.

Clip and Sadie Chu couldn't be more different. Popular, athletic Clip wants to become his school's first seventh-grade soccer captain, while brainy star student Sadie is determined to prove that she can do anything her boastful brother can.

They have just one thing in common: they love laser tag. Like, really love it.

When the Blackwood Gaming Arena comes to town, bringing virtual reality headsets and state-of-the-art courses, they couldn't be more excited--or competitive. But then a mysterious figure appears and claims to be a part of the game, forcing the Chus and their friends to save themselves from a sinister force lurking inside the simulation. Together, they must fight their way through epic battlegrounds that will test their speed, skills, and smarts . . . but will Clip and Sadie learn that they're far better off working together than competing for the ultimate victory?

A 2023 CBC Teacher and Librarians Favorite

Author Notes

Julie C. Dao is the critically acclaimed author of many books for teens and children including Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Broken Wish . Her novels have earned starred reviews from Booklist , School Library Journal , and Publishers Weekly , won recognition as Junior Library Guild Selections and Kids' Indie Next List picks, and landed on multiple best-of-year lists including YALSA and the American Library Association. A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Vietnamese American siblings Clip, 12, and Sadie Chu, 11, have always been competitive with each other. Avid laser tag players, they're thrilled when the state-of-the-art Blackwood Gaming Arena opens near them. It offers virtual reality--enhanced scenarios with a leaderboard that promises great prizes, such as a month of free games--and it ramps up the siblings' rivalry. While in the game, the two encounter white-cued Tom, a boy who's trapped within the arena's ever-evolving code. After Clip becomes trapped as well, Sadie and their friends must work together to successfully play through all six courses and win their way out. Through the siblings' alternating perspectives and respective internal struggles, such as Clip's jealousy of Sadie's laser tag prowess and Sadie's frustrations with heteronormative gender roles at home, Dao (Song of the Crimson Flower) delves into the Chu's intergenerational dynamics, pressures, and expectations. The spirited narrative explores how Clip and Sadie relate to each other and their passions via virtual reality escapades, clever puzzles, and friendly sibling rivalry. A rousing adventure and heartwarming series opener. Ages 8--12. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Context Literary Agency. (July)