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Cross Ups #1
Tournament Trouble
An exciting new middle reader series from a debut author.
All twelve-year-old Jaden wants to do is be the best at Cross Ups, the video game he and his friends can’t stop playing. He knows he could be―if only he didn’t have to hide his gaming from his mom, who’s convinced it will make him violent. After an epic match leads to an invitation to play in a top tournament, Jaden and his friends Devesh and Hugh hatch a plan to get him there. But Jaden’s strict parents and annoying siblings, not to mention a couple of bullies and his confusing feelings for his next-door neighbor Cali, keep getting in the way!
Tournament Trouble marks the first book in a planned series by Sylv Chiang, a captivating new voice in middle reader fiction. With sharp dialogue and relatable characters, it chronicles the ups and downs of middle school with a relevant, contemporary twist. Accompanied by Connie Choi’s lively illustrations, Tournament Trouble invites readers into Jaden’s world, and will leave them eagerly awaiting his next adventure.
All twelve-year-old Jaden wants to do is be the best at Cross Ups, the video game he and his friends can’t stop playing. He knows he could be―if only he didn’t have to hide his gaming from his mom, who’s convinced it will make him violent. After an epic match leads to an invitation to play in a top tournament, Jaden and his friends Devesh and Hugh hatch a plan to get him there. But Jaden’s strict parents and annoying siblings, not to mention a couple of bullies and his confusing feelings for his next-door neighbor Cali, keep getting in the way!
Tournament Trouble marks the first book in a planned series by Sylv Chiang, a captivating new voice in middle reader fiction. With sharp dialogue and relatable characters, it chronicles the ups and downs of middle school with a relevant, contemporary twist. Accompanied by Connie Choi’s lively illustrations, Tournament Trouble invites readers into Jaden’s world, and will leave them eagerly awaiting his next adventure.
200 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2018
6 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Sylv Chiang
4 books10 followersSylv Chiang grew up in Toronto. As an only child, she had a lot of quiet time to read. Her favorite series was Trixie Belden, but she also loved books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. In grade one, she wanted to be an author when she grew up. Besides reading, young Sylv loved playing outside, swimming, and doing gymnastics.
As a teenager, she coached gymnastics and worked at a local museum giving tours to school groups. She also did tour guiding for class trips to Montreal and Quebec City.
Sylv studied French at the University of Toronto, and since all her past jobs had involved teaching kids, the obvious path was to become a French teacher. She has taught French Immersion, Extended French, and Core French in the Toronto District School Board.
When her second daughter was born, Sylv remembered her childhood dream of becoming an author. She enrolled in a Writing for Children class and soon began her middle grade fiction series, Cross Ups, to appeal to the students in her grade five class who are more interested in video games than books. Anyone’s Game (Fall 2018) is the second book in the Cross Ups series.
Sylv’s favorite part of being an author is when her characters surprise her by doing something she wasn’t expecting. She loves the cast of characters in Cross Ups and looks forward to spending time with them while writing further books in the series. When she’s not writing, you can find Sylv on her yoga mat or at the library helping her daughters discover great books.
As a teenager, she coached gymnastics and worked at a local museum giving tours to school groups. She also did tour guiding for class trips to Montreal and Quebec City.
Sylv studied French at the University of Toronto, and since all her past jobs had involved teaching kids, the obvious path was to become a French teacher. She has taught French Immersion, Extended French, and Core French in the Toronto District School Board.
When her second daughter was born, Sylv remembered her childhood dream of becoming an author. She enrolled in a Writing for Children class and soon began her middle grade fiction series, Cross Ups, to appeal to the students in her grade five class who are more interested in video games than books. Anyone’s Game (Fall 2018) is the second book in the Cross Ups series.
Sylv’s favorite part of being an author is when her characters surprise her by doing something she wasn’t expecting. She loves the cast of characters in Cross Ups and looks forward to spending time with them while writing further books in the series. When she’s not writing, you can find Sylv on her yoga mat or at the library helping her daughters discover great books.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 5, 2019
Round 1 fight
Jstar loves playing Cross Ups IV and he is good at it. But he has to play it in secret because his mom does not like anything with violence. When he get's challenged to go to T3 he is pumped but also worried how will he sign up with out his mom finding out. On top of it all is school life has taken a turn, going from being unseen (which he likes) to being on the bullies radar along with his best friends. Who they have to spend time with thanks to his math teacher Mr. E. His neighbor and longtime friend Cali's mom is sick and things aren't going well for her too. Can he make it to the tournament? Stop the bullying? And will things in Cali's world get any better?
Jstar loves playing Cross Ups IV and he is good at it. But he has to play it in secret because his mom does not like anything with violence. When he get's challenged to go to T3 he is pumped but also worried how will he sign up with out his mom finding out. On top of it all is school life has taken a turn, going from being unseen (which he likes) to being on the bullies radar along with his best friends. Who they have to spend time with thanks to his math teacher Mr. E. His neighbor and longtime friend Cali's mom is sick and things aren't going well for her too. Can he make it to the tournament? Stop the bullying? And will things in Cali's world get any better?
December 7, 2018
This review was originally posted on my review blog Deanna Reads Books
I don't normally read a lot of middle grade, but when the publisher reached out to me because of my interest in video games, I jumped on the chance to start this series.
Cross Ups is about twelve-year old Jaden who is obsessed with this fighting game called Cross Ups, and he's pretty good at it. The problem is that his mom doesn't like him playing video games because of the violence, so Jaden hides it from his Mom. What I really liked about this is the family dynamic in this book. Jaden and his siblings are mixed race, and there Chinese-born Mom is a little bit of a mystery to them. I thought his mom was a bit overprotective, but I think it was also realistic. As a kid who had overprotective parents, I get Jaden's struggles. As an adult, I get why his mom is so concerned with him playing Cross Ups. I really enjoyed the character development with Jaden's mom, because later you learn why she is so overprotective, which I think is important for kids to understand why their parents are the way they are some times.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one, Jaden's friends Devesh and Hugh feel exactly like the type of friends you have as a kid. I wasn't too into the bullies Flash and Ty, mostly because they did kind of feel like really stereotypical bullies. There wasn't much depth to them. I also loved Jaden's next door neighbor Cali, she had a lot going on in her life and there's a side plot with her struggles in this book. I would love to get a book from her perspective.
One thing that really bothered me in this book is the game chat. In the book, in the game system players can chat with each other via messenger, which is how Jaden gets involved in the tournament. One of the guys that messages him using a lot of abbreviations. It just felt out of place, and felt like slang lingo that would have been used in the early internet days. I don't chat a lot with other gamers, so I asked my boyfriend and he didn't think it was that common anymore except if they are little kids. I do like that in the book this is mentioned as being kind of strange, so at least it's recognized in this book.
All in all, I thought this was an enjoyable quick read. If you have a reluctant reader in your life that likes video games I would recommend this one.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I don't normally read a lot of middle grade, but when the publisher reached out to me because of my interest in video games, I jumped on the chance to start this series.
Cross Ups is about twelve-year old Jaden who is obsessed with this fighting game called Cross Ups, and he's pretty good at it. The problem is that his mom doesn't like him playing video games because of the violence, so Jaden hides it from his Mom. What I really liked about this is the family dynamic in this book. Jaden and his siblings are mixed race, and there Chinese-born Mom is a little bit of a mystery to them. I thought his mom was a bit overprotective, but I think it was also realistic. As a kid who had overprotective parents, I get Jaden's struggles. As an adult, I get why his mom is so concerned with him playing Cross Ups. I really enjoyed the character development with Jaden's mom, because later you learn why she is so overprotective, which I think is important for kids to understand why their parents are the way they are some times.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one, Jaden's friends Devesh and Hugh feel exactly like the type of friends you have as a kid. I wasn't too into the bullies Flash and Ty, mostly because they did kind of feel like really stereotypical bullies. There wasn't much depth to them. I also loved Jaden's next door neighbor Cali, she had a lot going on in her life and there's a side plot with her struggles in this book. I would love to get a book from her perspective.
One thing that really bothered me in this book is the game chat. In the book, in the game system players can chat with each other via messenger, which is how Jaden gets involved in the tournament. One of the guys that messages him using a lot of abbreviations. It just felt out of place, and felt like slang lingo that would have been used in the early internet days. I don't chat a lot with other gamers, so I asked my boyfriend and he didn't think it was that common anymore except if they are little kids. I do like that in the book this is mentioned as being kind of strange, so at least it's recognized in this book.
All in all, I thought this was an enjoyable quick read. If you have a reluctant reader in your life that likes video games I would recommend this one.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
July 12, 2021
Jaden is really good at the video game Cross Ups IV. None of his friends can beat him. He trounces his older brother. And he even beats this pretty high ranking guy online who then invites him to enroll in a tournament. The only problem is that he's 12; and the tournament rules say if you are under 13 your parents have to sign your forms. And Jaden's mom is super against any kind of violence in movies or video games. He and his brother only play certain things when his mom isn't at home. They don't understand her rules, but have heard that is somehow relates to her older brother who died young in Taiwan. While Jaden tries to figure out how he can play in the tournament, his best friend next door, Cali, is going through some tough stuff. Her mom's health is not good. At school, he and his other best friends, Devesh and Hugh, are in trouble with the class bullies who think ratted them out for copying them in math. Will Jaden pass this level of life, or is he about to lose horribly?
I'm super happy to have a middle grade book starring an Asian American boy. Do you know how hard it is to find a realistic fiction book starring a middle school boy? Never mind one of color. Jaden fills a huge need in the book world. His problems feel very realistic and relatable. Jaden has some tough choices to make, and learns some very important lessons along the way. There was a surprising twist with the gaming tournament plot, and I really liked how that worked out. I especially appreciated that both Jaden's and his mom's sides of the issue are fairly presented, and the way the family works through issues. Jaden's relationship with Cali is cute, and there's a teensy bit of maybe romance there. I also liked the length of this. It is just under 200 pages long, the font is larger than average, and so you can fly through it. It's a very approachable read. Highly recommended.
Notes on content: One mild swear if I remember right. No sexual content beyond a little peck on the cheek. Jaden's uncle's story does involve a death due to gang violence but it isn't described at all.
I'm super happy to have a middle grade book starring an Asian American boy. Do you know how hard it is to find a realistic fiction book starring a middle school boy? Never mind one of color. Jaden fills a huge need in the book world. His problems feel very realistic and relatable. Jaden has some tough choices to make, and learns some very important lessons along the way. There was a surprising twist with the gaming tournament plot, and I really liked how that worked out. I especially appreciated that both Jaden's and his mom's sides of the issue are fairly presented, and the way the family works through issues. Jaden's relationship with Cali is cute, and there's a teensy bit of maybe romance there. I also liked the length of this. It is just under 200 pages long, the font is larger than average, and so you can fly through it. It's a very approachable read. Highly recommended.
Notes on content: One mild swear if I remember right. No sexual content beyond a little peck on the cheek. Jaden's uncle's story does involve a death due to gang violence but it isn't described at all.
March 18, 2018
This is a great middle grade story about video games.
I really liked Jaden. He matured through the story. He went from being a gamer at home to competing in a tournament. He was even able to convince his strict parents that video games aren’t all bad. I’ve played video games my whole life, and they can be very educational. Even if the game doesn’t seem to be obviously teaching something, you can still learn strategies and problem solving skills.
Another great part of this story is the diversity of the characters. Jaden and his friend Cali are Chinese. One of his friends was Indian and I believe his sister’s boyfriend was black. This is great, because young kids can see themselves represented in this book. This diversity was also demonstrated in the illustrations, where you can clearly see how different they all look.
This is a great book. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher on NetGalley.
I really liked Jaden. He matured through the story. He went from being a gamer at home to competing in a tournament. He was even able to convince his strict parents that video games aren’t all bad. I’ve played video games my whole life, and they can be very educational. Even if the game doesn’t seem to be obviously teaching something, you can still learn strategies and problem solving skills.
Another great part of this story is the diversity of the characters. Jaden and his friend Cali are Chinese. One of his friends was Indian and I believe his sister’s boyfriend was black. This is great, because young kids can see themselves represented in this book. This diversity was also demonstrated in the illustrations, where you can clearly see how different they all look.
This is a great book. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher on NetGalley.
June 11, 2019
This title is nominated for the 2020 Hackmatack Award in the English fiction category. Our protagonist, Jaden, is a pretty normal kid. He lives with his mom, dad, brother and sister. His mother has some pretty strict rules, especially about violent video games and movies. What she doesn't know is that Jaden has been secretly playing 'Cross Ups', a combat style video game, and that he's so good that he's been invited to participate in a tournament. Of course, his best friend and next door neighbour is going through some pretty difficult times and needs his support. This all leads to some interesting moral dilemmas and comical situations.
Jaden was very likeable, and the supporting cast was pretty great as well. I really liked the math teacher, and I hope he makes another appearance in the series. I would recommend this book especially to fans of video games ages 9 and up.
Jaden was very likeable, and the supporting cast was pretty great as well. I really liked the math teacher, and I hope he makes another appearance in the series. I would recommend this book especially to fans of video games ages 9 and up.
October 9, 2019
Jaden‘s mother has forbade him from playing video games because she thinks they will make him violent. Unbeknownst to her, he has been playing them for years and has become an expert in one specific game. When he receives an invitation to a tournament he hast to figure out how to make it happen.
I appreciated the authentic characters here. With the exception of the two bullies, they are all people you might meet. Jaden has solid parents. His mother has reasonable grounds for worrying when her background is revealed. He’s got two mostly supportive older siblings. I liked his relationship with Cali, the girl next door.
Gaming is integral to the plot and some game play is fairly detailed. This will intrigue some readers into opening up the book. Once into it, they will find themselves in the middle of a solid story with characters who learn and grow and become better human beings.
I appreciated the authentic characters here. With the exception of the two bullies, they are all people you might meet. Jaden has solid parents. His mother has reasonable grounds for worrying when her background is revealed. He’s got two mostly supportive older siblings. I liked his relationship with Cali, the girl next door.
Gaming is integral to the plot and some game play is fairly detailed. This will intrigue some readers into opening up the book. Once into it, they will find themselves in the middle of a solid story with characters who learn and grow and become better human beings.
January 30, 2022
I downloaded this on Netgalley because the e-gaming scenario intrigued me. As a boy mom, video games are definitely part of our daily life. I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated.
The author did a great job of capturing the middle grade experience: pushing against family rules, dealing with mean kids at school, and starting to notice girls. I liked how supportive the friendships were in the book. I really liked how even though Jaden wants to do what he knows he shouldn't (compete in the video game tournament) he struggles with defying his parents. He makes really smart decisions for a twelve year old.
I'm actually curious to know what happens in the second book in the series. I think it's great that there is a series that includes e-gaming as it is common and growing.
I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.
The author did a great job of capturing the middle grade experience: pushing against family rules, dealing with mean kids at school, and starting to notice girls. I liked how supportive the friendships were in the book. I really liked how even though Jaden wants to do what he knows he shouldn't (compete in the video game tournament) he struggles with defying his parents. He makes really smart decisions for a twelve year old.
I'm actually curious to know what happens in the second book in the series. I think it's great that there is a series that includes e-gaming as it is common and growing.
I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.
March 16, 2018
There's a lot to like about this book. I liked the diverse cast; each distinct, well-developed, relatable, and likeable. I liked that the story is realistic and believable, and I really liked the interaction between the kids and their parents. Jaden's feelings about his mom and her overprotectiveness is spot on, and I liked that they were able to talk about it without being overly dramatic. I also liked that Jaden and his friends are able to problem-solve on their own. In her acknowledgments, Chiang notes that she wrote this book for her students and she nails it. They'll definitely enjoy reading it and they're sure to be eager for the next installment. The exciting game action is a big draw too.
A+
A+
May 30, 2018
Main character plays video games on the sly because his mom doesn't approve of the violence. He winds up going to a gaming tournament and getting sponsorship from a company -- every video gamer's dream!
There's a lot more going on than just descriptions of his gaming moves (there's plenty of that) -- his best friend/neighbor's mom's MS is worsening, there is bullying at school, and there is some Mandarin woven in.
There's a lot more going on than just descriptions of his gaming moves (there's plenty of that) -- his best friend/neighbor's mom's MS is worsening, there is bullying at school, and there is some Mandarin woven in.
September 18, 2018
A nice mix of gaming and school bullies and family, this was a satisfying little book. I really love the mom!
March 4, 2022
LET ME RAED
November 27, 2024
🤍 they’re so cutie patootie ma
March 22, 2018
As a gamer myself, I had a feeling I'd really enjoy this book. Luckily I was right but also pleasantly surprised by the morals in the story. I was impressed that the author would take the story and turn it into a lesson on the importance of honesty, even if you feel that it would be working against your goal. He shows how, in the end, you're happier because of it. Besides the moral lesson, the story itself is actually good. There are quite a few funny parts and situations the main character gets himself into that I could relate to. I especially enjoyed the ending and what it has to teach kids too. I refuse to spoil it. Overall, definitely a good read and one that's good (and safe) for the whole family to read.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2023
Jaden is a likeable character who learns a practical lesson while gaining self-confidence. The characters have different races and backgrounds, Jaden, his family, and next door neighbor are Chinese, and Jaden’s friend Dev is Indian. This will enable children to see themselves represented in the narrative.
A fun, quick read for the whole family. Perfect for young hesitant readers who like video games.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.
A fun, quick read for the whole family. Perfect for young hesitant readers who like video games.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.
November 27, 2021
4/18/2020 ~ Jaden loves computer games, but his mom has strict rules - no violence. I know I have kids who will latch on to this book quickly: video gaming, the chance to play in a large tournament, getting sponsored by a company to play?! Yes, this will find readers in my elementary library.
As a librarian, I appreciated some of the themes Chiang explored: Being in a biracial family (Chinese & White); a setting in Canada (that will be in new perspective for many of my Indiana readers); the way Jaden navigates his friendship with a girl, even as they approach adolescence and get teased.
As a librarian, I appreciated some of the themes Chiang explored: Being in a biracial family (Chinese & White); a setting in Canada (that will be in new perspective for many of my Indiana readers); the way Jaden navigates his friendship with a girl, even as they approach adolescence and get teased.
July 7, 2018
A fun and suspenseful read that combined the thrill of gaming with more substantial issues like friendship, family, and bullying.
The one thing that stuck out to me was the awkward use of Chinese. I'm a native speaker and the parts where it was incorporated felt really forced. The author is white, so that's probably why.
(side note: The main character's mom is from Taiwan, the story uses the word Chinese to describe their culture though, and I wish there were more explicitly Taiwanese-identifying characters. sigh)
The one thing that stuck out to me was the awkward use of Chinese. I'm a native speaker and the parts where it was incorporated felt really forced. The author is white, so that's probably why.
(side note: The main character's mom is from Taiwan, the story uses the word Chinese to describe their culture though, and I wish there were more explicitly Taiwanese-identifying characters. sigh)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews