A rollicking, action-packed adventure of laser tag and fierce sibling rivalries, this is the first book in a commerical middle grade fantasy series by Julie C. Dao.
TEAM CHU AND THE BATTLE OF BLACKWOOD ARENA
by Julie C. Dao
Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Macmillan, July 2022
(via Context Literary Agency)
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?
Julie C. Dao is the acclaimed author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, and, Song of the Crimson Flower (Penguin Random House/ Philomel) as well as the upcoming Broken Wish (Disney/Hyperion). She leads many workshops, for places like the Highlights Foundation, and is a master of school visits. She lives in New England.
Behind every powerful man is a trained woman, and behind every trained woman is the Society. It started with tea parties and matchmaking, but is now a countrywide secret. Gossips pass messages in recipes, Spinsters train to fight, and women work together to grant safety to abused women and children. The Society is more than oaths―it is sisterhood and purpose. In 1926, seventeen-year-old Elsie is dropped off in a new city with four other teenage girls. All of them have trained together since childhood to become the Wife of a powerful man. But when they learn that their next target is earmarked to become President, their mission becomes more than just an assignment; this is a chance at the most powerful position in the Society. All they have to do is make one man fall in love with them first.