The Cross Ups 02: Anyone's Game
CBC Books | | Posted: May 28, 2020 3:53 PM | Last Updated: June 4, 2020
Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Connie Choi
What's up with Cali? Why does she keep changing her gamer tag?
It's summertime, and even though his good friend Cali moved to another city, Jaden can connect with her online almost every day to play their favourite game, Cross Ups. His mom has loosened her rules on how often he can play, and he has an amazing new controller that will make him even better at tournaments. But then he gets roped into a dorky summer camp with his buddy Hugh, and Cali starts acting really weird... So when a last-minute tournament spot opens up in Cali's city, Jaden jumps at the chance to go.
But things go badly from the start. Jaden loses his controller on the train, and his reunion with Cali is awkward. She's unhappy, and Jaden can't figure out why, especially when she's getting better and better at Cross Ups — and may even win the tournament. (From Annick Press)
From the book
On screen, my dragon-cross, Kaigo, is locked in battle with Saki, the yeti-cross.
Kaigo breathes fire, but before he can melt the ice off Saki's beard, Saki thrusts a snowstorm my way. The fire extinguishes, and Saki comes in to punish me.
I'm playing my favorite game, Cross Ups IV. Kaigo's my main. I play him so much it's like he's a part of me. Not the real me, of course. I'm just a skinny twelve-year-old who's never been in a real fight. Kaigo's the guy I am inside my head.
Kaigo wears kung fu gear and he's totally buff. He's super confident, probably because he can turn into a dragon and blow his opponents' heads off with fireballs.
Most of the time.
From The Cross Ups 02: Anyone's Game by Sylv Chiang ©2018. Published by Annick Press.