Dao, Julie C.

Julie C. Dao is a Vietnamese American 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. In Team Chu and the Battle for Blackwood Arena (Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR), Clip and Sadie Chu couldn’t be more different. Popular, athletic Clip wants to become his school’s first seventh-grade soccer captain. Brainy star student Sadie is determined to prove that she can do anything her boastful brother can. But they share a love for laser tag. 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 when a mysterious figure appears, it forces the Chus and their friends to save themselves from a sinister force lurking inside the simulation. Soon, they’re fighting their way through epic battlegrounds that test their speed, skills, and smarts. But will Clip and Sadie work together rather than competing for the ultimate victory?