• Age: 9 to 18
• Grade: 4 to 12
• Reading age: 9 to 18

The continuing adventures of Jaden, Cali, and the Cross Ups crew.

When Jaden gets a call inviting him to Comicon to test out a new version of his favorite game, Cross Ups, he is thrilled . . . sort of. He’ll get to go with his best friend, Cali, they’ll be in New York City, and best of all, he’ll meet his idol and the greatest gamer of all time, Yuudai Sato. But he’s got no time to practice, and worse, his signature moves no longer work. His trip starts to feel less and less exciting, and more and more like one big problem. Jaden has to come up with some solutions—fast. He looks to some older gamers for guidance, but is JStar willing to change who he is for the sake of a game?

With its sharp dialogue and relatable characters, Rising Star, the third book in the Cross Ups series, chronicles the ups and downs of middle school with a relevant, contemporary twist.

SYLV CHIANG is a middle-grade teacher by day and a children’s book author by night. She wrote her middle-grade series, Cross Ups, for kids who love video games . . . maybe even more than they love books. Still My Tessa is Sylv’s first picture book. The inspiration for the story came from within her own family. Sylv grew up in Toronto and now lives with her family in Pickering, Ontario.

Sylv Chiang's profile page

Connie Choi is a Toronto-based illustrator who recently graduated from the Illustration program at Sheridan College. She loves to draw characters and the worlds they live in. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Connie Choi's profile page

“Middle graders will love it.”

CM Reviews, 01/09/2020

“Definitely a fun series for video game enthusiasts!”

Ms Yingling Reads, 03/19/20