Tournament Trouble (Cross Ups, Book 1)

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.

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.