Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase

by Julie C. Dao

Overview

In this Team Chu adventure, Vietnamese-American siblings Clip and Sadie Chu—and friends—must unearth the mystery behind a haunted Halloween carnival.

When Iggy Morales's stylish cat, Tuba, becomes famous on social media, he scores an invite to a star-studded pet fashion show at Spooky World. The family-friendly, Halloween-themed indoor carnival is the place to be on the last weekend in October, so of course Iggy brings all of his friends, including Clip and Sadie. The kids expect to ride thrilling rollercoasters, play games in the midway, and eat fried dough and candy apples, but they encounter a different kind of excitement instead: a ghost called the Weeping Lady, who has haunted Spooky World for decades, appears and asks for their help.

The Weeping Lady sends Iggy and his friends on a mysterious, action-packed scavenger hunt all over the sprawling theme park, giving them cryptic clues and communicating with Iggy’s seemingly clairvoyant cat, Tuba. If the kids can piece the story together and complete this wild ghost chase, they might just uncover the truth behind what really happened to Spooky World’s most infamous spirit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374388850
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Series:	Team Chu , #3
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	617,151
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Julie C. Dao is the critically acclaimed 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. A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England.

Editorial Reviews

"Count me in for Team Chu's latest adventure! Dao has crafted an adventurous series filled with mystery and hijinks, as the Chu siblings grow and learn about family and friendship." —Adrianna Cuevas, author of Pura Belpré Honor book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez

"Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase was everything I wanted in a spooky middle grade book: twists and turns, genuine scares, but also such heartfelt coming-of-age moments between the friends." —Lorien Lawrence, author of The Stitchers series

"Spooky fun abounds in this spine-tingling third book in Julie Dao’s thrilling Team Chu series...Filled with adventure, heart, insight, and a fabulous black cat, this story will bring down the (haunted) house!" —Andrea Wang, Newbery Honor-winning author of Watercress

“This immersive and exciting story will delight existing Team Chu fans and readers new to the series.” —Janae Marks, author of A Split Second

From the Publisher

12/01/2024

Gr 4–7—Following their participation in a laser tag competition and an overseas reality show, Team Chu returns in this spooky third installment. Tuba, the exceptionally clever stray cat that adopted the group in book two, is now thriving as a TikTok celebrity and has received an exclusive invitation to compete in the Pet Gala, held this year at a haunted theme park aptly named Spooky World. Comprising a diverse group of friends, siblings, and parents, the members of Team Chu work through realistic middle school conflicts (like toxic best friend rivalry) and become entangled in solving a decades-old missing person's case. Siblings Clip and Sadie, Vietnamese American, and Iggy, whose family is from Puerto Rico, share the narration. Nonstop action and supernatural elements combined with strong character development, healthy parent relationships, and conflict resolution make these books both wholesome and engaging. Beautiful illustrations by artist Chi Ngo enhance key moments of the story. VERDICT This series is a first purchase for libraries where action and humor are in high demand.

School Library Journal

2024-07-04
Is a Halloween-themed amusement park haunted by a real ghost? A squad of young sleuths takes on the case.

When their friends—brother and sister Iggy and Marta Morales—are invited to enter Tuba, their feline TikTok sensation, in the Spooky World Pet Gala fashion show, Vietnamese American siblings Clip and Sadie Chu are thrilled to tag along. But it turns out that the theme park is famed for more than the pet show: It’s also the haunt of the ghostly Weeping Lady, who pops up all over, including in mirrors, leaving behind a trail of water. But who was she, and why isn’t she moving on? The search for answers sends the group of friends scrambling all over sprawling Spooky World, including a few places that are off-limits to younger guests. The story’s suspenseful moments come more from the inventively terrifying rides and other attractions than supernatural events, making this work appropriate for those seeking milder frights. Dao also explores conflicts and anxieties involving Sadie’s efforts to hide her struggles in middle school (thanks to placement tests that landed her in too many advanced classes) and a friendship rift between Clip and his bestie over the quest to become soccer team captain. All fences are neatly mended in time for the story to wrap up on a buoyant note. Ngo’s occasional illustrations add to the atmosphere.

Friends negotiate bumpy relationships against a backdrop of gentle chills and thrills.(Adventure. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews