Do chromosomes line up as pairs in mitosis or meiosis?
You are correct.  The books explanation is mistaken, and badly written ("the pairs line up as individuals"???)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologous_chromosome


  In metaphase I of meiosis I, the pairs of homologous chromosomes, also
  known as bivalents or tetrads, line up in a random order along the
  metaphase plate.


https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/cellular-molecular-biology/meiosis/a/phases-of-meiosis


  So, during metaphase I, homologue pairs—not individual
  chromosomes—line up at the metaphase plate for separation.