Total Offence

Lorimer Sports Stories

by Robert Rayner

Toby's always had a weight issues, thanks in part to the free food his team gets from his friend Maddie's dad's restaurant and their soccer team's sponsor, Vinnie's. But Vinnie's sponsorship also provides the kids with team shirts, equipment, even cleats for some of the players. So when a city-wide ban is placed on sponsorship of teams by companies that promote unhealthy eating, many of the kids might not be able to play. Can the kids of Brunswick Valley come up with a way to keep their team going and still stay on the right side of the ban?

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2011

About the author

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve worked as a journalist, a teacher, and an elementary school principal. Now I teach music at home. I like to walk, read, ski, feed and watch the birds, watch soccer, photograph, listen to and play music (I play keyboard and saxophone in a band) and, of course, write, usually in the early morning. I live on the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick, Canada.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A new imprint for me ... these are high interest (sports) and low level books appropriate for middle school readers.
Toby and Maddie are friends and teammates on the local soccer team. With a new coach and new sponsorship regulations, it's a complicated year for them both.

I recognize that these stories are supposed to have a simpler story line, but I think this one is a bit too uneven overall. There's a lot of conflicting stories here - the healthy eating/need to lose weight storyline that is started but loses steam, the sponsorship issue, the deception by the father (which, to be honest, I found a little creepy). Funnily enough, the character I thought I'd like least (the coach) became the one I respected most out of the whole bunch!

There are other stories in the same line that I think are a better fit; however, if you have a reluctant reader who loves soccer, this could be interesting to them.