What do you think?
Rate this book
Fast Break
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26144 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 14, 2026
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
There is only one other rating for this book on Goodreads as of 1/11/26, and I suspect that the reader doesn't understand that this is a high level, low interest book for struggling readers.
Twelve-year-old Arjun Arora has just moved from California to Port Hope, Canada for his mother's job as a doctor. He starts Thickson Middle School, and is surprised at the amount of vending machines and advertising for OmniBoost products. It turns out that the company has sponsored the school, renovating the cafeteria and gym as well as providing a new public address video system and new team uniforms. In exchange, the school sells its products and subjects the students to a lot of advertising. Most of the kids think it's great, because they can grab an energy drink from a machine or eat pizza and cookies in the cafeteria. Mr. Grood, from OmniBoost, even address the students in an assembly. Arjun meets Demar, who also plays basketball, which is a relief since hockey is the predominate sport. Jake is also trying out for the team and is welcoming, although Bobby is a jerk. Demar's sister, Denise, is active on the student council and is an anchor on the morning announcements. In health class with Mr. Rowland, a first year teacher, coach, and former hockey star, the students are working on a team project. One morning, Arjun forgets to eat breakfast and doesn't feel well. He asks permission to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat, and after downing an energy drink, he throws up. He is sent home, where his mother suggests he rest and hydrate. He starts to think about what he's been eating, and realizes the food at school isn't healthy, and that all of the sugar he has been consuming is making him tired. This is discussed at home, and his parents want to go to the school and complain, but he tells them he wants to deal with it himself. He talks to Mr. Rowland, who suggests he tread carefully with Principal Jones because of the sponsorship. This was good advice; Jones tells him just to bring things from home. When Arjun sees another student getting "caf cash" because he can't afford to bring food from home, he gathers his friends to fight back. They play their health class project on the dangers of OmniBoost on the morning announcements, and lose the company's sponsorship, putting the school $100,000 in debt. Thanks to social media, they get help, and have a new sponsor in the Toronto Raptors.
Strengths: Does anyone Remember Channel One News? From 1990 until 2018, schools could get free televisions and other media support in exchange for having students watch a 12 minute news program. Apple Computers also had a partnership with schools, and discounted their computers so that teachers would buy them. Corporate sponsorships do exist, but it's important for kids to know that there's no free lunch. I loved that Arjun was able to make friends and get involved in his school even though there was a big culture change. Mr. Rowland is well portrayed. Middle school students are always interested in food and often don't have great diets, so Fast Break delivers a timely message in a fun way. This series of Orca books is aimed at emerging readers, so has larger font and more white space on the page. I will definitely order a copy, and it will be in constant circulation.
Weaknesses: While my school district has an exclusive agreement with a soda company, we haven't had student vending machines for years, nor any other sponsorships. Our cafeteria food is fairly healthy, although there is pizza brought in from a rotating selection of vendors. However, since I have witnessed a child eating blue Takis and gummy worms for breakfast, I will let this slide as something that goes on in Canada, because I love that Arjun makes the connection between diet and athletic performance and actively makes a change for his whole school.
What I really think: This is a great, fast read for kids who are interested in basketball and care about their health. It's similar to Herbach's 2015 Gabe Johnson Takes Over, but is much shorter.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
There is only one other rating for this book on Goodreads as of 1/11/26, and I suspect that the reader doesn't understand that this is a high level, low interest book for struggling readers.
Twelve-year-old Arjun Arora has just moved from California to Port Hope, Canada for his mother's job as a doctor. He starts Thickson Middle School, and is surprised at the amount of vending machines and advertising for OmniBoost products. It turns out that the company has sponsored the school, renovating the cafeteria and gym as well as providing a new public address video system and new team uniforms. In exchange, the school sells its products and subjects the students to a lot of advertising. Most of the kids think it's great, because they can grab an energy drink from a machine or eat pizza and cookies in the cafeteria. Mr. Grood, from OmniBoost, even address the students in an assembly. Arjun meets Demar, who also plays basketball, which is a relief since hockey is the predominate sport. Jake is also trying out for the team and is welcoming, although Bobby is a jerk. Demar's sister, Denise, is active on the student council and is an anchor on the morning announcements. In health class with Mr. Rowland, a first year teacher, coach, and former hockey star, the students are working on a team project. One morning, Arjun forgets to eat breakfast and doesn't feel well. He asks permission to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat, and after downing an energy drink, he throws up. He is sent home, where his mother suggests he rest and hydrate. He starts to think about what he's been eating, and realizes the food at school isn't healthy, and that all of the sugar he has been consuming is making him tired. This is discussed at home, and his parents want to go to the school and complain, but he tells them he wants to deal with it himself. He talks to Mr. Rowland, who suggests he tread carefully with Principal Jones because of the sponsorship. This was good advice; Jones tells him just to bring things from home. When Arjun sees another student getting "caf cash" because he can't afford to bring food from home, he gathers his friends to fight back. They play their health class project on the dangers of OmniBoost on the morning announcements, and lose the company's sponsorship, putting the school $100,000 in debt. Thanks to social media, they get help, and have a new sponsor in the Toronto Raptors.
Strengths: Does anyone Remember Channel One News? From 1990 until 2018, schools could get free televisions and other media support in exchange for having students watch a 12 minute news program. Apple Computers also had a partnership with schools, and discounted their computers so that teachers would buy them. Corporate sponsorships do exist, but it's important for kids to know that there's no free lunch. I loved that Arjun was able to make friends and get involved in his school even though there was a big culture change. Mr. Rowland is well portrayed. Middle school students are always interested in food and often don't have great diets, so Fast Break delivers a timely message in a fun way. This series of Orca books is aimed at emerging readers, so has larger font and more white space on the page. I will definitely order a copy, and it will be in constant circulation.
Weaknesses: While my school district has an exclusive agreement with a soda company, we haven't had student vending machines for years, nor any other sponsorships. Our cafeteria food is fairly healthy, although there is pizza brought in from a rotating selection of vendors. However, since I have witnessed a child eating blue Takis and gummy worms for breakfast, I will let this slide as something that goes on in Canada, because I love that Arjun makes the connection between diet and athletic performance and actively makes a change for his whole school.
What I really think: This is a great, fast read for kids who are interested in basketball and care about their health. It's similar to Herbach's 2015 Gabe Johnson Takes Over, but is much shorter.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Displaying 1 of 1 review