Fast Break - (Orca Currents) by Anjali Joshi (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

★ "Joshi has outdone herself...An astonishingly immersive, relevant, and evergreen read." -- Quill & Quire, starred review

Twelve-year-old Arjun is the new kid in school.

Arjun can't wait to try out for the basketball team--especially because his school's new sponsor, OmniBoost Energy Drinks, has provided new gym equipment, uniforms and high-tech screens. OmniBoost has even taken over the school's cafeteria! But having pizza, fries and energy drinks every day starts taking a toll, and Arjun can't keep up at basketball tryouts.

After having to stay home with major headaches, Arjun begins researching OmniBoost and learns that all of the sugar and caffeine is not giving him the "boost" their slogan claims. When the student council gets wind of Arjun's dilemma, the students rally together to make their voices heard.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Review Quotes

★ "Fast Break does something many middle grade books aspire to do: it is relatable while advocating for a cause that matters to youth. Joshi has outdone herself. Not only is she raising awareness about the lack of healthy options at schools across the country, but through Arjun's experience she makes the issue worth caring about without being didactic or righteous. An astonishingly immersive, relevant, and evergreen read."

About the Author

Anjali Joshi is a science educator and curriculum developer by day and children's book author by night. At dawn and dusk, she spends her time fighting monsters, training Pokémon, and keeping up with Gen Alpha slang. Anjali holds a Master of Science from the University of Oxford and has over 15 years of experience in the field of K-12 STEM education. She lives in Whitby, Ontario.