Juice - (Orca Soundings) by Eric Walters (Paperback)

About the Book

When a new coach comes to their school, Michael and his teammates are convinced that steroids are the way to compete.

Book Synopsis

When a Division One coach comes to their smaller school to bring the football program up to contender status, Moose and the rest of the players on the team are pumped.

Coach Barnes has new ideas and a vision for the future--nothing is too good for his players. With a new training regimen, everything seems to be on a winning track. But when Moose and others are offered steroids, tempers start to fray and the teammates have to decide whose side they are on. Juice is a compelling story about the pressures and temptations that are faced by many in the competitive world of high-school athletics.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen 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.

From the Back Cover

"Isn't using steroids cheating?" I asked. "It would be if you were the only one doing it." When a division one coach comes to their smaller school to bring the football program up to contender status, Moose and the rest of the players on the team are pumped. Coach Barnes has new ideas and a vision for the future-nothing is too good for his players. With a new training regimen, everything seems to be on a winning track. But when Moose and others are offered steroids, tempers start to fray and the teammates have to decide whose side they are on.

Review Quotes

"Juice will be a hit with fans of sports fiction...A quick, well written and realistic read."-- "KLIATT"

"A fast-paced page-turner...Boys or any reluctant reader will love this story."-- "VOYA"

"Juice is an easy read and there is a helpful downloadable teacher's guide on the Orca website. Walters' punchy writing style keeps the story moving along."-- "Quill & Quire"

"Opportunities for discussion abound...Drama and action are balanced well and the author avoids a heavy-handed moral tone."-- "Hip Librarians' Book Blog"

"Walters has done it again. He has created a world that readers will instantly recognize and become engaged in...Highly recommended."-- "Resource Links"

"Walters' characters have the energy and urgency of real kids with nice role-model nuances; you really care about them and their predicaments."--Chris DeVito "CD Syndicated"

"Would certainly be of interest to any athletic high school boy involved in team sports and who may have had to deal with similar issues...Recommended."-- "CM Magazine"

"Young readers will appreciate the way the narrative offers an inside look at how doping in sports actually works, even as they come to learn the lesson."-- "Canadian Children's Literature"