Everyone expected Leon Kline, anchor for the 4x100 sprint relay, to secure Gilburn High's spot in the record books. But a freak accident on the final stretch changes everything. Suddenly his future is gone. No more running, no scholarship, no college. But then he meets sassy and straight-talking Casey De Vries, and life doesn't look quite so bleak. She even gets him running again. He can't sprint anymore, but he can handle longer distances. As he gets to know Casey better, he realizes that something is not quite right. How can he help her if she won't tell him what’s going on?
**
From School Library Journal
Gr 6 Up—The "Orca Sports" series returns with two new action-packed titles. Leon feels bleak about himself and his future after getting injured in a track accident in Running on Empty. When he meets Casey, she inspires him to start running again, though he learns she has some serious personal issues of her own. In Plunge, Cade discovers his passion for competing in triathlon tournaments after a chance encounter with his neighbor. After always being dismissed by his father for not playing football, he must use his ability to swim, bike, and run to help his family after they get into a devastating car crash. Vivid depictions of each sport are sprinkled throughout the stories, and characters deal with personal issues such as strained parental relationships, struggling with school, and encountering abuse. While these books are written at a third grade reading level, they are on the longer end of hi-lo fiction. VERDICT Sports fans will be drawn to these books by their subject matter. The fully developed characters and story lines pack a punch.
Review
"Sports fans will be drawn to the book by it's subject matter. The fully developed characters and story line packs a punch." ( School Library Journal 2018-01-26)
"Spreen Bates deftly takes the reader through the ups and downs of growing up. She expertly portrays real life struggles without making them too cliché. Moreover, in Leon Kline, we have found a character for whom the reader is willing to root." ( CM Magazine 2018-02-13)
"This is a solid book with contemporary themes and it works well…Leon is well fleshed out as a character." ( Resource Links 2018-02-15)
Description:
Everyone expected Leon Kline, anchor for the 4x100 sprint relay, to secure Gilburn High's spot in the record books. But a freak accident on the final stretch changes everything. Suddenly his future is gone. No more running, no scholarship, no college. But then he meets sassy and straight-talking Casey De Vries, and life doesn't look quite so bleak. She even gets him running again. He can't sprint anymore, but he can handle longer distances. As he gets to know Casey better, he realizes that something is not quite right. How can he help her if she won't tell him what’s going on? **
From School Library Journal
Gr 6 Up—The "Orca Sports" series returns with two new action-packed titles. Leon feels bleak about himself and his future after getting injured in a track accident in Running on Empty. When he meets Casey, she inspires him to start running again, though he learns she has some serious personal issues of her own. In Plunge, Cade discovers his passion for competing in triathlon tournaments after a chance encounter with his neighbor. After always being dismissed by his father for not playing football, he must use his ability to swim, bike, and run to help his family after they get into a devastating car crash. Vivid depictions of each sport are sprinkled throughout the stories, and characters deal with personal issues such as strained parental relationships, struggling with school, and encountering abuse. While these books are written at a third grade reading level, they are on the longer end of hi-lo fiction. VERDICT Sports fans will be drawn to these books by their subject matter. The fully developed characters and story lines pack a punch.
Review
"Sports fans will be drawn to the book by it's subject matter. The fully developed characters and story line packs a punch." ( School Library Journal 2018-01-26)
"Spreen Bates deftly takes the reader through the ups and downs of growing up. She expertly portrays real life struggles without making them too cliché. Moreover, in Leon Kline, we have found a character for whom the reader is willing to root." ( CM Magazine 2018-02-13)
"This is a solid book with contemporary themes and it works well…Leon is well fleshed out as a character." ( Resource Links 2018-02-15)