"Look, Mick," he said, "you're going to find out from somebody in the gym, so you might as well find out from me. Those supplements you're taking? They might get you a little bigger, but just a little. If you're after serious results, there's other stuff that produces better results much faster, stuff that a lot of guys in the gym use.""What other stuff?"
"You know what I'm talking about—gym candy."
Runningback Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking into the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden defeat. What elite athlete wouldn't look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster? This novel explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights.
27 comments:
I chose the book "Gym Candy" from the Awesome Abe Awards list because the topic of it appealed to me. I love sports and I used to play football so I can also relate to the subject of it. It is also an easy read which is a bonus for me. Overall this book seemed like it would be a good match for me.
I chose the book "Gym Candy because the story appealed to me. I love the sport of football and I even play football so I can relate to that. It also was an easy fun read. Overall this book was good from start to finish and good choice for me.
I chose the book "Gym Candy" because the story appealed to me. I love the sport of football and I even play football so I can relate to the book. It also was an easy read and a great story. Overall this book was great from start to finish and was a good choice for me.
Mansoor Burhani _ Timmons p. 4/5
I decided to choose the novel "Gym Candy" because I enjoy reading books about athletes who are around my age. I enjoy reading books that take place in modern time because I feel that I can relate with the characters in the book. I myself am not a football player, but I am a wrestler. Since I am a high school athlete, I was able to relate to the main character and the pressures he faces school, sports, and parents. Also, after hearing the summary of the book I thought that the book sounded interesting, so I picked it up and read the back. After reading the back, I learned that the book was about steroids, so I decided to check it out because I have heard many speeches from coaches, teachers, and doctors about the dangers of taking steroids. All these speeches made me feel like I could relate to the main character. All in all, I chose "Gym Candy" because I thought that I could relate to the main character.
I chose to read the book gym candy because it seemed like a book that I could relate to very well given that like Mick Johnson I also play football and lift weights. This should be able to make this an interesting read for me. The book also had some positive comments on its back cover.
I relate to the character inthe novel because of football. Tere is more to it though. The character of this novel had to strugle first to become a great football player. Just like me in making new friends and playing the game. Also like I had to work for want I want. In the book He works hard everyday and trys his best every time like me. He gives it his all and so do I.
To an extent I am able to relate to the main character Mick. Although my Dad did not put nearly as much pressure as his did, I still had to deal with some. I worked very hard to be the best I could be, but sometimes it wasn't good enough, like Mick. I was never compelled to take steroids like him, but I can understand the pressure he felt from my experiences playing football. Until he began to rely on steroids I was able to relate, but after that it was challenging. Also he learned the consequences of steroids which I learned from different speeches rather than personal experience.
I found "Gym Candy" worthy of this years Abe award. There was a deeper meaning to just steroids are bad in this book. It is to not let peer pressure and even the pressures of life compell you to do detrimental things. Also it was a quick and easy read which kept me interested throughout the book. Although it was not the one of the better books I read I still find it deserving for this award with it's appeal to teenagers as well.
2. I think that I relate to the main characters in this book very well. This is because Mick and Drew both play football and are trying to get better for their sport. Also, the author provides us good insight as to why he makes the choices that he makes whether they are the right ones or the wrong ones.
3. Yes, because this was a great book and was able to keep my interest throughout the story. It is well written and there is not really any part that will get confusing. In addition, the author also provided a lot of background information about the main characters which really helped my understanding of it. The book was one of the few that I could not put down and was definitely one of the better ones that I have read in a long time.
Mansoor Burhani Ms. Timmons p. 4/5 blog #2
In the book "Gym Candy", I believe that I can personally relate to the main character. In the novel, there are many characters, but I think I can relate to the main character the most. I believe I have a personal relationship with the main character, Mick, because he is a high school athlete and student similar to myself. The book touches on issues not only dealing with school but also with sports. It talks about the struggles a high school athlete has. In the novel, Mick has a football crazed father who wants Mick to be everything he could not become. Since Mick can remember, his dad has been pushing him to be better and better. I can relate to this not because I play football but because I am always striving to get better. I wrestle here at Hinsdale Central, and all the time I wish to get better. This book shows that sometimes wishing to get better is not always going to make you get better. This novel shows that if you want to9 get better you have to go above and beyond what everyone else is doing. The major issue that the book discusses is the pressure on high school athletes to take steroids. It shows how it is so easy for a student to get these steroids and how easy it is to use them. Since I am a wrestler, I have received many talks about steroids. I have heard how they are bad, and I have been told how they will ruin your life. But, this book does not do that. This book goes much deeper and talks about why an athlete would take steroids. The author Carl Deuker basically plain out says through the use of Mick and other characters that steroids work. They make you better, stronger, and faster. This is why I thought I could connect so well with Mick, the main character. He experiences the same type of pressure that all high school athletes have felt. All in all, I believe I can closely relate to Mick because of the same types of pressures we feel.
I personally related to the main character very easily. This is because I'm currently a football player just like Mick and I understand the pressures that he is facing. Being able to relate to the story definitly made it easier to read and the book itself was an easy read which is good for me. I think this book deserved to be on the ABE List.
In the book i feel that i relate to Mich because he always tries hard to be the best he can be. As a Freshman playing on the varsity football team, he is very dedicated to what he does. I also feel i relate to him because im dedicated to what i do, and also learn from my mistakes and that is what Mick Johnson shown in this novel. Also trying to become the best is a struggle and is not easy, Nick shows early in the novel if you put the extra effort you will suceed.
In the book Gym Candy by Carl Deuker, I felt I related to the main character, Mick Johnson. Similiar to Mick, i have felt a lot of pressure from my father during my career in basketball. Also, being a varsity athlete now I feel the pressure of fighting for a higher spot on the team, and what it takes to get there. Although I do not support Mick's choice, I understand the struggles he went through and the pressure he faced as an athlete. Relating to the novel made it fun to read, and it was a good choice for me.
I chose to read Gym Candy because I felt that I would be able to connect and relate to the characters in the story because I played football. I like the book because it is modern and talks about all the things athletes of today have to deal with. Overall I think that this is a very good book and so far it deserves it place on the ABE list.
In the story I feel as though I relate to the main character Mick in a couple ways. One reason why I feel as though I relate to him is becasue he works hard to be successful in the sport he does, just like I work hard durning soccer practice. Another reason as to why I feel as though I can relate to Mick is because he has a father who is very hard on him and who wants his son to be the best and succeed in his sport. My dad also has this competitive nature in him but thankfully for me it is not a severe as Nick's father.
Yes, This book "Gym Candy" diserves to be on the abe list because, it has a good theme, and it has a moral. It shows a kid trying to be the best he can be,but to be better he does it the cheating way by usin steroids. Alot of teens can relate to this, becuase of what the main character Mick went through. Also this books goes in on peerpressure, and how teens struggle with it.
I strongly feel that the story "Gym Candy" deserves to be on the ABE award because it talks about many things that athletes in high school have to go through, things such as wanting to be the best and peer pressure as well. I also think that the book is trying to teach us something by showing the effects that steroids and peer pressure have on a person. All in all I really liked this book because it was a fun and easy read.
I chose this book because it related to sports and pressures that can occur in sports. It compares learning how to deal with pressure to acutually facing it. It goes through all the stages of his story and the book also has a great lesson. It shows what steroids can do and how it affects people's lives in a very negative way. Gym Candy was a great book and always had suspense in it.
I thought this was a great book for a lot of reasons. This book had a great story about football and I love football. The characters were great and the author did a good job in the flow of the book. I recamend this book to anyone who likes football. The author provided a lot of background I really liked tis book.
Blog Post Comment #1: I chose the book Gym Candy because the name was very appealing to me. It is interesting enough to make one wonder why the author would call steroids gym candy. Also, I have not read a great sports book or seen a great sports move in a long while, therefore I thought I would give this a chance to impress me. In addition, I am a sports athlete myself and I am aware of the pressure sports can bring on a person. Temptation to use illegal enhancers are often the effect of stress and pressure placed on an athlete. I feel as if I could relate to the main character throughout his tough times as an athlete when it comes to pressure.
Blog Post Comment #2: I do and do not relate to the main character. Mick is a football player and I am a hockey player. These are two totally different sports with the same general mentality. He worked his heart out to become the best player he can be. Although I try my hardest and work to be the best, I rarely ever am. I can relate to the pressure and desire he wants to become the best. Everyone wants to be the best when it comes to sports, but some take the challenge way farther than others. For example, Mick decided to take steroids to give himself an edge on others to become the best. I would never approve of this which leaves us on opposite ends of how to succeed. His idea of becoming the best was through cheating, where as mine is through plain old hard work.
Blog Post Comment #3: I do feel as if this book should be in the abe awards. I feel as if many athletes, if not all, could relate to Mick's situation. All athletes, at least once in their lives, experience the pressure to succeed. Many sports players can also relate to how his father pushed him so hard to become a great player. Whether it is a coach, family member, or friend, all players have experienced these instances of where they are pushed too far. Lastly, this book portrays an important moral on the consequences of using steroids. A deeper meaning that lies within the book is the effect peer pressure has on a person. It made me think twice about pressuring someone into doing something they do not want to.
#1 - I chose to read this book because I love football and am very interested what steroids will do because steroids are a major problem in most sports to this day. I dont play football but I love playing with friends and watching on tv. This book was a great, short read and is very interesting.
#2 - Honestly, I dont really relate to any of the characters in this book. I love football but I dont play on a team. I never have the feeling of trying to be the best and I never push myself to the limit to show what I can do. Mick Johnson did that in this book and the pressure got to him. I dont think I will ever take steroids so I cant relate to anyone in this book.
#3 - This book adds a sport element to the abe list. Some sports books are boring but this was very interesting in many ways. It shows an athletes struggles while they play on a high school team and relates to a lot of people because many people love the sport of football. This book definitely deserved to be on the abe list.
I think this book is definitely worthy of being on the ABE list. The book always had me on the edge of my seat. There were also many factors in the book like his family life, friends, steroids and football. The story took all of these topics and linked them together as well. This was overall a great read and a quick one too.
Mansoor Burhani_Timmons p. 4/5
This book is worthy of being on this year's Abe list because students, especially athletes, around the main character's age can relate to the book. The main character, Mick, is a 16 year old football player. OF course, most teenagers his age would call themselves students, but Mick thinks of himself as a football player then a student. This novel talks about his struggles to be the best player he can be. The novel shows that Mick is willing to do whatever it takes to become the best player even if it is illegal. In the novel, Mick decides to use steroids. At this point in the novel, I was really able to connect with Mick. I am an athlete at Hinsdale Central, and every year all athletes receive the same talk about why steroids are dangerous. These speeches never address the reason why a person might use steroids. This is what the author successfully accomplishes through the main character, Mick. In addition, this book is worthy of being an Abe book because it is at an appropriate reading level for high school students, and it has material that younger students would not be ready to handle. If an older student were to read it, I think it would be to easy. If a younger student were to read it, they would not be confused by the vocabulary, but they would not be able to fully comprehend the material in the novel. In conclusion, this book deserves to be on the Abe list because it is interesting, an appropriate level, and students my age can relate to it.
Yes I do think this book is worthy of being on this year's Abe list because it was such a great story. The author did a great job writting this story. The story was exciting from start to finish. I love football and anyone else that likes football will like this book. The characters in the book were great as well. The story of this one kids struggle was great and I liked it. I like how the character in this story had to really find who he was make the decissions that would benifit him and find his own destiny. Thats why I liked this book and think it should be on the Abe list.
In my opinion this book definitely deserved to be included on the ABE list. It was very easy to read, but still very interesting which is not common. Also this book was easy to compare my life with and that made reading it a lot more fun. I think anyone who likes football or even just books about high school should read this book.
3. Yes, I believe that Gym Candy was worthy of being on this year's ABE list. It is a suspenseful story that kept me engaged and always wanting to read. Also, many high school kids in all sports can relate to the pressure that the main character faces.
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