The Running Dream

A feel-good story about overcoming adversity and going beyond oneself to help others. Jessica is devastated when there is a bus accident and her leg is amputated. She had just PR'ed in a track meeting and suddenly her past time for running is ripped from her. This story has Jessica share her journey of recovery, her drive to run again, and her developing friendship with Rosa, a girl with cerebral palsy who will never know how it feels to run.
This is a story designed to pull at the heartstrings. Sometimes it is too perfect - Jessica's best friend Fiona always does and says just the exact right thing - but it is a touching and inspiring journey. ( )

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Track star Jessica loses a leg in a terrible car accident. Her road to recovery is a long one, but she can’t give up her dream of running again.

This is my favorite MSBA nominee (outside of the one written by Gary Schmidt). I enjoyed Jessica's journey and thought it was an accurate teenage reaction to losing a dream only to come up with a new one. There were a few parts that were a little too tidy. ( )

When Jessica loses her leg in an accident on the way home from a track mete, her despair is overwhelming. Bit by bit, she regains hope and perspective, thanks to friendship, family, and her team's devotion. The characters in this book may be too good to be true, but it's a powerful story nonetheless. The information about amputation and prostheses is interesting. Although there is some edginess and irreverence, there isn't bad language or sex, so this will meet the need for a "clean" teen book. The audio reader, Laura Flanagan makesa a believable teen. ( )

Van Drakken, Wendelin. The Running Dream. New York: Ember, 2011.

Characters: Jessica; Fiona (Jessica’s best friend); Jessica’s mother; Jessica’s father; Kaylee (Jessica’s sister); Gavin (Jessica’s
boyfriend); Kyro (Jessica’s track coach); Rosa (Jessica’s friend)

Setting: an American city/suburb in the present

Theme: the issue of invisibility in relation to disabilities; overcoming obstacles

Genre: YA realistic fiction

Golden Quote: “Rosa gives me a lopsided grin, then writes, When do you get your leg?
Depends, I scribble back. Maybe next week?
Already? WOW! Congratulations! You are SO LUCKY!
My eyes sting when I read that, and it makes something in me break.
Or connect.
Or just change, somehow.”

Summary: When a school bus accident leaves sixteen-year-old Jessica an amputee, she returns to school with a prosthetic limb and her track team finds a wonderful way to help rekindle her dream of running again.

Audience: Grade level: 9 and up; Age range: 13 and up

Curriculum ties: Research an athlete or public figure who has had to overcome some form of adversity; language arts -have students read Outside Magazine's article on runner Oscar Pistorius (http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/athletes/Oscar-Pistorius-Has-a-Hu...). Discuss whether or not prosthetic legs give an athlete an advantage. Should athletes like Pistorius and Jessica be allowed to compete in the Olympics?

Awards: Schneider Family Book Award

Personal response: While I thought The Running Dream was an endearing and inspirational story, I think that Jessica’s friend Rosa, in particular, could have been better developed. To me, it seemed as if Rosa was simply put into the story to confirm to Jessica that she really did have more in common with a person who she once saw as “invisible” before she became so herself. Not that this is necessarily a negative aspect to the story, but it left me wanting to know about Rosa than I got after finishing the story, thus feeling as if her voice was an underutilized dynamic to the story as a whole. On the other hand, I was especially touched by Jessica’s relationship with her mother. It was heartfelt and very real. The way she reacts to Jessica’s condition demonstrates a mother’s unconditional love for their child under excruciating circumstances. This novel is a great read for young people to help broaden their perspectives about people with disabilities and to show how determination and will power can make people move mountains and achieve what seems like the impossible. ( )