The Running Dream

ifeelbookish - Jessica, a skilled runner, loses her leg in a car accident. She thinks her life is over when she finds out that she needs a prosthetic leg because her life practically is running. Jessica starts to feel exposed, even when she's with her family. People act like she's practically invisible, until she meets Rosa. Rosa is a girl with cerebral palsy in Jessica's math class that everybody overlooks, especially Jessica. They develop a relationship that wasn't there before, because Rosa can see into Jessica's heart. Her family, teammates, and friends try to raise money for Jessica's prosthetic. Jessica wants to cross the finish line, but not by herself; she's taking Rosa with her. This is a really inspiring story. I'm not a runner, and I prefer lounging on the couch reading a book. In my opinion, I'm a very lazy, procrastinating person. This book made me want to just run. I had really high expectations for this book, but Jessica didn't seem to go out of the average girl-type of bubble. Rosa reminded me of Augutus from TFIOS because she had little pieces of paper that had the most memorable quotes ever. Jessica also had a love interest who was particularly annoying. He ignored Jessica before she got a prosthetic, and just magically started caring for Jessica. I mean, who does that?!? Seriously. I was really worried that Jessica and Rosa wouldn't stay friends after a while. This is because when I read books that have supporting characters with a disability, they help the main character and they they disappear as quickly as they were introduced. This bothers me very much, but at least this book didn't do this. It was a very close call. Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was about average. Signing off, -ifeelbookish

February 14, 2011
When track star Jessica loses her leg in a school bus accident, she is devastated that she will never run again. After weaning herself off painkillers (upon which she's become dependent) and learning to walk with crutches, she returns to school at the urging of her supportive best friend. When her track coach shows her videos of amputees running on prostheses, she's riveted at the thought of reclaiming her passion—if, that is, her team can raise the $20,000 needed to buy the leg. A tender subplot about Jessica's friendship with a girl with cerebral palsy seems scripted to underscore the message about seeing beyond disabilities ("Don't sum up the person based on what you see, or what you don't understand; get to know them," Jessica says). But Van Draanen sensitively conveys Jessica's struggles, from getting into the shower to her fear that no guys will be attracted to her. Jessica's gradual acceptance of her new life's limitations and her discovery of its unanticipated gifts should satisfy readers, who will root for her as she learns to run again. Ages 12–up.

February 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Jessica has run her personal best at a track meet-then there's a tragic bus accident and the high school junior loses her leg as well as her future dreams. From waking up in the hospital and coping with the trauma, to her return home, then school, she tries to grab her life back. On one level the story offers inspiration to those dealing with physical changes in their own lives and the stages of recovery, fight, survival, and victory as Jessica reaches deep to push past her wall of self-pity and loathing, and moves beyond the "finish line." On a deeper level, there is her blind discrimination toward a fellow classmate who has cerebral palsy. Rosa is hard to understand and easy to ignore. She is anchored to a wheelchair. Jessica, encumbered by her crutches and her tender "stump," is seated in the back of the class, out of the way, next to Rosa. She learns that the girl is smart, wise, and friendly. They pass notes and share lunch. Rosa writes, "I wish people would see me and not my condition." When Jessica is running again-on a specially engineered prosthesis-she challenges herself to help her friend be seen. How Jessica orchestrates putting Rosa in the forefront of a community race and pushing her wheelchair across a finish line is a study in faith and determination. Readers will cheer for Jessica's recovery and be reminded to recognize people for their strengths and not overlook them because of their disabilities.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.