The Running Dream

by Wendelin Van Draanen

4 of 5 stars 3 ratings • 2 reviews • 3 shelved
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The acclaimed author of Flipped delivers a powerful and healing story that’s perfect for anyone who’s ever thought that something was impossible. Readers will revel in the story of a girl who puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before—after she’s told she’ll never run again.

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
  • ISBN10 0375866671
  • ISBN13 9780375866678
  • Publish Date 11 January 2011 (first published 1 January 2011)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Out of Print 31 August 2012
  • Publish Country US
  • Publisher Random House USA Inc
  • Imprint Knopf Books for Young Readers