The Running Dream
May 13, 2012
by Wendelin Van Draanen
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.
Entry Filed under: Running Dream. Posted in Running Dream Tags: Contemporary, Friendship, School, Sports.
45 Comments Add your own
I think the book The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen, should win this year’s DCF vote. This book was really inspiring to me. As a runner, I enjoyed reading this book because it made me realize how fortunate I am to have two real legs. This book had a good plot line, and the author stuck to it throughout the entire story. There was almost always something occurring in the story that pulled me into it. This book was a great read for me because it was really easy for me to connect with how the main character felt throughout certain parts in the story. This book made me determined to continue running and get better after every run.
The Running dream is so good. It keeps me turning pages. This is one of my favorite DCF books.
This is my favorite book of the 29 I’ve read. I’d highly recommend you read it (if Joe McCarthy, Soviet bombing tests, and invisible naked kids running through London are your thing)
S.B., you write a very intriguing blurb! Is there any possibility, however, that you intended to post this comment under The Apothecary? — Kate Davie
Being a track runner myself, The Running Dream blew me away. I was walking around my house with my head in the book. Jessica (the main character)’s story is amazing, you would never know this book is fiction. I highly recommend this book- it’s a great read!
this book is so good i love it in some spots it is a little sad i hope u read it sometime because its really good see yea
That was an AWESOME book!!!
It was also really inspiring.
When I read this book all I could think about was why isn’t this a movie, and when I stopped reading it I thought to myself did I finish that movie, but then I remembered oh ya that’s a book.
Inspiring
What does it inspire you to do? — Kate Davie
I LOVED this book. I think Jessica i was so brave throughout the whole thing. The beginning was a little bit boring but KEEP READING. IT’S the BEST!
This was full of adventure which is my kind of favorite books.
I really like the running dream because it makes me feel grateful that I have both my legs. It is great that even though she has her own problems she can help others. It is sad but in the end you feel satisfied.
There is a 20 person booklist on this book before I can get it!
Maybe all twenty of you could take up a collection and buy a couple of extra copies for your library. I bet your local bookstore would give you a discount if you told them it was for your library. — Kate Davie
When I first started to read this book,The Running Dream, it was very sad and dramatic at the same time. During some parts of the book, I started to cry because it was so sad. At the end, I felt as if Jessica was a kind, loving, and a trust worthy friend. In the story, I thought that if I was like Jessica with one leg gone, and its hard to walk, I would be happy that I had friends to help me get through the tough life like she did, and helping others.
this is so so sad
I love this book. I makes me think about how lucky I am to have both my legs. My favorite part is toward the end. But I will not tell! The first parts may be hard to get into but trust me it gets better
this book is in competition with wonderstruck for me. I love both of them but maybe I will read a book that will beat both of them. I hope to finish all of the books. So far I have read 20 out of 30! this book was a very great book I would read it again if I had time to take my time. this was a great book!
Congratulations on so much good reading, and for placing two such different books at the top of your list! — Kate Davie
this book is sad in some parts of it but it is cool
Love this book. It’s heart touching.
This book ROCKS!!!! I would totally recommend it if you like to run and like really amazing books.
This is a great book with a lot of tension and caring people.
If I were Jessica, I would never get used to only having one leg because I would not be able to run, and play basketball. I would just be so upset that I only have one leg. But besides that, I really love this book so much because the author really puts a lot of thought into Jessica and the setting and uses great details. I really recommend this book.
The book The Running Dream is about a 16 year old girl named Jessica. When her track team was on the way to a track meet there was a terrible bus accident that left Jessica with her leg amputated. Will Jessica ever run again? Find out if you read The Running Dream.
This book was recomended to me. I read the first few chapters and they really didn’t seem to catch my interest. I think it had a very slow beginning. I love to run so i didn’t quit it because it was so inspirational. It is a very good story and makes you really think about the message. It isn’t my favorite DCF book, but the story itself is amazing. I recomend it to everyone.
We really enjoyed this story of a girl willing to do anything to accomplish her dream of running again despite the loss of her leg.
Wendelin Van Draanen’s book was what I thought to be very inspirational. This book was pretty average in length, not real short or real long. I think it is a great book to read if you are a runner looking for some inspiration to get you going before a track or cross country season. This book shows runners who are more fortunate than others that they should be grateful. This book has inspired me to be thankful for having two real legs to use to help myself be a great runner.
I really like the running dream because I feel really bad for Jessica. I wish Jessica wasn’t hurt . I almost cried during some of that parts. I have seen someone without a leg and it is very sad.):
Bumblebee, I also thought it was sad at the beginning but it is becoming happier. It was sad that she lost her leg but she’s is probably is going to be able to run again.
I find Jessica to be the most inspirational character of this book. She faces many bumps in the road but keeps on going. I like how she describes the get well balloons. He description gave the balloons a character that you wouldn’t normally think about.
I think that the author did a very good job on this book. The author does a really good job at describing how the characters feel. She also does a great job at describing locations such as at the school and at the doctor’s office.
I agree with you, Runner. It reeled me in on the first page too. I couldn’t put the book down after I started reading. My favorite part so far has been when Jessica describes her prosthetic leg.
i love running dream.i am still reading it but i love it so far.
This book has great meaning, definitely my favorite so far. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on reading this book and then someone said it was really good, so I tried it out. After the first page I couldn’t stop reading it. It was so realistic it made me think as if I was the character, I felt what she felt and how determined she was to get better. This was a great book and I definitely recommend it to everyone who can handle a lot of reading.
This is a really good book so far. We feel bad for Jessica. There are some sad parts to this book. We are so hooked into this book, we don’t want to stop reading it. I would recommend this book to readers of all kinds, especially those who like to run.
this book was amazing and i really want you to read it like ANYONE and EVERYONE it was so so so so so so so good and it is a little bit sad so if you don’t like sad books you should still read it anyway
This is a very good book. It has all kinds of characters,nice supportive helpful and driven. it a well writen page turner.
I thought this book was good and I could not stop reading it and at the time I loved it but now looking back on it i’m not so big on it anymore. I just think at the beginning it every one was kind on I don’t know maybe dopy. Just want I think.
That’s an intriguing review! If you went back and re-read some of it, do you think it would make for non-stop reading again? –Kate Davie
I finished and I loved it I would defently recormend readinf it.
This is one of my favorite DCFs so far. It is just so beautiful and so well written, I couldn’t put it down. I wasn’t sure if I would like it at first, but a friend recommended it to me and she was so right. Plus it sends an important message about never giving up and helping others.
The book sounds so good and I can’t wait to read the book.I love to run! I can’t wait to read it!
We look forward to hearing your runner’s perspective on it! — Kate Davie
I am in the middle of this book and I can’t put it down, I love it!
I Love This book!! It is sad but it is getting to be happy! it is so good
This book made me realize that things like losing your leg can happen. I also learned that there is hope for those things to be fixed, too.
I love this book because it has more meaning then the title leads you to believe. I picked up this book and said to myself ”this seems interesting.” I had just started running track and i was immediately hooked to this book. (I also add that i almost cried reading it) Nice job Wendelin Van Draanen!!
I know several students who have really loved this book, too. It’s at the top of my list. – Caroline DeMaio
It reeled me in on page 1 with the first 4 words,”My life is over” .I couldn’t put the book down.i would recommend it to to someone who is looking for a good book I give it two thumbs up!
I think I will have great interest in this outstanding book because I love to run and the description of the book sounds like the right book for me! Just the title is catchy!
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