Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
An accident involving a junk-hauling truck and a school bus leaves one high school track team member dead and one team member with her leg amputated below the knee.
When Jessica wakes up after surgery, she learns that her leg was hopelessly crushed, leaving doctors no choice but to amputate it. At the same time she is facing her own crippling injury, she learns that her fellow teammate, Lucy, didn't survive. Her world looks pretty bleak and hopeless.
Because she is young and healthy, Jessica's recovery goes smoothly and she soon heads home from the hospital. Physical therapists have been preparing what remains of her leg for a prosthetic replacement. Her wish is to walk, but she doesn't hold out much hope that she will ever run again. Supportive family and friends work hard to convince her that she needs to be patient and keep a positive outlook. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Upon returning to school, Jessica finds herself working hard to catch up on the work she has missed, especially Algebra II. Because of her wheelchair, she sits in the back of the classroom with Rosa, also wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. Jessica discovers that Rose is a math whiz and can explain the concepts even better than the teacher. It's amazing how Jessica never really noticed Rosa before the accident, but now she understands that cerebral palsy is just an outside condition and that there is much more to Rosa on the inside.
Meanwhile, medical expenses are challenging the family budget, and when the track coach mentions the idea of a "running" leg for Jessica, the $20,000 expense seems impossible. But, once again, her friends step forward and decide to make Jessica's ability to someday run again their cause. There are bake sales, car washes, and anonymous donations to raise money for a special prosthetic running leg. All this enthusiastic support encourages Jessica to begin dreaming of one day running again.
THE RUNNING DREAM by Wendelin Van Draanen explores the heartbreak resulting from a tragic accident. Being a teen is difficult enough, but add to that the loss of a limb and life seems too depressing to go on. Not only is Jessica battling the loss of her running dream, but also the self-esteem issues of how others now view her and how she fits into the world of other healthy, happy teens around her. Van Draanen proves that determination, courage, and empathy for others can sustain hope in what might be considered a hopeless situation. Readers from middle school on up will find this one a rewarding read.
An accident involving a junk-hauling truck and a school bus leaves one high school track team member dead and one team member with her leg amputated below the knee.
When Jessica wakes up after surgery, she learns that her leg was hopelessly crushed, leaving doctors no choice but to amputate it. At the same time she is facing her own crippling injury, she learns that her fellow teammate, Lucy, didn't survive. Her world looks pretty bleak and hopeless.
Because she is young and healthy, Jessica's recovery goes smoothly and she soon heads home from the hospital. Physical therapists have been preparing what remains of her leg for a prosthetic replacement. Her wish is to walk, but she doesn't hold out much hope that she will ever run again. Supportive family and friends work hard to convince her that she needs to be patient and keep a positive outlook. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Upon returning to school, Jessica finds herself working hard to catch up on the work she has missed, especially Algebra II. Because of her wheelchair, she sits in the back of the classroom with Rosa, also wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. Jessica discovers that Rose is a math whiz and can explain the concepts even better than the teacher. It's amazing how Jessica never really noticed Rosa before the accident, but now she understands that cerebral palsy is just an outside condition and that there is much more to Rosa on the inside.
Meanwhile, medical expenses are challenging the family budget, and when the track coach mentions the idea of a "running" leg for Jessica, the $20,000 expense seems impossible. But, once again, her friends step forward and decide to make Jessica's ability to someday run again their cause. There are bake sales, car washes, and anonymous donations to raise money for a special prosthetic running leg. All this enthusiastic support encourages Jessica to begin dreaming of one day running again.
THE RUNNING DREAM by Wendelin Van Draanen explores the heartbreak resulting from a tragic accident. Being a teen is difficult enough, but add to that the loss of a limb and life seems too depressing to go on. Not only is Jessica battling the loss of her running dream, but also the self-esteem issues of how others now view her and how she fits into the world of other healthy, happy teens around her. Van Draanen proves that determination, courage, and empathy for others can sustain hope in what might be considered a hopeless situation. Readers from middle school on up will find this one a rewarding read.
This book is seriously one of the best I've ever read.
Van Draanen grabs you and pulls you in to Jessica's story... and what a story it is.
The plot is so rich and heavy with massive character development on so many levels. I loved how it was heart-wrenching and so poignant and how Van Draanen really made you feel what Jessica was going through every step of the way.
I felt like this was more of a memoir and that I was actually reading about somebody. And in a way, I was. I got an inside glimpse of how individuals with disabilities live and how they are treated and the struggle they have to face every day of their lives. But I also got a glimpse of the rewards.
Friendship and family and struggle and having the feeling of losing something so important to you and then having the courage and determination to get it back. All of those things and more is what this book is.
I encourage everyone to read this remarkable novel. It comes with so many great messages and I believe that anyone that can take something out of this book and become a better person for it.
Van Draanen grabs you and pulls you in to Jessica's story... and what a story it is.
The plot is so rich and heavy with massive character development on so many levels. I loved how it was heart-wrenching and so poignant and how Van Draanen really made you feel what Jessica was going through every step of the way.
I felt like this was more of a memoir and that I was actually reading about somebody. And in a way, I was. I got an inside glimpse of how individuals with disabilities live and how they are treated and the struggle they have to face every day of their lives. But I also got a glimpse of the rewards.
Friendship and family and struggle and having the feeling of losing something so important to you and then having the courage and determination to get it back. All of those things and more is what this book is.
I encourage everyone to read this remarkable novel. It comes with so many great messages and I believe that anyone that can take something out of this book and become a better person for it.
