Skip to main content

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

I have been running for many years, inspired by my son who has run cross country since 7th grade. One of my New Year's resolutions is to run a marathon -- crazy right? So, in the process of ramping up my training, I subscribed to Running Times magazine. In the most recent edition, to my surprise, I found a YA book review for The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen.

The book review follows:

Writing about running with eloquence isn't an easy thing to do. Nor is writing from a teenager's perspective. Award-winning children's book author Wendelin Van Draanen pulls both off with flying colors in her latest novel about a high school junior who loses part of her right leg after a bus accident on the way home from a track meet. Van Draanen's astute writing and attention to detail bring Jessica Carisle to life in a heartstring-jerking story about pain, suffering and overcoming enormous challenges, all set against the backdrop of the love of running. It's that intangible passion for running and racing that helps guide Jessica from the pit of despair through a year-long process of self-discovery. While the book centers around Carlisle's injury. Van Draanen's crafty prose compels readers to understand the person and not dwell on the disability. It's an engaging read for anyone who's ever run high school track or cross country, but just as gripping for any parent of a teenager in competitive sports. ($18.99, Alfred A. Knopf)

I've put The Running Dream on my "to read" list! What about you?

Comments

Brian said…
I'll definitely be checking this book out. I recommend "Once A Runner" by John L. Parker, Jr. Which marathon are you going to run?
February 10, 2011 at 11:02 PM
Denise Johnson said…
Hi Brian!
I downloaded the audiobook "Once a Runner" and will listen to it as soon as I'm finished with "The Running Dream." Thanks for the recommendation...it looks like one that I should have already heard about and one that will be a great source of inspiration!

I'm (hopefully) running the Potomac River Marathon May 1st. http://mc-coop.org/marathon

I have a long way to go with my training, though.
February 11, 2011 at 9:01 PM
Wendelin Van Draanen said…
Hi, Denise
I stumbled upon your review and just wanted to say thanks for the mention re The Running Dream -- the book was a labor of love and I do hope you love it :-)

Nothing like your first marathon. I wish you good training and a strong finish!

Wendelin Van Draanen
February 18, 2011 at 8:18 PM
Wendelin Van Draanen said…
Hi, Denise
I stumbled upon your review and just wanted to say thanks for the mention re The Running Dream -- the book was a labor of love and I do hope you love it :-)

Nothing like your first marathon. I wish you good training and a strong finish!

Wendelin Van Draanen
February 18, 2011 at 8:19 PM
Brian said…
Good luck with your training! Hopefully the weather will stay nice so you can get some good mileage in! One day I'll have/make enough time to train for one...maybe Richmond this fall.
February 20, 2011 at 11:16 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 for 10 Picturebook Event

Picturebooks. Who can resist them? Old and young alike, there's a picturebook for everyone. But, keeping up with the best of them can be daunting. That's why you might be interested in Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek's 10 for 10 Picturebook Event . In event hosts bloggers who have chosen 10 picture books s/he could not live without and wrote a post about the titles.  Each blogger puts her/his own spin on a collection. Last year (the first year for the event) there were over 400 "must have" picture books. There are so many ways to create this list. I could list 10 of my all time favorites or 10 new releases which I plan to use in my class this year. But, I've decided to focus on 10 new nonfiction books. Why? Because nonfiction is vastly overlooked in the classroom and because these new nonfiction picturebooks are amazing! The nonfiction titles I chose to include range in age/grade level appropriateness and also include both biography and informational tex...
5 comments
Read more

"Testing the Ice" book giveaway

I would like to invite you to enter a book giveaway in celebration of the release of Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson. Sharon, the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, has crafted a heartwarming, true story about growing up with her father. In the early 1950s, legendary baseball hero Jackie Robinson literally "tested the ice" for his kids who so eagerly wanted to skate on the frozen lake near their home. Under Sharon Robinson's skillful authorship and Kadir Nelson's vivid illustrations, Testing the Ice also becomes a stunning metaphor for her father's remarkable racial breakthrough. The book opens with Jackie Robinson's famous slide into home plate that won the seventh game in the world series, beating the New York Yankees and making the the Brooklyn Dodgers the world champions! Then the story transitions to the new home the Robinson's bought on a lake in Stamford, Connecticut. Told from Sharon Robinson's perspective, she and her two broth...
6 comments
Read more