Why? Honestly? The back cover.
A teen track star loses her leg in an accident, has a life-changing revelation about how she’s treated others, and works hard to become a better person. That was the pitch. And it felt… predictable. Like I could already see the whole arc laid out before page one and it was not appealing.
But then The Running Dream landed on this year’s Middle School Battle of the Books list—and I was "forced" to read it, discovering along the way that the back cover summary was a drastic oversimplification of a layered, honest, and deeply human story.
Yes, Jessica loses her leg. And yes, she has to reimagine her future, although not as much as you might think. But this isn’t a story about magical transformation or redemption arcs wrapped in a neat bow. It’s a story about the hard, messy, beautiful work of growing—physically, emotionally, and socially—after your world is flipped upside down.
The cast of characters around Jessica makes this book shine. Her prosthetist is more than a background figure—he’s a person with depth. His office manager, a below-the-knee amputee herself, brings quiet strength and lived experience to the table. Even Ms. Rucker, the math teacher who tries so hard to keep her personal and professional lives separate, left an impression.
This isn’t a one-note “inspiration story.” It’s real, emotional, sometimes funny, and full of subtle moments that stay with you. It’s about seeing people—really seeing them—and learning how to let yourself be seen, too.
If this one has been lingering on your shelf like it was on mine, consider this your push.
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