The running dream

Van Draanen, W. (2011). The running dream. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Interest level: Grades 7+

Reading level: 4+

Sixteen-year old Jessica is a runner. She can't really remember a time when she hasn't been a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is.  After setting her personal best record at an away track meet the school bus she's on is involved in an accident. One of her teammates died in the crash. Jessica's leg was crushed and 3/4 of it has been amputated. She wishes she were dead instead. Upon returning home from the hospital everything is a challenge. She can't get to her upstairs room, she can't shower on her own, and she can't run. Jessica spirals into depression, pushing everyone out as she learns to navigate on crutches and eventually on a prosthesis. When she returns to school she is behind on everything and to add to it, her math teacher puts her in the back of the class with Rosa- the girl in the wheelchair who has cerebral palsy and can hardly be understood. Jessica has to confront her own prejudices about the handicapped and figure out her place in the world.

Van Draanen has crafted an amazing story here. Readers can't help but empathize with the loss, pain and depression Jessica experiences even if they themselves aren't athletes. Rosa is a great addition to the story, tutoring Jessica in math and helping her to strive for all with handicaps to be seen as more than that. Jessica's discomfort at becoming a poster child so that she can get a runner's prosthesis is also realistic, but in the end she accepts it with grace and inspires many. This is a good book for anyone in need of inspiration, and aren't we all? It isn't preachy, just a real story about real like. Readers who enjoyed Sorta like a rock star by Matthew Quick will enjoy this one as well.

How Lamar's bad prank won a Bubba-sized trophy

Allen, C. (2011). How Lamar's bad prank won a Bubba-sized trophy. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray.

Interest Level: Grades 4-7

Reading Level: 3+

Thirteen year old Lamar Washington lives in a small town in Indiana with his dad and his brother Xavier. Xavier is the star of his high school basketball team and can do no wrong in their father's eyes. Lamar considers himself an athlete too, excelling at bowling- a game he was taught by his mother who passed away from cancer. He is the proclaimed "King of Striker's," the local bowling alley he plays at, but his dad doesn't have time for Lamar and his bowling- he's too busy following "Xavier the Savior's" success on the court. In an attempt to earn some money to buy himself a new bowling ball and in the hopes of being able to take Makena- the girl of his dreams- on a date Lamar gets involved in a hustling scheme with bad boy Billy Jenks. When Billy devises a plan to help Lamar get back at Xavier for the way Xavier treats him Lamar finds that Billy was using him and also finds himself in trouble with the law. He now has to figure out how to make things right- with his family, his best friend, his community and Makena.

This is a unique first novel. I'm fairly certain there are no other tween novels where the main character is an African American who bowls. There is a large use of slang and smack talk which sometimes seemed forced or unrealistic, but the characters in this book are for the most part likeable and believable. Boys will empathize with Lamar's struggle to get Makena to like him and his uneasy relationships with his father and dad. It's apparent to the reader that Billy is trouble long before it's apparent to Lamar, but that only helps build the suspense leading to the act that landed Billy in jail and Lamar making amends to all. All in all this is a satisfying read that will be enjoyed by many.

Tangerine

Bloor, E. (1997). Tangerine. Orlando, FL: Hartcourt Brace and Co.

Interest Level: Grades 6-8

Reading Level: 4+

Twelve year old Paul is legally blind. According to his parents his blindness was caused by Paul staring at an eclipse for too long, an event that Paul doesn't remember. The family has recently moved to a strange small town in Florida, where lightning strikes more than anywhere else and muck fires are always burning. Paul, loves soccer, but the coach at his new school won't let him play on the team because of his "handicap" so he eventually ends up switching to a different school where he is allowed to play. Paul's older brother Erik is the one who gets the most attention in his house, particularly by their dad, who is consumed by the idea that Erik can get a scholarship to college for football. Paul and Erik don't get along- is it just sibling rivalry or is there more to it?

The original cover of this book turned me off and I had no desire to read it until a student told me that it was his all time favorite book and said that I had to read it. This is not a light read. There is a lot going on in the story, between Paul's blindness, his parents' distance, his relationship with Erik, and the strange environmental stuff going on in the town of Tangerine. There is enough soccer action to keep sports fans involved and the tension in Paul's relationship with Erik will grab any reader. The revelation of how Paul actually became blind is horrific and the realization that Erik isn't just bullying his younger brother but is more likely a sociopath might disturb sensitive readers. Overall, though, this book has something for most everyone.