The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Hi, I am Sophie. I like to mountain bike, water ski, snow ski, and do about every other sport. But, I also love to read. My favorite author is Dusti Bowling.
Imagine that you are a runner, that is your thing. Then, suddenly you learn that you might never run again. That is exactly what 16-year-old Jessica Carlisle had to go through. On her way back from a track meet, a drunk driver crashes into the school bus. The accident takes away the part of her leg below her knee and the life of one of her teammates.
After getting out of the hospital, it takes Jessica a while to get back to normal. She has a really hard time adjusting to going back to school. When Jessica finally accepts that she will never be able to run again, her coach proposes a plan to save the money to get Jessica a running prosthetic leg. The team tries to accomplish this by doing bake sales, and car washes. Finally, they reach their goal of $20,000 with the help of an anonymous donor.
When Jessica gets her running leg, it takes a while to get used to and to figure out how to use it. But no matter what, Jessica keeps trying. In this book, Jessica faces many obstacles and struggles. Including, figuring out how to walk, function, and how to get her friend, Rosa Brazzi to cross a finish line. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
