The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

This is one of my absolute favorite books. It is also my top pick for book about an athlete. Jessica Carlisle pretty much had an ideal life. Best friend, crush on a cute boy, and a pretty amazing runner. After a successful track meet, Jessica takes the celebratory bus back home.

And ends up in the hospital missing a leg.

A devastating crash leaves Jessica as a below the knee amputee. Jessica is sure her life is over and she will never run again.

Then her friend Fiona shows her a video of runners racing with prosthetic legs. An idea is born. Her track team rallies and raises enough funds (along with help from an anonymous donor) to buy a prosthetic running leg.

She begins to run again, once again taking to the road and trail with her dog Sherlock. Once something she wouldn’t even dare to hope for, she was rebuilding her endurance and her strength.

Throughout these events, Jessica has befriended a fellow student named Rosa. Rosa and Jessica talk about everything. Rosa imagines running as flying. Jessica then realizes it’s her job to make Rosa fly. Not just to give her the gift of running but also to raise awareness of Rosa. Rosa is wheelchair bound, has cerebral palsy and has speech that takes work to hear. Most of Rosa’s classmates ignore Rosa.

Jessica decides she will run in a 10 mile race, all the while pushing Rosa in her wheelchair. She begins to train, using a wheelchair her father built for this purpose placing sandbags in the seat. On the day of the race, pushing Rosa is harder than she ever imagined. But she does it. She runs again and Rosa flies. People start to see Rosa as Rosa not just as her cerebral palsy, her wheelchair, or speech.

Honestly, if the part about Rosa was not included in the book, I don't think I would like it as much. It would a great book, no doubt, but it wouldn't have the same punch and wouldn't stick in my heart as much.

I read Wendelin Van Draanen's book every fall as the weather begins to get colder and excuses to not run seem to grow magically. If Jessica can run again and help Rosa fly, why can’t I just bundle up and go for a run? I have two perfectly working legs. I have no excuses.