The Running Dream Audiobook

" This book was sad but very inspirational :) "

" Jessica is a high school junior who runs on the track team. On the way back from an Invitational, a truck collides with their bus, killing one student on board the bus and critically injuring Jessica. Her injury is to her leg. It is so badly mangled that it has to be amputated below the knee. Since she is a runner, this is a hard pill to swallow. Even though her friend Fiona has been encouraging her to get back to school, she is reluctant to go back. She is embarrassed and frustrated and doesn't want anyone to see her. Her Track buddies decide to try to raise money for a running leg for Jessica so that she can get back onto the track team for her senior year. Though she is excited that they want to do this for her, it makes her self-conscious and she doesn't really believe they can raise enough money, but as the publicity comes in, Jessica even starts to get her hopes up a little bit. As time goes on, Jessica gets a first leg and learns how to walk on it. She becomes friends with Rosa, a girl with Cerebral Palsy who is a math genius and helps her catch up in math. This along with her own experience, makes her think about how she has viewed Rosa in the past - pretty much ignoring her and seeing her for her disability. Her new goal is to make people start looking at the person - not the disability and she finds a really creative way to make her point. There's lots more to this story - learning to persevere, first romance, new friends and Van Draanen does a good job of bringing her themes home, so to speak. "

" For older children readers and teens. Jessica wakes up without one of her legs. She remembers a crash after a track meet. Now she'll never run again...or will she? Jessica begins to learn a lot about herself and about how she treated others before her accident. "

" What a wonderful and uplifting book. Loved it. "

" Re-read again and loved it even more then the first time! "

" A very moving story. It touches my heart every time I read it. "

" An accident leaves seventeen year old Jessica an amputee. She struggles with the grief, anger, loss, and the overwhelming sadness that she will never be able to do again that which she loves most, running. However, this is a tale of perseverance, determination, hard work, and optimism. Jessica's family, friends, and teammates inspire and motivate her recovery. It's not pure Polly-Anna, over-the-top goodness, although there's plenty of that. Jessica struggles with depression, doubts, and self-confidence. Along the way though, she digs deep and has some startling revelations about her life. Recommend to fans of the novel Shark Girl or the movie Soul Surfer. It would make a good ABC Family or Disney movie. "

" This book drove me up the wall. It had a great message and plot but the situation just seemed glorified. Everything Jessica did was televised and she became famous but I don't think that really happens. It seemed unrealistic. "

" A terrible accident, a dream taken away....always a runner what happens when you have a leg amputated? "

" I liked the pace, characters and storyline of this book. A little too glossy on the tribulations of losing a limb, but a motivational book. "

" I LOVED this book! It's a great story about tragedy and overcoming incredible adversity. It teaches and uplifts without being preachy. It's a story of endurance, disabilities, family, friendship, hope, and of appreciation for life and it's many blessings. A must read for any teen (or grown up! :) "

" This book takes you through the emotional and physical recovery of a high school track star who loses her leg in a tragic bus accident on the way home from a track meet where she just set a new record in the 400 m. This will be a great book to discuss at book group. Wish I could be there! "

" Great book for teens, especially those who like to run. An inspiring story! "

" I liked this book for early teens. It was nice to have a little romance without having sex. It's an appropriate book for pre-teens that would appeal to that age group. It has a great message about digging deep and helping others. "

" Van Draanen has written a nice, clean (though not as squeaky clean as Flipped) story for teens that can inspire while dealing with tough topics. Jessica, a star runner for her school's track team, loses her leg in a bus accident. "

" Good, positive uplifting story. It felt real to me because Jessica still had her struggles, but she stayed so positive with the help of friends and family. I loved her friendship with rosa. Rosa is a great character. It's refreshing to read a good, clean, inspiring story. "

" A wonderful story of the girl recovering from a terrible tragedy; her fights, her pain, her struggles, her success, her learning. "

" I really liked it, although it did sometimes seem like the book repeated information a lot that wasn't that important in the end, but I still liked it a lot! "

" This was a WONDERFUL book!!!! I really encourage you to read it. :):) "

" I read this book in two days. Awesome, must read for adults and young adults alike. "

" Okay, I don't have much to say so listen really close. This book could quite possibly be, no it is! The #1 very best book I have ever read. You all need to read! bye!:D "

" This book is amazing. Beautifully written with an absorbing, conversational tone. Not too sad, not too happy--real. It's heartfelt and inspiring. "

" Excellent young adult book. I read this book in about 48 hours. Very good lessons. "

" I read this book in one night - I loved it - easy read - young adult book that I've passed onto a student!!!! "

" Great story. Felt it too drawn out in some places however. A few chapters were not needed. It was a bit too tidy and surface for my taste, but I would recommend it to young teens. The message of acceptance came through nicely and all kids could benefit from it. "

" Usually I don't like books written in a journal format, but I was able to get into the story very quickly. I recommend it to anyone, not just runners. "

" Wendelin Van Draanen did an amazing job with this book! This book was truly inspirational to me. "

" An incredible book. Anyone who had ever experienced loss or disappoint can relate to Jessica's story. A must read. "

" This book is so inspiring! Whether you like running or not, it's going to touch your heart. I love running and after I read this book, I just love it even more! This book made me see new things in my life that I'd never seen before. It's like it opened new doors for me. It enlightened me. "

" Considering how much I hate running, it was pretty good. "

" This is an inspiring story of a girl who loves to run and has to come to terms with losing part of a leg. The author perfectly depicts what it's like to need to run, no matter what. "

" As a runner, I really enjoyed it. As a reader, I really enjoyed it. Overall it was a fantastic book and a quick read. "

" I liked this book for early teens. It was nice to have a little romance without having sex. It's an appropriate book for pre-teens that would appeal to that age group. It has a great message about digging deep and helping others. "