The Running Dream, written by Wendelin Van Draanen, is a story about a girl named Jessica and an event that changes her life forever. After setting a record in the 400, Jessica’s bus gets in a tragic accident that not only causes Jessica to lose the bottom half of her leg, but also causes the death of one of Jessica’s teammates. Jessica must relearn daily tasks, including how to walk. Because running is all Jessica wants to do, her team has to come up with $20,000 to buy her a running leg. After her crush, Gavin Vance publishes an article about her in the newspaper, her story goes viral and her team is able to raise over their goal and she gets the running leg. School is also an issue for Jessica. As she was recovering, her schoolwork was piling up. When she returns to school, she is put next to Rose in the back of the class. Rose guides her through each assignment and they become good friends. Rose’s ultimate dream is to cross a finish line. Jessica must train her body to run while pushing 100 pounds in a wheelchair for 10 miles. The setting of the book takes place in a present day small town, at Liberty High. The setting affects the characters because Jessica gets support from the local people, and that gives her motivation to never give up.
