Wide Reading #4

Level 1 Wide Reading Log:

Text Title – The Running Dream

Author –  Wendelin Van Draanen

Text Type – Novel

Date Read – Term 3

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Brief Plot Overview(3 sentences)

The Running Dream is a novel written by Wendelin Van Draanen. This fiction book is all about Jessica, a girl who loves to run. Jessica is a track runner, but when she gets involved in a car accident she loses the bottom half of her right leg. This means no more running. 

Throughout the book you get to read about how Jessica’s life gets turned upside down. But also how she reacts and moves on from the accident, building herself back from the car accident. With fundraising, support and loads of training Jessica gets back out to her dream of running.

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Characters You Find Interesting And Why

The character I found interesting was the main character Jessica. I found Jessica the most interesting character because of how she handled the car accident but also reacting to getting the bottom half of her right leg amputated off because of the damage that was done to it during the crash. Jessica was told that she would most likely not be able to run again competitively, she of course did not believe those words and completely shut that opinion down. She built herself back up by getting stronger mentally and physically. Mentally training herself was what made Jessica so inspiring to me. I know that this book is not a true story but reading it just made me feel inspired by her. It made me feel like if you have a dream and want to make it happen then you need to hold onto that dream so you can build yourself up to it. But not only just dreaming it but actually making it happen, putting all your time and effort into that one focus. 

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Messages You Took From The Text And Why

One message that I took away from reading this book is to never give up on something that you want in life. When Jessica was first put into the hospital she was so negative about where she would be going in life over the next couple of years. But with friends and family supporting her she got back home and realised she could not just sit around for the rest of her life feeling sorry for herself. This part in the book really stood out for me because in my personal life the hardest thing for me to do is the motivational step to push myself to the next level. Especially in sports for training, if I start something good then it will last for a long time because I will then have the focus but before that you have to push yourself to start and for me that’s the hardest part. So for Jessica to go through that car accident and then her leg being amputated off was so inspiring that it triggered something in my mind. Everytime time I’m meant to train or do something and I start to think of excuses or say that I can do it another time my mind goes back to this book. This book has influenced me to push myself when I really want to make something happen for me in my life.  

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Challenges That Characters Had To Deal With And Your Response To These

Jessica had so many challenges throughout this book but in my opinion the one that stood out the most for me was facing people after the accident happened. Being in the hospital and getting calls from family and friends I can only imagine that being really confronting when you’re not in a good place and especially when all they want to see is that you are doing okay. Everything after coming out of the hospital is a big step for Jessica. Watching people go on with their lives almost as if yours has paused. I feel as though this made me believe that Jessica is a really strong person. This also made me think more about her recovery and how her qualities would affect that. Being a strong and determined person like Jessica makes things a lot easier on the personal side of things. But when it comes to what other people think about what you can achieve and accomplish that’s all when I think you personally need to come in and change that. Other people’s opinions can have a massive impact on your own decisions in life. Making you try to prove them wrong or right.

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Discussion About The Title Of The Text And Why It Was Appropriate

The title of this Novel Is ‘The Running Dream’. I think that for the text this title is very appropriate. I think this because Jessica is a competitive runner but after her accident she doesn’t think that she will ever be able to run again with having the bottom half of her right leg amputated off. When Jessica was in the hospital she kept on having this recurring dream. It was of her last running race she ran. Beating her own personal time and coming first, calling it “my finish line”. I feel like this specific memory was recurring as a dream to Jessica as it was her last race and that it was a memory she could think about and hold onto. This also goes back to the title ‘The Running Dream’, Jessica kept holding onto that dream so one day she could feel how she felt while running. “It made me feel alive, I loved the wind across my cheeks, through my hair.” That’s why I think that the running dream is an appropriate title for this Novel.   

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Who Would You Recommend This Story To And Why 
I would recommend this Novel to teenagers because for me this book was very inspirational to read. I loved it because Jessica got back up on two feet when she technically only had one foot left. I think this book could be inspiring to others my age too. As I have already explained in my other paragraphs I have taken a lot away from this book. I feel like others could take away the same messages and morals for themselves  and for their life choices.