Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant - ESSENTIAL

Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant, 200 pages. Holiday House, 2018. $18.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Eleven-year-old AJ thinks about running constantly, but when his grandfather, who ran with him, passes away, AJ has to grapple with his complex feelings for running. To make matters even more complex, AJ’s parents have intellectual disabilities and when AJ’s shoes are too small, he doesn’t know if his parents have the money for new shoes.   

A book about a nice kid with parents who have special needs is a guaranteed heart tugger. I enjoyed every moment of this book and felt emotional at several points. There are beautiful lessons about compassion for others and compassion for ourselves in this novel. I could see this becoming a beloved classroom read aloud novel. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher