Running Full Tilt
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A fast-paced convincing drama of a young runner whose legs circle him back to the many conflicts he is trying to escape."—Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal-winning author of Dead End in Norvelt
An honest and sensitive debut that memorably captures a teen runner’s relationship with his brother and his brother’s experience of autism
Like many siblings, Leo and Caleb have a complicated relationship. But Caleb's violent outbursts literally send Leo running. When the family is forced to relocate, Leo tries to settle into a new school, joining the cross-country team and discovering his talent for racing and endurance for distance.
Things begin to look up for Leo when he befriends Curtis, a potential state champion who teaches Leo strategy and introduces him to a girl named Mary. But Leo's stability is short-lived as Caleb escalates his attacks on his brother, resentful of his sports success and new friendships.
Leo can't keep running away from his problems. But, with a little help from Curtis and Mary, he can appreciate his worth as a brother and his own capacity for growth, both on and off the field.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Currinder's debut novel expertly navigates the complicated relationship between 17-year-old Leo Coughlin and his older brother, Caleb: "All I understood was that Caleb's autism and cognitive delays meant that his brain made sense of the world in a different way than mine." After Caleb's unpredictable behavior makes them unwelcome in their St. Louis neighborhood, the family moves across town, which sets Caleb off and precipitates physical attacks on Leo. Leo's only escape is to run and he does, long and far. When Leo starts at a new high school in the fall, he goes out for the cross-country team and discovers a talent for the sport. Currinder lets his narrative unfold with the steady pace of a distance runner, allowing readers to gradually witness the joys and frustrations of having a neurodivergent sibling. The story is both tender and unabashedly honest in its portrayal of how Caleb affects Leo's life. While the final chapters bring a tragic twist, the novel remains hopeful, and the resilient love between Caleb and Leo shines through. Ages 12 up.)
