Running on Dreams

By Herb Heiman

Book Overview

Put yourself in Brad s shoes. You re the school track star and all-around cool guy, and you get assigned to be the buddy of Justin, a 15-year-old boy with autism who is starting his first semester in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931282285
• ISBN13: 9781931282284
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Aapc Publishing
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.5" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 13 to 19 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

2 brothers enjoyed this story!

This story was recommended by a counselor for 2 nephews who really enjoyed reading it!

Don't Judge This One By Its Cover

The reviews on the back of this book focus upon the character with Asperger syndrome. Doing so to this intricate and well-paced saga of a year in two young men's lives is an injustice. RUNNING ON DREAMS juggles the journeys of two protagonists in addition to several subplots. It is peopled by multi-faceted characters who face several difficult moral dilemmas. The result is a never-boring book that young readers will relate to, a book that will make them think, and that they probably will not soon forget.

WOW! Fun, clean and educational!

While attending the 2007 Autism Society of America National Conference last week, I met Herb Heiman at the AAPC booth. He was excited to tell me about this recent book. I started reading it immediately and enjoyed the unique style of writing highlighting the two main characters, Brad, the middle school track star and Justin, the new transfer student who has Asperger Syndrome. It's an enjoyable story that compares similarities and differences while teens struggle with issues middle school presents. It was fun to also learn more about the author's home state of Oregon. I recommend this book especially for those entering middle school.

Running in Place

Brad, 15 has a lot going for him. A track star at the Oregon high school he attends, he also has a good track record academically. He has an older sister, Amy, 19 who has undefined differences and an eating disorder. Justin, also 15 is an only child who has Asperger's Syndrome which is the spectrum partner to autism. A walking encyclopedia of classic rock knowledge, he is also a Beatle fan who has his first experience in a mainstream/inclusion program. A good resource room teacher helps Justin along in the inclusion process. Enter Brad. He has signed on for extracurricular activities and decided to pitch in with the resource students. Justin's teacher describes Justin to Brad, feeling that the boys will be a good match. The boys also happen to share the same birthdate. After some rocky starts, Brad reluctantly rises to the challenge. He feels Justin's blunt statements and willingness to stand by what he believes in even if it means compromising popularity and status might embarrass him. After all, Brad is a track star who has an attractive, albeit shallow and self centered girlfriend and the image that Justin only fantasizes about having. Brad's friend Pat and Pat's girlfriend Linda, whom Brad describes as a dog help Brad re-evaluate his priorities. In time, he realizes that the trophy girlfriend; the image; the plaudits and middle school status are not the most important priorities in his life. He gets involved with Special Olympics and offers to work with Justin on improving his running and agility. Excellent dialog and delightful, plausible characters make a good story even better. This is a good book for all ages and the obvious message of tolerance and acceptance can never be overstated. I like the way Brad responded to the Special Olympics participants once he got to know them; I also like his displeasure with Crystal when she made fun of others or acted repelled by people with disabilities. One especially poignant part in the book was when Brad helped a child with a crooked leg onto a seesaw while Crystal rebuffed the child. Brad also says that people with challenges like the boy on the playground and the students in the resource room often got overlooked and that he was one of the people who overlooked them. An intense book with an ending that will remain in the hearts of readers long after they have turned the last page. This book makes me think of a song by a Brooklyn duo, Professor Louie and Fast Eddie, "You Can Make it on a Dream," which is an intense look at richly drawn individuals who have indeed made things happen.

The human realities of living with aspergers

The week I first met Herb Heiman this book was published. I met him in his "other life," as a 40-year veteran of TaiChi. His ability to see the gifts in every human being shows up just as strongly in this book as it does in his teaching. Running on Dreams is a beautiful story that will clean the windows of your heart. Having lived this story with my own child, I know, first hand, the joys, the frustrations, and the terrific sadness that comes with the territory Herb has so masterfully described. Running on Dreams show us, right up close and personal, what it's like being on both sides of the experience of autism. It's a wonderful book, not just for young adults, but for anyone who wants to understand more about what it's like to cope with the very different experience of the world that people with aspergers live everyday. The story is told from a truly compassionate point of perception. Every parent, every sibling, every neighbor, every teacher, and certainly every school and social service administrator who needs to better understand the everyday challenges of coping with aspergers will benefit deeply from reading it. I recommend you get a copy for yourself today. Then get five more copies and give them away to others who need to clean the windows of their hearts, too.