Wonder
R. J. Palacio
Like Jessica, Auggie deals with stares and people who look away. Its theme of choosing kindness and truly seeing others echoes how Jessica learns to see Rosa.
12 books to read next
Books Like The Running Dream
If you loved The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Readers love The Running Dream for its honest, hopeful look at a teenager rebuilding her identity after losing a leg. Jessica's voice is raw but often funny, and the short chapters move quickly. The book balances grief and anger with real progress, sports detail, and a warm cast of family, coach and teammates. Above all, readers remember her friendship with Rosa, which turns a recovery story into one about seeing people with disabilities clearly and refusing to leave anyone behind.
Teens rebuilding after injury
Out of My Mind
Sharon M. Draper
Melody has cerebral palsy, like Rosa, and a brilliant mind nobody notices. It gives a first-person view of the invisibility Jessica realises Rosa has lived with.
If I Stay
Gayle Forman
A car accident upends a teen's life and future plans. Readers who felt Jessica's grief will connect with this emotional story about family, love and deciding how to go on.
Running and sports at heart
Ghost
Jason Reynolds
A fast, funny novel about a boy who joins a track team and finds belonging. The team bonds and coach support recall Jessica's teammates rallying behind her.
Stotan!
Chris Crutcher
A classic of sports fiction where swimmers face a brutal training week and serious life challenges together, showing how teammates hold each other up as Jessica's do.
Running Out of Time
Margaret Peterson Haddix
A tense adventure with a girl running for her life and others'. Readers who liked Jessica's drive to help someone besides herself will enjoy the determined heroine.
Hope after hard times
Fish in a Tree
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally hides her dyslexia until a teacher sees her clearly. Like The Running Dream, it is warm, hopeful and focused on friendships that grow from understanding difference.
Wintergirls
Laurie Halse Anderson
A darker but compelling story about a teen battling her own body and mind. Readers drawn to Jessica's raw inner voice will find Lia's struggle just as honest.
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
Teens living with illness and an amputation face life with wit and honesty. Its blend of humour and heartbreak suits readers moved by Jessica's frank, funny voice.
Real-life inspiration
Soul surfer
Bethany Hamilton
The true story of a teen surfer who lost her arm to a shark and returned to competing. It mirrors Jessica's fight to get back to the sport she loves.
El Deafo
Cece Bell
A graphic memoir about growing up deaf and feeling different. Its humour and honesty about disability and friendship will appeal to readers who loved Jessica and Rosa.
Flipped
Wendelin Van Draanen
Van Draanen's best-known novel has the same warm voice and sharp eye for how people misjudge each other, told from two alternating teen perspectives.
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