Runner

Deuker, Carl. 2005. RUNNER. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0618-54298-7

Senior Chance Taylor finds himself in the role of parent to his alchoholic Gulf War veteran father as they live moment by moment on a 30-year-old dilapidated sailboat near the locks of Puget Sound. He keeps a low profile at school trying not to draw attention to himself. How does he survive this unusual existence? He runs; he says especially “when I feel like my heads about to explode.” Offered a job to run secret packages for “the fat guy” in the marina office, Chance jumps at the chance to help pay off his father’s debts. Yet as things seem to be getting better, they go from bad to worse. Smugglers, terrorists, and “murder – the instant the word flashed in my mind, I pushed it out,” thinks Chance. Read this intriguing novel to find out how Chance survives through his trials at school and in life.

In this post-9/11 novel, sports enthusiast and writer Carl Deuker offers a fast-paced book filled with emotion and suspense, especially good for boys and struggling readers. The book is broken up into three parts and each of the chapters is short offering readers a sense of accomplishment as each chapter passes by. Readers are kept wondering what will happen next. Gillian Engberg from Booklist states, “Deuker drops plenty of hints about what's in the packages, but the tragic blockbuster ending may still be a surprise.” Those who have dealt with poverty vs. privledge, abandonment by a parent, or parent/child role reversal will relate to Chance’s thoughts and feelings. Ashley C. Mills from Children’s Literature also adds, “The novel addresses some interesting topics relative to today’s youth, such as terrorism, single-parent families, and alcoholism.”  The significance of the setting is subtly revealed as the story unfolds. In this young adult novel, Deuker folds various genres into its pages – realistic fiction, mystery, and romance – inviting those with different interests to read Runner. “Boys will like this book for its male lead and its focus on military issues, and teachers will find it useful in the classroom (Ingram 2005).” After a suspensful climax, Deuker offers a quick yet satisfying ending helping the reader understand what Chance believes.

Runner has been included on a number of state and national book lists to include the YALSA 2006 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Booklist’s Top Ten Sports Books for Youth in 2005.

Runner would be a good selection for ethical discussions on patriotism, terrorism, military duty and students that work while going to high school. Using a debate format, students could research these topics and present their views.

References

Engberg, Gillian. 2005. "Runner." Booklist 101, no. 19/20: 1782. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 12, 2011).

Ingram, Jenny. 2005. “Runner.” VOYA 28, no. 3. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 12, 2011).