Running on Empty

Authors: Durrant, S. E.
Lexile: 640,
Publisher: Holiday House
BISAC/Subject: JUV013060, JUV039150, JUV032210
ISBN: 9780823441372, Related ISBNs: 0823438406, 0823441377, 9780823438402, 9780823441372
Classification: Fiction
Number of pages: 200,
Audience: Children/juvenile
Synopsis: A boy shoulders great responsibility for his differently abled parents in this touching middle-grade story.

AJ is a runner--and when he's running, he's fast, free, and flying. It was Grandad who taught him to run, and who did a lot more, besides. Grandad always made sure things were in order around AJ's house, because his parents could not. AJ's parents are different, and because they do not have the tools to cope with certain elements of everyday life, it was Grandad who reviewed the water bill, saw to it that the electricity meter had funds, and kept everything else shipshape.

But now, with Grandad's sudden passing and Aunt Joan about to have a baby, AJ knows it's up to him to make sure Mum and Dad are okay and to keep the household going. It would be a hard job for any adult, but for a kid who's also starting middle-school and trying to impress the gruff track coach . . . is staying afloat even possible?

Through its heartwarming and believable characters, Running on Empty sensitively explores the dynamics of a loving family finding its way forward, and the unexpected helping hands that pitch in along the way.

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Sign up for our literacy platform for reading at home

LightSail includes up to 6,000 high interest, Lexile aligned book titles with every student subscription. Other titles are available for individual purchase.

Watch the power of

Lightsail in action

×

SUPPORT GROWING READERS

Immediately Engage Students
Immediately Engage Students
Simple intuitive design has classrooms reading within minutes.
Exponentially Grow Reading Time
Exponentially Grow Reading Time
Students love the LightSail experience and naturally spend more time reading.
Accelerate Literacy Development
Accelerate Literacy Development
Students reading 25 minutes a day on LightSail are seeing 2+ years of Lexile growth in a single year.

LightSail Education is a comprehensive Lexile and standards-aligned, literacy platform and digital e-book library. Including multimodal learning functionality and featuring books from leading publishers, LightSail holistically assesses and nurtures each student on their reading and writing-to-learn journey, throughout elementary, middle, and high school.

*LightSail offers a 2,000 or a 6,000 title bundle with its student subscriptions. Other titles are available for individual purchase.