Cover of The Running Dream

The Running Dream

by Wendelin Van Draanen · Grades 7–12

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen is on US reading lists at grades 7–12. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 7–12 · 354 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780375896798). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 2 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Vermont Golden Dome Book AwardNebraska Golden Sower AwardSchneider Family Book Award

This page shows where The Running Dream is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 7–12
Pages
354
Reading time
about 6h 30m (est.)
First published
2011
ISBN-13
9780375896798

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-07-07; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (3)
Award won
  • Schneider Family Book Award, 2012 (source: Wikipedia)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 2011 · 354 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The Running Dream?
The Running Dream is listed for grades 7–12. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Running Dream?
It takes about 6h 30m to read The Running Dream (354 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 390 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Running Dream?
The Running Dream appears on reading lists for Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Schneider Family Book Award, Vermont Golden Dome Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Running Dream banned in schools?
The Running Dream does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 7–12 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

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