Running With the Wind

by John Foley

Graduating from high school is supposed to feel like the beginning of your real life. But for Jackson O’Connell, it’s more like a slew of endings. In this sequel to Hoops of Steel , Jackson’s dream of a basketball scholarship is gone. His surrogate parent
Granny Dwyer has died and he has no place to really call home. His relationship
with Kelly is in crisis―Kelly is Princeton bound, while Jackson doesn’t have a plan beyond the next five minutes. Even Jackson’s alcoholic father seems to be getting his life together. Introduced to a gruff old sailor at Granny’s funeral, Jackson reluctantly agrees to live at the marina and work at the boatyard. As Jackson experiences the rigors of working for a living and learning how to sail, he gains skills and self-knowledge. Is it enough to help him navigate the challengeshe faces and set his own course for the future?

216 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

John Foley is a high school teacher in Washington State. He previously worked as a newspaper reporter in the Chicago suburbs and Alaska, covering sports, cops, features, and any other beat that didn't require him to attend sanitary sewer meetings. Following a career change to teaching, he worked in Alaskan villages for several years, which led to his memoir Tundra Teacher. Hoops of Steel is based in part on his experiences as a basketball player. Foley was second string on the junior varsity at a Division III school, but prefers to simply say that he "played college ball."

Reviews

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good read for any adolescence. The author keeps you engaged in the life and struggles of the main character, Jackson. John Foley does a wonderful job in his attempt to relate to the student athletes or anyone teenager ,who may find themselves without a clear goals in life. The novel was a very easy read and it is not a very lengthy, literary work.

[Son Tung · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't have anything left in my mind after reading it; however, one thing that I impressed with this piece of writing was the language very close to the youth.

[Callan O'brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this novel, Running with the Wind, by John Foley is another well written novel. Is the second and I believe last novel in the series after Hoops of Steel. In this novel the main character, Jackson O'Connell, it continues on about his life about he his drifting away from his family and friends and is becoming more independent. He starts to lose his dream in basketball as it seems to not be working out for him. So, he take up a recommended job offer from his friend at a marina for the summer. As the novel progresses Jackson starts to develop a passion for sailing and soon learns how it affects his life.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book i didn't like and that it seems to continue a certain book but than it changed. I didn't like \it at all and that i thought that it would be better if the title match as the last moment of the game he was running with the wind. I also thought that it wasn't that awsome and that it seem to be quite a awful book in my point of veiw. People may like it but it's not that well as hoops of Steel.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well written and the characters seemed realistic.