On the Run

by Michael Coleman

When a persistent youth offender is caught yet again after a robbery gone wrong, fifteen-year-old Luke is sentenced to community service as the partner to a blind runner, Jodi, with whom he unexpectedly develops a friendship.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2004

About the author

Coleman was born in Forest Gate, a suburb in east London. Not long after he was born, his family moved a few miles east to Barking. At the time of his arrival, the area was just starting to recover from the damage it had received during World War II. He lived in a house on Bevan Avenue, named after Aneurin Bevan the architect of the National Health Service. He lived in that estate for 20 years. The area helped develop Coleman's love of sport due to the oblong shaped lanes of grass leading up the estate, which could be used as mini-stadiums. He pretended to play at various sporting events of the time, e.g. the Melbourne Olympics of 1956, the soccer Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and the games at Lords Cricket ground. He still has medals he won for being school champion in the 100m sprint and the long jump. As said by Coleman himself "My information series Foul Football tries to convey some of the magic I felt about the game of soccer by relating the weird and wonderful history of the game and the personalities it has seen over the years. On the fiction side, my series about a junior soccer team called Angels FC tries to bring out the humour and sheer fun that you’ll find at the heart of the game when it’s played by youngsters who don’t even know how to spell the word cynicism." Coleman had his first children’s book published when he was 46 years of age. He has also said: "I didn't [want to become a writer] at first. I used to teach computer science at a university and my first book was a boring one about computers. I livened it up by putting a few jokes in. At the end I thought I'd try writing a few more things, but this time forgetting about the computers and concentrating on the jokes. After lots of failures I realised that youngsters enjoy jokes more than adults and started writing for them. Eighty books later, I'm still doing it...I write both fact and fiction. The Foul Football series are favourite fact books, simply because they're about football. On the fiction side, I'm just finishing a trilogy called The Bearkingdom. They're dark and scary, quite different to anything I've written before."

Reviews

[Nolan Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed On The Run by Michael Coleman mostly because of all of the suspense that it causes me. I just wanted to keep reading. On the Run was so intriguing because the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter made me want to find out what was happening, and also caused me to feel some frustration because it felt like Luke kept on stealing over and over again and getting caught. Michael Coleman does an exceptional job with the suspense aspect and the action scenes and I would definitely read some of his other books if I knew what they were. It was a very interesting book because I haven’t really read a book like this before. On The Run included multiple police interrogations and courtroom drama which I really enjoyed and will probably keep looking for more books like that in the future. I would obviously recommend this book for others to read and give it a 5-star rating.

[Angel Marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the third person storytelling and how descriptive it was

[Dmunoz44 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off with Luke telling us what going on in his life and keeps most of the subject of his dad out of the equation. Luke has a amazing skill that includes lock picking which is where you can unlock a lock by using some other method besides a key that it is used for. When Luke gets caught for stealing shoes out of a 4x4 jeep he has to help the blind. What does this task have in hold for the protagonist?

The main characters consist of Luke, luke's father and mother, Jodi, jodie’s mother and father, Lee, and Mig. I like Luke for his character depth and development throughout the story. At the beginning he is just a delinquent and by the end he has learned that his ways aren’t the only ways for others. Luke’s father is in prison for a crime we don’t know about and his interactions with Luke can tell us that he and Luke don’t get on good terms with each other. Luke’s mother hardly has anytime for Luke himself because she takes care of her other two children, and luke’s two siblings. Jodi is a very optimistic person and she likes to think the best in everyone which is shown throughout the story. Jodi’s father from what we can collect is a very strong willed and stubborn person with how he interacts with Luke after the incident.Jodi’s mother is a caring person and wants to give people a second chance.Finally Lee and Mig are just your average bullies/ criminals, however they have massive respect among their little town.

This book overall had me thrilled with the details of the things going on as we are in the perspective of Jodi and Luke. The Author makes sure that both characters have a good sense of what’s going on around them. When we are in Luke's part of his perspective we can visualize what he is talking about when he is talking about his surroundings. And when we are with Jodi She tells luke what she can by noise alone. The author has a unique style of writing when it comes to this book. He makes sure that we can visualize the situation that one of the characters is going through. It works with me because the Author clearly put in the time and effort to write this book and the ending was really good at showing everyone’s development and he doesn’t just focus on luke or jodi but insead showing every other characters around them their development also. Also not to mention how the Author seperates each character, we can see Luke’s and jodi’s perspectives which puts us in their shoes and shows us what they are thinking.


My final thoughts for this book are that it has great Ideas and separation of characters so when they switch to a different character you know whose perspective you are in whether it is jodi or Luke. The thing i liked most about this book would be the fact that it takes time for each character and doesn’t rush through the little details, the author specifically goes out of his way to show every possible detail.I think this book is for people who like to have good short book with good character development, this is the book for you. This book has thrilled me to keep on reading no matter what has happened and it just keeps me reading. I suggest this book for people who are trying to get into a different style of books.

[Adrienne Wager · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, the book, “On the Run,” by Michael Coleman, was very well written. I enjoyed reading this book because it kept me very interested and wanting to keep reading. The main character Luke Reid started out as a teenager that provided for himself and his family, consisting of his mom, brother, sister, and dad that was in jail, by stealing and committing crimes. But being caught and charged with community service to be a guide runner for a blind girl, Jodi, might just make Luke see a new way of life. Luke starts the community service resenting Jodi and being watched like a hawk by Jodis former guide runner, her dad, whos leg was broken while chasing after luke when his car was stolen. As the book progresses Luke and Jodi develop an unexpected bond while training for a mini-marathon that Luke will guide her in. After a visit with his dad in jail, Luke realizes he doesn’t want to end up like him and wanted to make a good life for himself. As Luke got more into running with Jodi began training without her so that he wouldn’t slow her down in the marathon. At the end of the book Luke is invited/forced on, “a job,” with the two teenage criminals all Eastgate kids looked up to the most, including Luke, or so he used to, the book says, “And, as the pair of them took a step back, Luke acted. Wrenching the blade from the lock, he ran for the gate, diving through the opening Russel had left, then tugging it shut again as they came after him, Young already fumbling for the ever-present knife in his pocket.” (pg. 70.) This piece of the text shows Luke is willing to risk his life so he wouldn't disappoint Jodi even when doing something for two threatening boys he used to look up to so much and that he really had grown to like running with her. It was good to be able to see the change that Luke was making in his attitude towards the community service with Jodi and towards thieving because he once said he didn't even miss it so it was cool to see he didn’t want to go back to his old life of crime and by the end he enjoyed running and was going to continue as Jodi's guide just for fun.

[CHRISTIAN JOHNSON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon diving into the story we meet the near infamous fifteen year old named Luke Reid.
Luke himself is a thief that goes around stealing other peoples things using a knife above all else.
In fact Luke being a thief greatly influences the way police officers talk to him,the people he hangs around and how adults refer to him. Almost everyone reminds Luke that he is a thief and i like how this reason develops Luke's character.
By the end of the book Luke himself is supported by many characters because of his will to change and his deeds to earn the trust of the people around him.
During his time being Jodi's Guide her father made sure Luke remembered who he was.
To me the most memorable line was from Jodi's father stating "Luke is not cool he is a thief".
I found this line to be memorable because it was the reason from that point Luke begins to develop more. Luke himself agreed with this but admitted it hurt as it was true since most thief's worry about themselves. Luke however begins to care about the people around him and later influences his father to care more about where Luke is going in life.
By the end of the book we as the reader were surprised with what happened to Luke.
The ending of the book shows that no matter how hard you try to get rid of the past it will haunt you as despite Luke running that race with Jodi he still gets into trouble.
However the dedication that Luke put into making sure Jodi participated in the London Marathon as well as pushing himself to fit into the community of track running pays of as he earns the trust of Jodi's father. If you do find this book even a tad bit interesting i suggest you view a few pages as the suspense and reality of Luke only creates more Suspense in the story that gets solved in a few wholesome pages.

[Jackson Bartel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In On The Run, Micheal Coleman crafts a story of redemption and friendship, but it's a mixed bag for me. Which is why I give it a 3.5 out of 5. The book's theme is about a yong boy who gets in trouble and proves himself later on. The beginning was great with entertaining characters. Luke, the main character, is a thief who steals all the time. Jodi is a runner who is blind but very kind. Unfortunately what ruined the book for me was the middle. The middle was slow because of the unnecessary training parts that took over 50 pages long, and nothing happened which is why this book is getting a 3.5 not a 5. Lastly, the ending was great and summed up the book with Luke being the hero which resonated with me because every kid wants to be the hero. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy realistic fiction stories.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of this book is that you can change for the better even if you have not been making the smartest choices so far through your life. All it takes is for one person to recognize your potential and help you get to where you should be. In the beginning he is stealing a pair of running shoes out of a car and some people he knows jump in and steal the car and it is heading straight for a blind girl who is walking across the street and he dives and saves her from getting ran over.

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was good to me. In the story we have a character named Luke who gets in trouble for stealing from a family. For his punishment he must as the guider for their daughter in the london marathon. This is the last chance for Luke because if he does not do this he will risk jail time. Overall i just liked this book and did not have problems reading.

[Lisa Kusel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Great story. Fast paced. Solid writing.

[Chloee Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very great story for a young adult novel! And interesting solution to problems

[Bret Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a book

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT. I liked this book because it shows how a person can change based on one event or a single person. One of the characters was named Luke and he was a major thief in the beginning of the story and he was going to go to jail if he didn't stop. He broke into a 4x4 to steal some running shoes and Russell and Young ended up stealing the car. The owners weren't very happy about this and the man ended up chasing Luke and the man broke his leg in the process. Also, he saved a girl named Jodi from getting hit by the car when Young and Russell stole it. The girl Jodi knew Luke had saved her from the car and knew he shouldn't go to jail. Luke out ran Jodi's father for a while and even though now her dad had a broken leg, Jodi knew Luke was fast and would be perfect for assistance. He was going to be a guide runner for Jodi, and Jodi was blind. Jodi was a normal girl, she just couldn't see. Luke was going to run part of the London marathon by Jodi's side, he was going to have to run over 2 miles and he had never run that far before. Luke had to practice running with Jodi and by himself. During this time, Luke went to see his father in jail. He promised Luke that he was going to stop breaking the rules an come clean, and Luke promised too. Before this, Jodi had given Luke some seeds and Luke then had given the seeds to his dad as a birthday present. He was doing good in not thieving and keeping his dads promise, except he was caught in some business with Young and Russell, they were the top of the thieving business. They wanted him to break into the parking garage to steal a Porsche. He had to help them or else they would hurt Jodi, so he agreed to help break in, then go to the London marathon to run with Jodi. On the day of the marathon, he manage to get through one lock in the garage, then the other lock wouldn't open and he ran away because he didn't want to be breaking into that garage. Young and Russell "grassed" or he told on Luke, and that is the number one DONT of the thieving business. He successfully ran the race with Jodi and he was happy that she was having the time of her life. Luke was short on energy and he was running out of breath and he just barely made it to the finish line. He immediately passed out and he was arrested because of being told on for helping break in. After wards he was released because Mr. Webb, the man who Luke broke his leg or ankle, had helped him and also Mig Russell and Lee Young had both started telling on each other in frustration and they were the top priority of being put in jail. Mr. Webb tried to be Luke's alibi in saying that he was never at the garage, but Luke couldn't accept that as he was not going to lie to people anymore. Luke had given up stealing and took up running as an alternative. Mr. Webb was begging to like Luke and accepted him as a permanent guide runner and he has changed into a more accepting person, and luke's dad is getting out of jail soon and he knows how he will do better with his life and within everyone elses. Luke has always been with low money but his mom recently got a house for his family to fit and he knows that this is a new start.

[Nick Arends · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Coleman's On The Run was a surprisingly interesting and inspiration novel. The novel is set around a teenage boy named Luke and his mischievous exploits as a thief and persistent youth offender in the stigmatized, poverty and crime stricken parts of London. His crimes eventually lead him to become acquainted with a girl his age named Jodi and the action plan that was established for him to ensure that his service for his past behavior would be beneficial. Jodi is blind and Luke was to be her guide in the running of the London Marathon. This novel shows the evolution of a teenage petty criminal into a productive and proud member of London's youth.

There were many themes and motifs that made this novel strikingly good. One of them was the distinction between the two different types of respect. That being respect from fear and respect from trust. It could be argued that Luke performed the criminal acts for joy and because he believed that it was what he was supposed to do. He wanted nothing more than to be respected like the two criminals that run his part of town, Mig and Lee. Mig and Lee received respect from other community members through fear and intimidation. This is how Luke perceived respect, at least until he began his service to Jodi and how even a simple thank you made him feel happier and better than respect through his criminal exploits. Trust is an element of the human experience that is honestly taken for granted. It is not realized how much being trusted is cherished until the trust from anyone or anything is gone. For Luke, he had never been trusted for anything until Jodi trusted him to be her guide for the race.

I really enjoyed his novel and would recommend it to any teenage or young adult reader. Also it is a great novel for people who enjoy the thrill of running. I honestly did not think that I would like this novel based on the fact that I have not had much experience with young adult literature but this novel was very inspirational and the narrative was entertaining. There were no obvious plot shifts but it was a good read none the less.

[Cody Frommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stealing from a car can get you into much more trouble then you were expecting. This is what happened in the story I read “On The Run.” Luke wants these pair of running shoes real bad, so he picks the lock of some random’s car and before he can realize it, two kids are throwing him out of the way and stealing the car! After this he goes to court and is expecting to go to Juvenile Hall, but instead he’s written a letter and he has the choice to either work with the daughter of the owner’s car, or go to jail. Jail sounds worse then working with the blind. Luke picks to work with the blind. His job is to be a guide runner for this girl about the same age as him, Jodi. “Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself even harder, not noticing the strap linking him to Jodi had stretched out” (Michael Coleman 91). He is going to guide her through the London Marathon!

My opinion on this book? It was great. I don’t enjoy books- reading, I hate the thought of it. I find it a waste of time. But this book, I got so into it. I was seeing the pictures in my head as I read it. I did learn something from this book: Don’t get caught stealing! I would recommend this book to someone who likes books about a person’s life and problems. I know I like it because I can relate to this story because I was told to do something I had no motivation to do, like reading, and ended up having a good time and getting something productive done.

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best, I would give this book a 4.7. I gave it this rating because it isn’t the best book that I’ve ever read, but it is one of my favorites. I like series of books better though. I am going to ask my sister if she’d like to read this book because I know she’d like this stuff.

[BookBoy]

On the run
Stealing from a car can get you into much more trouble then you were expecting, stealing in general can get you into a lot of trouble. This is what happened in the story I read “On The Run.” Luke really wanted a pair of running shoes he saw in a car, real bad so he picks the lock of the car and before he knew it, two kids are throwing him out of the car and stealing it! After this he goes to court and is expecting to go to juvi, but instead he’s given a choice to help the daughter of the owner’s car, or go to jail. Jail doesn't sound to fun. Luke picks to work with the blind; his job is to be a guide runner for this girl about the same age as him, Jodi. “Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself even harder; not noticing the strap linking him to Jodi had stretched out” (91). He is going to guide her through the London Marathon!

My opinion on this book? It was great. I don’t read much; I find it a waste of time. But this book, I got into it. This book did a good job by using imagery as I read it. I did learn something from this book: Don’t get caught stealing! I would recommend this book to someone who likes books about a person’s life and problems. Most likely 9th grade and up.

On the run was a good book. There were some parts that could be improved on and some areas that were done very well. A part that was done very well was how they used imagery to create a scene and put that scene in your head. One thing they could have done better was, let people know more of what the characters where thinking. But that made it good to because you always questioned what was going on.

Amir Allen 9th

[Emmaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the book On The Run. When I first started reading I was really slow because it wasn't very action filled when you first start and it doesn't grab your attention. Once you start getting towards the middle it just keeps getting better and better though. The two main characters in the story where Luke (the thief) and Jodi (blind runner). It was one evening when look saw these cool pair of sneakers in a truck. So he does what he's best at. Picks the lock. Mig Russel and Lee Young (the biggest thiefs) push him over and take the car. While all of that is happening the owner of the truck thought Luke was trying to steal his car and so he starts running after him so of course Luke tries to run away. Luke ends up trying to climb an old brick building and it falls on the mans leg but knowing Luke he keeps running. He see's a girl that looks about his age and Mig and Lee are heading her way with the stolen car very fast. No Luke doesn't know this girl but he is determined to save her and that's what he did. A couple weeks later when the cops figured out who did it they gave him a choice of either helping out a blind person or to let them chose a service for him. He said he wanted to try helping a blind person. On the way to the blind persons house the officer said "The girl you saved was blind and that also the person you're helping out." Once they got there, it sure was her. The guy that broke his leg because of Luke was her dad. Then they end up running a marathon. So as you can see there is a lot of settings in this story already. Some are, New Jersey, London (marathon), and his and Jodi's house. To find out more read the book! You might like it!

[Gabriel Mullokandov · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my April reading book I read On the Run by Michael Coleman which is about a young boy who is in a mentality to steal from others for his own benefit. To start off this book Coleman portrays what it feels like to be in a character called Luke. Luke thinks that being in the crime business will benefit him financially as stated in page one "Yes, crime paid, all right." Although terrible, Luke still decides to go out and try to "nick" another valuable to sell. This is when Luke spots a valuable in a car, then suddenly the heist goes from quiet to worse when two other robbers try to steal to car which Luke just unlocked to steal not the car but the valuables inside. At that point in time the car which took off by two of the "king robbers of the street" almost hit a blind lady which was still alive because "with a wild lunge, Luke half dived and half fell into the girl" saving her from the oncoming car. Then in the next scene Luke finds out the girl was blind and if it weren't for the girl's word that Luke would indeed be headed into Juvenile Prison. "Mom, Dad remember what we talked about... You promised we'd give this a chance". Jodi (the girl) was talking about Luke training her to compete in the London Marathon. From there on out in the book Luke would help Jodi to accomplish the achievement of a blind girl racing in the London marathon!

[Xavier]

I read the book on the run some of the characters names were luke he was the main person but there was also others like don mike and sam they all where important in this story luke was a thief he would take almost everything he saw but he was doing it because he had to have food for his mom and little bro so when he would take things it would be sold this is like the whole book there lived on the wrong side of the street so that's what they had to do their was no work anywhere he looked and none was there so that's what his life dependeneed on.

I liked how they had the book play out because they really let you know that it is not a life you want to live taking things from people and almost getting killed each and every day just to get food on the table for your family because I don't think anyone would be able to do it.
I really have no dislikes about it I think that it was great and the only thing that I can think of is at the end when he died.


I think that if you are a person that likes somewhat true story's then this is the one for you!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great candidate for book talks. It is about a boy (Luke) who gets caught stealing some running shoes, and is forced to do community service. The girl (Jodi) he tried to steal the shoes from turns out to be blind, and the man who gets hurt chasing and catching Luke turns out to be her father, and her guide runner. Luke ends up doing his community service as Jodi's replacement guide runner while her father is healing, and learns a lot about himself and the blind community along the way. This might be a perfect recommendation for kids who like sports, or just any teen who wants a fast-paced book, but isn't into fantasy or science fiction.

The morals taught in this book are of your basic "don't steal, don't cheat" variety, and not overdone. The ending is a bit unrealistic, but not any more than the average inspirational sports story. I really enjoyed this book.

[Micahel Harkins]

Fifteen-year-old Luke is a skilled thief with a perfect record until the day he is caught running from a robbery gone wrong. He chooses to save the life of a blind girl, Jodi, rather than escape cleanly. As a result, Luke is given a shot at freedom if he will train to be Jodi's guide in the London Marathon. The friendship that develops between the two offers Luke one last chance to discover just how far and in what direction he is willing to run. A taut, unpredictable read, this novel will appeal to anyone who has changed course in life . . . or is trying to figure out how. Hope you read it it's pretty good.

[Guyron Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the run is a book about a teenager named Luke Reid. He is a thief that ends up getting caught after breaking into a car trying to steal a pair of shoes. The car gets stolen by another group of criminals and he saves a girl’s life after they almost run into her. His life gets changed in a very unique way after being sentenced to community service with an organization that the girl is a part of.
This book was written very well. I think that it had a very good storyline and that it was easy to follow along with. The book started out kind of boring but pick up pretty quick. So overall I give this book 5 stars out of 5

[Ashley A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book On The Run was a very interesting to me. I liked how it talked about how a real life teenager would be if they are terrible. A connection I would have with this book is how it simulates things my cousin would do. The book is very good it describes everything, and is very effective. To me there is no weaknesses in this book. A strength would be how it describes real life experiences from people. I would recommend this book to another classmate if they enjoyed reading about how he got on the run from all his troubles. If this book was part of a series I would read it because I enjoyed this book so I would probably enjoy the other part of the series.

[Wisterious Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! It had some exciting bits that kept me on the edge of my seat.

It reminded me of 'Prime Suspect', the British TV series. I think having seen that gave me a better understanding of the setting and how much Luke's life was really in danger.

Many American teens have no idea what it is like to live in council housing or to have a dad in prison. Books such as this can broaden a person perspective.

I love books about people overcoming adversity and this delivers it in spades. Good teen book-group read.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke is a thief, a good one who can pick almost any lock. One day he tried to steal some running shoes from a car, and 2 other boys jump in and steal the car. Luke saves the daughter of the car owner when the boys try to run her down. This earns him another chance. Instead of prison, Luke must work as Jodi's guide runner. Jody is blind and needs someone to guide her in the London Marathon. Now Luke must try to keep his past from ruining his future.

[Kristen Anglesey]

On the Run written by Michael Coleman is a great book. It has action, is interesting, and shows that there is always good in people. For example, the main character, Luke, has been raised as a thief. This book demonstrates his transformation. This transformation as he makes a real friend shows how he is a good person although he has made mistakes. This book would be a good read for anyone who enjoys action but a meaningful story tied in.

[Abigayil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a must read for all runners. No runner, green or vetren, could read this story without relating to Luke, the boy on the run. The author does a super job of capturing the feelings of running, the pain, dispair, determination, teethgritting, sweat, tears, the thrill of the chase and the exilirating feeling of crossing the finish line.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! This is one of the best books I've read in a while. It was really refreshing. It had a simple but interesting plot, good characters, and was just fun to read. It could seem plain or childish to some readers but I loved it and would recomend it.

[Bobbie Buettgenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I loved how this book had many different mysterious points in the book. I liked how they explained his struggles in his life. This book was written really well. The author did a really great job with his choices of words.

[Corey Korth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was very good. It actually is quite inspirational. There also was a lot of twists and turns in it that were unexpected which i liked. It actually teaches a lot about the visually impaired which was pretty interesting as well.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this cliched and boring. I'm usually interested in anything set in England but just couldn't get excited about this one. Too didactic and preachy for me.