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Running Rivals
At the beginning of the track season, Amy hurt her knee during a race. Now her doctor says she can get back on the track, but Amy's still shaky. Her knee may be healed, but her confidence is still broken. The biggest race of the year is coming up, and it's on the same track where she was hurt before. With help from an unexpected source, will Amy be able to race again?
- GenresSports
72 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Jake Maddox
581 books84 followersWho is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler–or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps–literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 17, 2016
With so many books written under the Jake Maddox pen name, injecting a new element every once in a while helps keeps the series fresh, and that's what author Val Priebe does in Running Rivals. It's rare for a Jake Maddox sports story to be written in the first person (this is the first one I've encountered), and we get a little deeper into Amy's personal narrative that way. Amy Reid is one of the top young four-hundred-meter sprinters in her area, surpassed only by Madison Palmer of the Emeryville team. They run neck-and-neck every time they race, until one of them (typically Madison) pulls ahead just before the finish line. Amy's urge to always be aware of Madison's relative position on the track cost her dearly in a meet early this season, when a sideways glance to gauge Madison's whereabouts took her attention off the track for a vital split second and caused her to put her foot wrong. The subsequent knee injury meant two months on injured reserve during the heart of track season, but now Amy is cleared to resume full activity, and she's raring to reestablish herself as a threat to Madison's dominance in the four hundred meters.
But Amy is wary of pushing her knee to the limit after her prolonged recovery. What if it can't stand up under the stress of competitive running? What if it gives out again and becomes a chronic health problem? Amy's physician prescribed several cautionary measures to ensure that doesn't happen, but Amy is still anxious, and it shows in her early attempts at running. She's unable to properly time her start out of the blocks in practice, then she runs the four hundred meters in a decidedly subpar one minute and ten seconds. Amy's father tries to reassure her that she'll be okay if she gives herself a chance to re-acclimate, but it's her older sister Natalie who comes up with practical ideas to aid her adjustment. Natalie's suggestions help, but with a track meet against Emeryville in less than a week, Amy fears she'll be no competition for her old nemesis, Madison. She dreads making a pathetic showing in her return to major competitive racing.
Meanwhile, Madison is performing better than ever. As Amy struggles to regain her contending form, Madison regularly records personal bests in the four hundred meters, trained and encouraged by her mother. If Amy is to make their next race a contest, she needs to learn what her opponent is learning, and the only way to do that may be to ask. Can she bring herself to initiate a truce and practice with Madison for their mutual benefit? Athletic rivalry can be intense, but sometimes the best thing you can do is collaborate on strategy and technique, upgrading you both into better competitors. Under the bright lights of the year's final track meet Amy is on her own to will herself to victory, but it feels less stressful now that she knows her rival better. Maybe she's even made a new friend.
Running Rivals is a short yet rewarding celebration of athletic excellence, a sound introduction to concepts of sportsmanship and self-improvement. The characters seem livelier than in most Jake Maddox books, perhaps owing to the first-person narration. I think I'd give Running Rivals two and a half stars, and it's one of the better novels in the Jake Maddox sports series. Young readers reluctant or proficient who love sports will get something out of this book, so by all means, read on.
But Amy is wary of pushing her knee to the limit after her prolonged recovery. What if it can't stand up under the stress of competitive running? What if it gives out again and becomes a chronic health problem? Amy's physician prescribed several cautionary measures to ensure that doesn't happen, but Amy is still anxious, and it shows in her early attempts at running. She's unable to properly time her start out of the blocks in practice, then she runs the four hundred meters in a decidedly subpar one minute and ten seconds. Amy's father tries to reassure her that she'll be okay if she gives herself a chance to re-acclimate, but it's her older sister Natalie who comes up with practical ideas to aid her adjustment. Natalie's suggestions help, but with a track meet against Emeryville in less than a week, Amy fears she'll be no competition for her old nemesis, Madison. She dreads making a pathetic showing in her return to major competitive racing.
Meanwhile, Madison is performing better than ever. As Amy struggles to regain her contending form, Madison regularly records personal bests in the four hundred meters, trained and encouraged by her mother. If Amy is to make their next race a contest, she needs to learn what her opponent is learning, and the only way to do that may be to ask. Can she bring herself to initiate a truce and practice with Madison for their mutual benefit? Athletic rivalry can be intense, but sometimes the best thing you can do is collaborate on strategy and technique, upgrading you both into better competitors. Under the bright lights of the year's final track meet Amy is on her own to will herself to victory, but it feels less stressful now that she knows her rival better. Maybe she's even made a new friend.
Running Rivals is a short yet rewarding celebration of athletic excellence, a sound introduction to concepts of sportsmanship and self-improvement. The characters seem livelier than in most Jake Maddox books, perhaps owing to the first-person narration. I think I'd give Running Rivals two and a half stars, and it's one of the better novels in the Jake Maddox sports series. Young readers reluctant or proficient who love sports will get something out of this book, so by all means, read on.
December 1, 2017
WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
“Running Rivals” by Jake Maddox is a great book. It is perfect if you want to have a little fun reading some realistic fiction. This book is all about helping others is always the best thing to do. There are two girls who run track. Their schools are rivals yet they still help each other do better.
In chapter 1, Amy’s leg had just finished healing and she could run again. She was very excited about getting to go back to practice. That night she jogged down a trail, but she went a different trail because she didn’t want her friends to see her if she slow or had to stop. When she reached the end of the trail, she saw Madison, her hardest competition. She heard Madison’s mom called out, “1:05 that is best time all year. Amy decided to go back home. When Amy got home her dad had an ice pack waiting for her and her sister knew something was wrong. So she told Amy to come talk to me when you are ready. When she got back to practice the next day, Amy’s teammates welcomed her back. Then, they begun. They all went to their places. Amy ran a 400 meters, which is one lap around the track. To begin with they practiced their starting. Amy always false started. After practice, she went home. The next morning, Amy woke up late. As she was getting her breakfast, her sister asked her, “Are you ready to talk?” Amy told her she was having trouble starting. Amy went for a run. She took a bath, time she got back. When she was done taking a bath her sister gave her an excellent idea. She said call Coach Joseph and ask him if you can use a pair of blocks for the weekend. Coach Joseph said yes. When they got home, they went to start practicing. Amy false started every time. Amy kept getting better, but she was still false starting. At the meet Tuesday, Amy did not false start and came in 3rd at the end. Amy’s time was 1:10. Her usual time was 1:06. Her sister gave her the idea of going to Madison and practicing with her. Amy said “Okay.” They went to the track the next night. Amy and Madison shared ideas of how the other could do better. At the meet Friday, Madison beat Amy, but Amy had her personal best which was a 1:05.
My favorite part of this book were when Amy and Madison shared ideas of how they could do better while running. So at the next meet, they could both do really well. I like this part because I like were in books people work together for a common goal when they are really arch-enemies. My least favorite part of this book was when Amy had kept on trying but always false started. I don’t like this part because I don’t like when people try and try but are not successful.
I really loved this book even though Amy had to keep on trying and she failed. I give this book 5 stars.
“Running Rivals” by Jake Maddox is a great book. It is perfect if you want to have a little fun reading some realistic fiction. This book is all about helping others is always the best thing to do. There are two girls who run track. Their schools are rivals yet they still help each other do better.
In chapter 1, Amy’s leg had just finished healing and she could run again. She was very excited about getting to go back to practice. That night she jogged down a trail, but she went a different trail because she didn’t want her friends to see her if she slow or had to stop. When she reached the end of the trail, she saw Madison, her hardest competition. She heard Madison’s mom called out, “1:05 that is best time all year. Amy decided to go back home. When Amy got home her dad had an ice pack waiting for her and her sister knew something was wrong. So she told Amy to come talk to me when you are ready. When she got back to practice the next day, Amy’s teammates welcomed her back. Then, they begun. They all went to their places. Amy ran a 400 meters, which is one lap around the track. To begin with they practiced their starting. Amy always false started. After practice, she went home. The next morning, Amy woke up late. As she was getting her breakfast, her sister asked her, “Are you ready to talk?” Amy told her she was having trouble starting. Amy went for a run. She took a bath, time she got back. When she was done taking a bath her sister gave her an excellent idea. She said call Coach Joseph and ask him if you can use a pair of blocks for the weekend. Coach Joseph said yes. When they got home, they went to start practicing. Amy false started every time. Amy kept getting better, but she was still false starting. At the meet Tuesday, Amy did not false start and came in 3rd at the end. Amy’s time was 1:10. Her usual time was 1:06. Her sister gave her the idea of going to Madison and practicing with her. Amy said “Okay.” They went to the track the next night. Amy and Madison shared ideas of how the other could do better. At the meet Friday, Madison beat Amy, but Amy had her personal best which was a 1:05.
My favorite part of this book were when Amy and Madison shared ideas of how they could do better while running. So at the next meet, they could both do really well. I like this part because I like were in books people work together for a common goal when they are really arch-enemies. My least favorite part of this book was when Amy had kept on trying but always false started. I don’t like this part because I don’t like when people try and try but are not successful.
I really loved this book even though Amy had to keep on trying and she failed. I give this book 5 stars.
July 22, 2022
Never give up.
January 15, 2011
This was a really enjoyable book!
May 24, 2013
i really dont enjoy running....
December 10, 2013
Really good
Read
July 10, 2018 My child stated that this book was very fun and very competitive. She also said that this book really made her want to read many more books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews