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Runaround
In Kentucky in the 1960s, partly as revenge against her older sister for publicly embarrassing her, eleven-year-old Sassy decides to make the handsomest boy in the neighborhood her boyfriend, but first she has to find out what makes a boy like a girl, and how to know when he does.
117 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2007
16 people want to read
About the author
Helen Hemphill
4 books8 followersHailed as “a strong new voice in children’s literature” by Kirkus Reviews, Helen Hemphill grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas.
Her first novel Long Gone Daddy (Front Street 2006) won the 2007 Teddy Award for young adult fiction from the Writers’ League of Texas and was named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age. In 2007, her novel Runaround (Front Street 2007) was named a Top Ten Youth Romance by Booklist. Her new book for middle school readers, The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones (Front Street 2008), won the Virginia M. Law Award from the Daughters of The Republic of Texas Library for most distinguished book on Texas history for young adult readers. It is also listed in the best books of 2008 by Banks State College and was an on the 2009 Winter Indie Picks' List.
Helen holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.
Her first novel Long Gone Daddy (Front Street 2006) won the 2007 Teddy Award for young adult fiction from the Writers’ League of Texas and was named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age. In 2007, her novel Runaround (Front Street 2007) was named a Top Ten Youth Romance by Booklist. Her new book for middle school readers, The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones (Front Street 2008), won the Virginia M. Law Award from the Daughters of The Republic of Texas Library for most distinguished book on Texas history for young adult readers. It is also listed in the best books of 2008 by Banks State College and was an on the 2009 Winter Indie Picks' List.
Helen holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 12, 2010
Sassy is only 11 but she can’t wait to grow up and be noticed by boys. Especially since her older sister Lula seems to attract the kind of attention Sassy wants. She figures if she can convince the best-looking boy in town, Boon Chisolm, to be her boyfriend she will be one up on Lula.
Runaround by Helen Hemphill is a small book that crams in many storylines—in a good way. Set in a tobacco-growing area sometime around the first Surgeon General’s warning against smoking and the beginning of food stamps for the needy, Runaround touches on the plight of farmers of the era and the needy of all time. It harkens back to the days of lazy summers and having a country store down the road kids could walk to and buy groceries on credit.
Sassy and Lula are motherless, and they are cared for by Miss Dallas, a woman who has never had children and who is reluctant to answer Sassy’s questions about love and romance. So Sassy gleans most of her ideas of romance from reading True Confessions magazine, something her Daddy doesn’t approve of. Each chapter of Runaround opens with a quote from what appears to be True Confessions articles, and it’s easy to see how Sassy could get mixed up about love and romance if that’s what she thinks of as the norm.
If I have any reservations about Runaround, it’s that it brings up many issues that it doesn’t address in-depth enough. There are issues of class, sisters hurting and supporting each other, family secrets, and difficulties with family communication. And I thought Sassy’s tantrums were more appropriate for a toddler than an 11-year-old who should be able to control her anger and actions a bit more than she does. But those issues should give mother-daughter book clubs a lot to talk about. I recommend Runaround for book clubs with girls aged ten to thirteen.
Runaround by Helen Hemphill is a small book that crams in many storylines—in a good way. Set in a tobacco-growing area sometime around the first Surgeon General’s warning against smoking and the beginning of food stamps for the needy, Runaround touches on the plight of farmers of the era and the needy of all time. It harkens back to the days of lazy summers and having a country store down the road kids could walk to and buy groceries on credit.
Sassy and Lula are motherless, and they are cared for by Miss Dallas, a woman who has never had children and who is reluctant to answer Sassy’s questions about love and romance. So Sassy gleans most of her ideas of romance from reading True Confessions magazine, something her Daddy doesn’t approve of. Each chapter of Runaround opens with a quote from what appears to be True Confessions articles, and it’s easy to see how Sassy could get mixed up about love and romance if that’s what she thinks of as the norm.
If I have any reservations about Runaround, it’s that it brings up many issues that it doesn’t address in-depth enough. There are issues of class, sisters hurting and supporting each other, family secrets, and difficulties with family communication. And I thought Sassy’s tantrums were more appropriate for a toddler than an 11-year-old who should be able to control her anger and actions a bit more than she does. But those issues should give mother-daughter book clubs a lot to talk about. I recommend Runaround for book clubs with girls aged ten to thirteen.
November 12, 2012
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Sassy has a crush on Boon Chisholm. Sure, Sassy's much younger than Boon, and she's a big tomboy, and this is her first crush, but Sassy is very confident. She knows Boon loves her; she just has to help him figure it out. Then they can live happily ever after together, not to mention make Sassy's older sister, Lula, jealous. Unfortunately, Sassy doesn't know much about love. In fact, she knows pretty much nothing about love. So she'll just have to find out.
Sassy's mama died when she was a baby, so that's one less person to ask. Daddy hardly talks to her at all, so that's not an option. Miss Dallas, their nanny/housekeeper, is an old maid - what can she know about love? The only good source is Lula. Lula has a bunch of boyfriends, and plenty of kissing experience. Too bad they can't seem to keep from beating on each other long enough to have a real conversation.
Sassy might just have to figure this one out on her own.
Sassy's explorations of love and self are both painful and funny to experience. These are some hard things to learn, when no one seems to want to or be able to help. Sassy learns that love comes in lots of different forms and expressions. And sometimes, more often than anyone would like, love and heartbreak come hand in hand.
Sassy has a crush on Boon Chisholm. Sure, Sassy's much younger than Boon, and she's a big tomboy, and this is her first crush, but Sassy is very confident. She knows Boon loves her; she just has to help him figure it out. Then they can live happily ever after together, not to mention make Sassy's older sister, Lula, jealous. Unfortunately, Sassy doesn't know much about love. In fact, she knows pretty much nothing about love. So she'll just have to find out.
Sassy's mama died when she was a baby, so that's one less person to ask. Daddy hardly talks to her at all, so that's not an option. Miss Dallas, their nanny/housekeeper, is an old maid - what can she know about love? The only good source is Lula. Lula has a bunch of boyfriends, and plenty of kissing experience. Too bad they can't seem to keep from beating on each other long enough to have a real conversation.
Sassy might just have to figure this one out on her own.
Sassy's explorations of love and self are both painful and funny to experience. These are some hard things to learn, when no one seems to want to or be able to help. Sassy learns that love comes in lots of different forms and expressions. And sometimes, more often than anyone would like, love and heartbreak come hand in hand.
August 1, 2010
Illustrator: None
Age: Young Adult
Summary: Sassy is growing up in Kentucky in the 1960's and she has fallen in love with the cutest boy just to make her sister jealous, even though her father doesn't want her involved with this boy's family at all.
Applications/Uses: Literature circle choice, discussions of what it means to love someone, different kinds of love, coming of age story for girls in their pre-teens, could explore the music of the time that her sister listens to.
Themes/Connections: Kentucky, 60's, pre-teen girl, love
Awards: None
Age: Young Adult
Summary: Sassy is growing up in Kentucky in the 1960's and she has fallen in love with the cutest boy just to make her sister jealous, even though her father doesn't want her involved with this boy's family at all.
Applications/Uses: Literature circle choice, discussions of what it means to love someone, different kinds of love, coming of age story for girls in their pre-teens, could explore the music of the time that her sister listens to.
Themes/Connections: Kentucky, 60's, pre-teen girl, love
Awards: None
November 13, 2012
What a fantastic little book! I read it on a plane ride across country and devoured every minute of it. The characters are rich and the story is timeless with just the right amount of surprise. I thought I had it all figured out but the last few chapters actually made me catch my breath. Highly recommend it to those who love YA and youth who are struggling to find their own love in this world.
December 19, 2011
A good book for 3rd or 4th graders to relate to. Boys are gross and girls have cuties. It'd be a questionable one to have in my classroom because of some details given, but if your class is more mature then I think they can handle it.
August 29, 2007
first love, growing up, sister jealousy
August 21, 2010
Themes: coming of age, sibling relations, family relations, nature vs nurture
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August 22, 2010This book was okay. I just finished it. I recommend it for pre teens.
June 13, 2018
Runaround is a fun short read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a humorous and cute story. It follows the life of an 11-year-old girl in the mid 50s-60s as she learns to love. Overall, I enjoyed this book and applause Hemphill for accurately portraying the thoughts of a preteen.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews