Customer Reviews

Running on Dreams

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The week I first met Herb Heiman this book was published. I met him in his "other life," as a 40-year veteran of TaiChi. His ability to see the gifts in every human being shows up just as strongly in this book as it does in his teaching.

Running on Dreams is a beautiful story that will clean the windows of your heart. Having lived this story with my own child, I know, first hand, the joys, the frustrations, and the terrific sadness that comes with the territory Herb has so masterfully described. Running on Dreams show us, right up close and personal, what it's like being on both sides of the experience of autism.

It's a wonderful book, not just for young adults, but for anyone who wants to understand more about what it's like to cope with the very different experience of the world that people with aspergers live everyday. The story is told from a truly compassionate point of perception. Every parent, every sibling, every neighbor, every teacher, and certainly every school and social service administrator who needs to better understand the everyday challenges of coping with aspergers will benefit deeply from reading it.

I recommend you get a copy for yourself today. Then get five more copies and give them away to others who need to clean the windows of their hearts, too.

Brad, 15 has a lot going for him. A track star at the Oregon high school he attends, he also has a good track record academically. He has an older sister, Amy, 19 who has undefined differences and an eating disorder.

Justin, also 15 is an only child who has Asperger's Syndrome which is the spectrum partner to autism. A walking encyclopedia of classic rock knowledge, he is also a Beatle fan who has his first experience in a mainstream/inclusion program. A good resource room teacher helps Justin along in the inclusion process.

Enter Brad. He has signed on for extracurricular activities and decided to pitch in with the resource students. Justin's teacher describes Justin to Brad, feeling that the boys will be a good match. The boys also happen to share the same birthdate.

After some rocky starts, Brad reluctantly rises to the challenge. He feels Justin's blunt statements and willingness to stand by what he believes in even if it means compromising popularity and status might embarrass him. After all, Brad is a track star who has an attractive, albeit shallow and self centered girlfriend and the image that Justin only fantasizes about having.

Brad's friend Pat and Pat's girlfriend Linda, whom Brad describes as a dog help Brad re-evaluate his priorities. In time, he realizes that the trophy girlfriend; the image; the plaudits and middle school status are not the most important priorities in his life. He gets involved with Special Olympics and offers to work with Justin on improving his running and agility.

Excellent dialog and delightful, plausible characters make a good story even better. This is a good book for all ages and the obvious message of tolerance and acceptance can never be overstated. I like the way Brad responded to the Special Olympics participants once he got to know them; I also like his displeasure with Crystal when she made fun of others or acted repelled by people with disabilities. One especially poignant part in the book was when Brad helped a child with a crooked leg onto a seesaw while Crystal rebuffed the child. Brad also says that people with challenges like the boy on the playground and the students in the resource room often got overlooked and that he was one of the people who overlooked them.

An intense book with an ending that will remain in the hearts of readers long after they have turned the last page. This book makes me think of a song by a Brooklyn duo, Professor Louie and Fast Eddie, "You Can Make it on a Dream," which is an intense look at richly drawn individuals who have indeed made things happen.

Author Herb Heiman masterfully offers up a novel about two teenage boys - Justin, who has Asperger's, and Brad, the school's popular track star - on their journey to self discovery. Kudos to Heiman for his real-life descriptions of the thoughts and feelings of both boys as they come to know more about each other and question their place in the world. Wonderful, positive example to readers about the ways we are all more alike than different. Excellent for teens both on and off the spectrum, their parents and teachers.

I bought this book because I was searching for a book on teens with disabilities as I have a good friend with a child with Asperger's. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised to find Mr. Heiman's well-written and insightful look into the joys and sorrows of his characters' lives. It is rare to find someone who can write about the feelings of young people with such honesty and empathy and still create an entertaining read.

I highly recommend this book and am anxiously awaiting a new one from Mr. Heiman!

This story was recommended by a counselor for 2 nephews who really enjoyed reading it!

The reviews on the back of this book focus upon the character with Asperger syndrome. Doing so to this intricate and well-paced saga of a year in two young men's lives is an injustice. RUNNING ON DREAMS juggles the journeys of two protagonists in addition to several subplots. It is peopled by multi-faceted characters who face several difficult moral dilemmas. The result is a never-boring book that young readers will relate to, a book that will make them think, and that they probably will not soon forget.

While attending the 2007 Autism Society of America National Conference last week, I met Herb Heiman at the AAPC booth. He was excited to tell me about this recent book. I started reading it immediately and enjoyed the unique style of writing highlighting the two main characters, Brad, the middle school track star and Justin, the new transfer student who has Asperger Syndrome. It's an enjoyable story that compares similarities and differences while teens struggle with issues middle school presents. It was fun to also learn more about the author's home state of Oregon. I recommend this book especially for those entering middle school.