Road Whiz

Pattison, Darcy. Road Whiz. 2018. 178p. ISBN 978-1-6294-4097-2. Available at FIC PAT on the library shelves.

At fourteen, Jamie is already the tallest person in his school, and he keeps on growing. Being tall makes him a target of bullies at his middle school, especially Chan, who excels at everything. His father wants Jamie and his newfound height to play on the high school’s football team, but Jamie is not interested. His father travels a lot for work, and he will be gone off and on for the next nine months in Poland, working on an energy project. This causes tension at home between Jamie’s parents, which does not help Jamie’s mood.

During a presentation at school, Jamie is introduced to a female greyhound named Road Whiz, who is a retired racing dog. Jamie is smitten, and his mother agrees to adopt Road Whiz on the condition that Jamie takes her out on a run at least once a day. Jamie discovers that he enjoys running. He begins training to run a 5K with his mother, but then he discovers that Chan is also running in this race, and he currently holds the title for best runner for his age group in the city, two years running. Tired of being put down by Chan, Jamie decides he will show him by winning the title this year. But being fast is not enough without technique.Road Whiz and him share a similar interest for running, but Jamie wonders, does he run because he likes running, or does he run to defeat Chan? Exploring the reasons for why he runs will allow Jamie to discover truths about himself and about Road Whiz.

Fans of sports literature will appreciate Jamie’s struggles and efforts in determining who he is and what he stands for.