It's been two months since his dad's fatal accident, and eleven-year-old Ricky is still haunted by memories of violent beatings and hurtful words. The kids at school won't let him forget, either, and he's gotten into so many fights, he's on the edge of serious trouble. Ricky can walk away from taunts on the playground, but not when the kids corner him on the bus. So he comes up with a new way to get to school. Not only will he run every morning and afternoon-he'll race the bus. And one day he will leave the past behind-and win.
"A powerful first novel. . . . Sports fans will appreciate the realism of Ricky's grueling training and the story is just as honest about the struggle at home, the tenderness among the family survivors." --Booklist
"The reader will be cheering for this determined and admirable character." --The Horn Book
