Your freshman year in high school is always an adjustment. But what if your height suddenly shot up. Being one of the tallest kids can sometimes cause bullying in the form of teasing. Jamie is dealing with this as well as trying to help his mom. His dad is out of the country on business and will be most of the year so it is up to Jamie to help his mom not feel so sad. Jamie has not really been into sports. However, Jamie and his mom have started running and realize they really enjoy it. They enter a marathon and learn that this is something that they want to continue. Jamie’s training takes a turn when he convinces his mom to adopt Road Whiz a retired greyhound. In some ways Jamie and Road Whiz are just what each other need. This is a positive way to deal with realistic issues Jamie faces. I have known many people who have adopted retired greyhounds. My husband used to raise greyhounds. They are one of his favorite dogs. That was one reason I wanted to read this book. The main reason is that I have read almost every book Darcy Pattison has written. I love her writing. It is concise and realistic. Kids can relate to her books. I highly recommend this book.

Want a winning combination of story elements? How about a retired greyhound, her adopted family, and a chance for a teen to win a racing trophy? Jamie's father is often away on business trips, leaving Jamie and his mother feeling lonely and sad. His father pushes Jamie to try team sports, but while he is away on another trip, Jamie and his mom begin running. It is a way to pass the time and keep them both from being couch potatoes and eating junk food. When they enter a marathon, they discover that they enjoy the motivation of competing and decide to continue with the races.

At the same time that Jamie is dealing with his absentee father, he is also having a major growth spurt and enduring the teasing of his classmates, especially Chan. But one good thing does happen at school, a representative from an adoption group brings Road Whiz to visit the students. Whiz and Jamie bond, and Jamie goes home to convince his mother to adopt the greyhound. Maybe the retired racer can help Jamie train for the competition?

There are many themes to consider as readers make their way through the story - growing up, dealing with teasing, how it feels to have an absent parent (for whatever reason), coping with depression, sports and sportsmanship, pet adoption... just to name the more prominent ones. Author Darcy Pattison keeps the story realistic and balances the various components nicely.

Readers who enjoy sports stories and realistic fiction of school, family, and growing up will want to give this book a try.