Sidetracked

By Diana Harmon Asher

A misfit joins the track team, facing bullies and fears, discovering unexpected possibilities.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 1,050 ratings

256 pages· 49,609 words· Est. 7 hour read

$8.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Joseph Friedman, sidelined by fears and bullies, is thrust into the school track team. With Heather, a fearless runner, by his side, he navigates the chaos of middle school. As he steps onto the track, Joseph learns that in the race of life, anything can happen. Will he find his stride or stumble under pressure?

From the publisher

If middle school were a race, Joseph Friedman wouldn’t even be in last place–he’d be on the sidelines. With an overactive mind and phobias of everything from hard-boiled eggs to gargoyles, he struggles to understand his classes, let alone his fellow classmates. So, he spends most of his time avoiding school bully Charlie Kastner and hiding out in the Resource Room, a safe place for misfit kids like him. But then, on the first day of seventh grade, two important things happen. First, his Resource Room teacher encourages (i.e., practically forces) him to join the school track team, and second, he meets Heather, a crazy-fast runner who isn’t going to be pushed around by Charlie Kastner or anybody else. With a new friend and a new team, Joseph finds himself off the sidelines and in the race (quite literally) for the first time. Is he a good runner? Well, no, he’s terrible. But the funny thing about running is, once you’re in the race, anything can happen.

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