Running On Empty

S.E. Durrant's Running On Empty is a tender, funny story for 10 year olds about a boy who runs to keep his worries from catching up.

What happens

AJ is eleven and has just started Year 7. He lives a few streets from the Olympic Stadium in London, and he was there with his grandad the night Usain Bolt won the 100 metres. AJ is a runner too, and he's certain he's going to be a great one.

He's also carrying a lot. His mum and dad have learning difficulties, and it was Grandad who sorted out the forms and the bills. Grandad died two months ago, just after their last run together in the park. So now AJ has decided he'll fill that space and sort everything out himself.

He can't read a water bill without worrying it might turn red. The electricity meter runs out and the lights go off. And there's a school letter he hasn't shown anyone, because the address on it isn't quite right.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Grandad's death has already happened when the book begins, but it sits over everything. There's a funeral remembered and an afternoon scattering his ashes by the river (the wind blows them straight back, which is sad and oddly funny). AJ also thinks, just sometimes, that it might have been his fault. A child who has recently lost a grandparent may find this close to home. It might also be a real comfort.

What makes it such a lovely read is AJ himself. He's honest and a bit anxious and keeps saying "I'm not kidding". His mum has four rules for life (one is "Remember to look at the sky") and his dad's only rule is "Love Alice". He and his little cousin Aisha have the best conversations. Why is the sky blue? Does an ant or a spider get wetter in the rain?

His family don't have much, but they look after each other. Nobody chases away the squirrel stealing the sunflower seeds, because nobody wants it to be hungry.

If your reader likes a book that makes them laugh and then quietly breaks their heart a little, this is one to try.

What to read next

S.E. Durrant's Talking to the Moon would make a good next step. It's another story with a grandparent at the centre of a family, as Iris stays with her grandma Mimi by the sea while Mimi's memory starts to go.