The Runner Award-winning by Keith Gray (author)

Things aren’t going well at home for Jason, so when he meets Jam, whose life on the railway sounds so carefree, he’s tempted to join him. Jam is a “runner” who lives on the trains, dodging the conductors and living a life of total freedom. It sounds good to Jason. Haven’t his parents let him down? Wouldn’t it be great to rely on nobody but himself? But there’s something that Jam isn’t telling Jason, and before long Jason must decide if Jam is someone he can trust… With a cracking pace and a taut quick-read format, this hard-hitting short novel packs a powerful punch.