Crutcher has written another novel Stotan! about teens in sports. The sport in this novel is swimming. The main character also has a pretty girlfriend, but his relationship with her is very different from Louie and Becky's relationship. There is a death in Stotan! but it is also very different from the one in Running Loose. There are many ways the two books could be compared; such a comparison would make an interesting paper or report.

Students who like shorter fiction might find the six stories in Athletic Shorts enjoyable, and they can compare the characters to those of Running Loose. Louie Banks appears in one of the stories.

The Crazy Horse Electric Game deals with a good athlete who loses his abilities in an accident, along with his connections to his family and friends. The novel details his return to self, a journey Louie takes...