Nancy Ruth Patterson

The Winner's Walk by Nancy Ruth Patterson is another boy meets dog, boy loves dog, boy loses dog story - but with an important twist.

Case Callahan is tired of not being a star. His mom is an actress, his dad trains champion horses and his sister is a star swimmer. But all of Case's attempts at standing out fall flat. Then Case meets a stray dog whom he names Noah. There is something different about Noah. Have you ever met a dog that can answer the phone, or put dishes in the dishwasher? Case show more assumes his new pet is just unusually smart and trains him for dog agility competitions. No big surprise, Case and Noah win first place and get their picture in the paper. That's when the trouble starts.

As you may have figured out, Noah is no ordinary dog. He is a trained service dog and once his picture is in the paper, the owners (who live several hours away) place a call to Case's family. Mr. Woodson invites Case for a visit, to meet his wheelchair bound daughter and her new service dog, Gabriel. Case goes and learns how much Meg depends on her companion and that many other people are waiting for service dogs. Case leaves the Woodson's house knowing that Noah can do so many more "tricks" than he ever thought possible and is sure to make Case a star. Case is an all around good kid though, and the knowledge that many people wait years for service dogs weighs heavy on his mind. Case eventually makes the tough decision to give Noah to a person who really needs him - making Case a true star!

This is a very quick read and perfect for a third grade animal lover. I haven't read a story for this age featuring a service dog before, so it stands out in that respect. Despite it's message, the story isn't preachy.I'd recommend this with ease. show less

Grades 3-5
This quick read is a charmer.
Ellie and her mom have lived in a shelter for several months, ever since a hurricane destroyed their old life. They are not homeless, but "tweenies," as her mom puts it-- between houses. Ellie's dad, who died in the hurricane trying to rescue others, was a farrier, and her mom hopes to follow in this career path. She gets the opportunity when she is offered a job caring for horses in Virginia horse country. Ellie is offered a full scholarship to the show more local prep school. When she first arrives, many of the girls in her class are snobbish and make her feel unwelcome. But after a schoolmate sees Ellie get off the bus in front of the huge mansion owned by her mother's employer, a rumor starts at school that not only is Ellie "mega rich," but she's a princess. Ellie overhears the whispers, and knows she ought to stop the rumors, but suddenly all the other girls like her... what harm can a rumor that SHE didn't start do?
Patty Weise's lovely illustrations complement the story. While the cover art looks a little juvenile, booktalking the story will make this an easy sell to middle grade girls in search of friendship stories sprinkled with a dash of horsiness. show less

Case is the only one in his family who has no special talent, but Case has plans to change that. He enters a talent show, a science fair, and a horse show, but fails to make a mark in any events. He is about to give up when he finds a dog, a remarkable dog, and the dog helps Case find his own special talents as a dog trainer as well as his special talent of sharing.

Well, maybe 3 1/2 stars. Cute story about a learning opportunity for a girl from NYC who visits her mother's home in N. Carolina. (I liked the cultural comparisons.) For upper elementary.