Trina Heidt (Children's Literature)
Case Callahan comes from a family of winners. He has not experienced the winning sensation himself yet but he feels confident that will soon change. Case believes that in the next month he will have three chances to prove himself. Unfortunately, he falls (literally in one instance) just short every time. It is not until Case befriends Noah, a stray golden retriever, that his luck begins to change. Noah is no ordinary dog. He fetches like a champ, answers the phone, and even puts dishes in the dishwasher. Case soon discovers that Noah is also easily trainable. Case trains Noah to run an agility course similar to a horse-jumping course and Noah masters it easily. They enter and win a contest. This leads to a photo in the newspaper and Case now feels like a winner. The photo also leads to a phone call from Noah’s previous owner. Case finds out that Noah was trained to be a service dog for handicapped people. This answers many questions about Noah and takes Case down the path of discovering what a real “winner” is and what one does. This is a great book about family, friendship, and selflessness. It is a recommended read. 2006, Farrar Straus & Giroux, $16.00. Ages 7 to 10.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 14))
Everyone in Case Callahan's family is a winner-except for Case. He drops a ball while juggling in the talent show, his model heart explodes during the science fair and he breaks his arm during a horse-riding competition. Then a dog shows up on the family property, and Case's mom agrees to let him stay-at least temporarily. Case realizes that the dog, named Noah, is special; when Case sees him pick up a ringing phone, he can't believe it. The two enter an agility contest and win, but this leads to a call from Noah's previous owner. Noah was actually trained to help handicapped children, and it's up to Case to decide whether or not to keep him. Although the primary characters are well-realized here, some of the secondary characters are a bit thin, and a sudden friendship with a more popular boy from school is somewhat surprising. However, Case is a sympathetic, appealing hero, and readers will root for him as he makes an important decision that shows what being a winner is really about. 2006, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 128p, $16.00. Category: Fiction. Ages 7 to 10. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 2006 (Vol. 60, No. 2))
The rest of Case’s family are all winners, but unfortunately he’s not: his efforts in the spring talent show go awry, there’s a glitch in his science-fair project, and just when he seems to be riding to victory in his class at the horse show, he falls and breaks his arm. The fourth-grader is therefore thrilled when Noah, the stray dog he finds and adopts, proves to be a whiz at agility events, garnering Case the wins he desires as well as the doggy companionship. There’s a problem, though: Case’s beloved new pet is skilled because he’s a highly trained service dog, stolen from the yard of his mistress; while she’s been able to find another service dog in the ensuing months, there is a long list of people waiting to receive a dog just like Noah. The book doesn’t really pick up interest until Noah appears on the scene, and that’s over a third of the way through the pages; there’s also some stretching to make the plot work (Noah’s training doesn’t include agility, yet he’s able to run daunting and unfamiliar obstacles successfully the first time out; despite the backlog of people waiting for service dogs, Noah’s previous owner is able to get trained and ready with a replacement within only a few months). The story effectively mines the revelation of Noah’s ability for entertainment value, however, with Noah amazing Case by helpfully bringing him the ringing phone and tidily putting his own dog dish in the dishwasher. Case’s decision to give Noah up is made less purposive and more believable by Case’s own physical struggles with his broken arm, which give him a personal understanding of the obstacles even a temporary handicap can create. Yezerski’s line-and-wash illustrations are sometimes awkward in their draftsmanship, but their informal realism adds to the book’s accessibility. This doesn’t have the pure doggy drive that caninophiles would wish for, but it’s nonetheless a thoughtful story that may elicit some interesting discussion about fairness and sacrifice. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, Farrar, 114p., $16.00. Grades 2-4.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2007)
Nine-year-old Case finds an abandoned dog and names him Noah. Initially, Case's parents say he can't keep Noah, but there is something about him that changes the adults' minds. When Case realizes why Noah is special, he has to make a difficult decision about his beloved companion. This appealing book features short, action-packed chapters, illustrations, and information about service dogs. Category: Younger Fiction. 2006, Farrar, 114pp, 16.00. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.