THE WINNER'S WALK by Nancy Ruth Patterson Accelerated Reader: Level: 4.8. Pts. 2. Take the Quiz! Book Description: Patterson evokes both laughter and tears in this tender chapter book. Nine-year-old Case fears that he's the only one in his family not cut out to be a winner. He tries very hard at the talent show, the science fair, and the horse show, but he messes up each time. Then he rescues a lost dog and persuades his family to take it in, promising to look for the owner. Noah, as Case calls the dog, is amazing. He can put dishes in the dishwasher and pick up the phone when it rings. It turns out he was trained to help his previous owner, a disabled girl, Meg. Meg now has a new dog, so she doesn't need Noah any longer, but what about other disabled kids? Yezerski's black-and-white pictures, one per chapter, show Case's slapstick mess-ups and then his bonding with the dog he loves. The disability story is never sentimental (Meg is as proud as she is needy), and the tearful ending scene is unforgettable.