Julian struggles in school; even though he was diagnosed with dyslexia and is given accommodations, he feels that he is impossibly behind. Other kids in the class make fun of him, and he would rather draw than make the effort to read. It doesn't help that his older brother is a really good student. When Julian gets a Saturday detention again, he finds himself spending it with the principal. The principal notices that Julian is struggling with his reading and not making much progress, so calls Julian's mother with a proposition-- can Julian go to the local animals shelter and spend his detention helping out? Julian has always wanted a dog, so he's even okay with working with Bryan, who goes to school with him and seems to be good at everything. There is a dog, Star, who has come to the shelter from a house on Julian's street. Star's owner died, and the dog is afraid of everyone and everything. The two boys start to work with Star, who takes a special shine to Julian. Julian also finds out that Bryan also has dyslexia, and the two start to do some of their homework together, and this helps Julian out a lot. When the shelter runs into financial trouble, Julian is afraid that his parents won't let him adopt Star. He has long collected treasure maps in the area, and he and Bryan decide that they will try to find the treasure to help out the shelter. This turns out not to be a great decision, and some unfortunate things happen. Julian's parents are surprisingly supportive, even though they do ground him from some activities. Will there be something that can save the shelter?
Strengths: I love that Julian is shown to struggle with dyslexia; there are a lot of students who do, and not much in the literature about them. It helps that Shotz's books are all fairly shot, with large type, so my emerging readers really like them. The principal is great, and it's good to see children involved in community service and in making new friends. The details about training a deaf dog are fantastic, and there's breed information at the back of the book.
Weaknesses: The scene where Bryan and Julian go out to look for treasure seems out of character for them, but is similar to the "children go out and get lost in storm" scenes in many middle grade books. This familiarity is something young readers really like, though.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing this whole series. All of this author's books are hugely popular in my library, and the covers are fantastic!

Julian, who suffers from dyslexia is always frustrated that he can't seem to get his schoolwork done and keeps receiving failing grades. One Saturday detention, the principal arranges for Julian to work at the local animal shelter where he meets Star, a deaf Australian Shepherd. Julian feels an instant bond with the dog who has refused to interact with anyone since the death of her owner. While working to strengthen his relationship with Star, Julian meets Bryan, another child in his class with dyslexia. The two work together improving each other's schoolwork as well as training Star. When the shelter is slated for closure, the boys come up with a plan to save Star and the other shelter pets.
This book reads like a screenplay for a " boy and his dog" film. Many parts are unrealistic; from Julian's parents and school ignoring his dyslexia to the shelter owner who allows two students free access to the animals to the depiction of earning the trust and training a deaf dog. The author perpetuates the myth that deafness increases the ability of the other senses to compensate by becoming more heightened, an idea that the deaf community has been trying to dispel for a long time.
If you just want a quick "boy and his dog" feel good story and can overlook the unrealistic elements, then "Star" may be the book for you.