I remember reading “Ice Dogs” by this author and recommending it to my students. When I brought this one in I didn’t get a chance to read it first. It was checked out and passed around my room. I understand why my students loved it so much.

Matt, the main character struggles with math and knows if he can’t get his grades up he will be put in remedial math. My students hate being in remedial class. I too struggled with math, so even I could identify with Matt.

Matt is given the opportunity of an extra credit project to keep out of the remedial class. He must create and start a business plan. What better way to teach math than through real world experiences. He begins the project creating a “Sled Dog School”. He learns how much he will have to juggle.

I think what kids take away from this is that sometimes they have to ask an adult for help. When I get those kids who are in remedial classes and don’t give it their best because they are embarrassed, I let them know that sometimes even adults must get extra help. I tell them that I had to take remedial math in college and even had to repeat a math class. I want them to understand it is okay as long as they are trying and learning.

I am glad I finally got the opportunity to read this book. This is the perfect book to teach kids problem solving. I loved how it showed how it is sometimes difficult to teach something to others. Just understanding yourself doesn’t mean it is always easy to teach. ( )

Aimed at kids in middle school, I think young readers will enjoy the problems eleven-year-old Matt is having in math. I know I can relate; I struggled with math from word problems in the third grade all the way through college algebra.

Matt has a chance to redeem his failing grade. He can start a business and keep the books. At first he wasn’t sure what to do. He hated his life: parents who had gone off the grid (really off as in no electricity) on a dead-end road and facing bullies at school was just the beginning. But one thing he loved to was drive his dog sled. Suddenly, that’s what he knew he could do, and Matt’s Dog Sled School was born.

Matt puts up posters at school and soon he has his first client. The only problem is, he needs three. But Tubbs will do although he is less than enthused about learning how to run a dog team.

Things go awry in a number of ways, but Matt stays the course.

A quick and easy read, the story flowed smoothly. The descriptions were vivid and the tension ran high. Johnson does a good job in creating lessons for the young ones to learn without being preachy.

Sled Dog School gets 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. ( )

Matt is having trouble with Middle School math. He does not want to be put into the special class because the kids already make fun of him. He lives with no electricity and they raise sled dogs. He must find a way to raise his grade in math. Matt comes up with the idea to have a sled dog school. It turns out that it will not be as easy as he first thought. I would recommend this for any collection. Children will relate to Matt if they have ever had trouble in math or had other children make fun of them because they are not the same. ( )