How to Steal a Dog

by Barbara O'Connor

Overview

Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work—like Wish; Wonderland; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; and more!

Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don't do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you're in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it.

Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is "borrow" the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.

How to Steal a Dog is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374334970
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	03/20/2007
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.14(h) x 0.76(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Barbara O'Connor is the author of numerous acclaimed books for children, including Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; Me and Rupert Goody; and Greetings from Nowhere. She has been awarded the Parents' Choice Gold and Silver Awards, the Massachusetts Book Award, and the Dolly Gray Award, among many honors. As a child, she loved dogs, salamanders, tap dancing, school, and even homework. Her favorite days were when the bookmobile came to town. She was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and now lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts, a historic seaside village not far from Plymouth Rock.

Reading Group Guide

Discussion Questions
1. Define homelessness. Is Georgina's homelessness similar to or different from what you've thought homelessness was? How is it similar/different?
2. Georgina knows that stealing the dog is wrong, but she does it anyway. Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong because you felt you had no other choice? How did you feel after doing it?
3. Why do you think Georgina doesn't tell her teacher or her best friend, Luanne, about her situation?
4. How does Luanne react to Georgina and her changed appearance and personality? If you were Luanne and knew there was something wrong with your friend, what do you think you would do?
5. What role does Mookie play in the story? Compare and contrast Mookie's homelessness with Georgina's situation.
6. Mookie says to Georgina, "Sometimes, the more you stir it, the worse it stinks" (p. 134). What do you think this means?
7. At the end of the story, things get better for Georgina. Her family is living in a house again, Willie is back home with his owner, and Carmella forgives Georgina for stealing her dog. Finally, Georgina determines that stealing a dog is not a good idea. Do you think Georgina learned a lesson from her experience? If so, what is the lesson that she learned?

Editorial Reviews

O'Connor (Me and Rupert Goody) blends her usual poignancy and insight in another tale set in a small North Carolina town. "The day I decided to steal a dog was the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car," begins plucky Georgina. After her father "just waltzed off and left us with nothing but three rolls of quarters and a mayonnaise jar full of wadded-up dollar bills," Georgina, her mother and younger brother, Toby, were evicted from their apartment. The three now sleep in their old Chevy. Since her mother works two jobs, saving up for a place to live, Georgina takes care of Toby after school, while carefree Luanne attends ballet class and Girl Scouts with her new best friend. A poster announcing a $500 reward for a missing dog gives the heroine an idea for helping to secure lodging. She diligently writes in her notebook rules for stealing a dog, but they turn out to be more complicated than she anticipates. The devastated woman whose pet Georgina purloins (and who is not wealthy enough to furnish a reward) and a wise and caring homeless man Georgina meets also affect her plan. Speaking with at times heartbreaking honesty, this likable young narrator convincingly articulates her frustration, resentment and confusion as she comes to her decisions. O'Connor once again smoothly balances challenging themes with her heroine's strength and sense of humor. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-7 - Georgina and her family have been living in their car since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment. Mama is working two jobs to earn rent money and trying hard to hold things together. Desperate to help out, Georgina decides to steal a dog for the reward money, laying out the details of her plan in a diary. However, the dog's owner can't afford to offer a reward, and Georgina ends up feeling sorry for the lonely woman. The girl also makes friends with another adult named Mookie, a kindhearted wanderer who is camped out at the abandoned house where she is keeping the dog. He shares his wisdom and offers help, whether she wants it or not. Georgina's narrative is honest and deeply touching, as she recounts how she and her brother try to survive their circumstances. Washing off in a gas station restroom and turning in grease-stained homework become fairly normal occurrences. Readers will identify with the agony and the embarrassment caused by being different, as well as Georgina's struggles with her conscience. The book's endearing humor smoothes out the more poignant moments, and the unfolding events will keep youngsters totally engaged. The gem in the story is Mookie, who manages to sparkle even when sadness threatens to devour the moment. Though set inside a heavy topic, this novel's gentle storytelling carries a theme of love and emphasizes what is really right in the world.-Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

Georgina and younger brother Toby begin a homeless life living in Mom's car, having been evicted when Dad leaves. Mom tries her best to work two minimum-wage jobs in order to make the security deposit for a new apartment while the kids struggle daily to maintain normalcy in and out of school. Desperate to help Mom gain some significant cash, Georgina concocts a grand scheme to steal a dog, dupe the owner into offering a $500 reward and then return the designated pooch for the cash. As crazy as this sounds, O'Connor weaves a suspenseful and achingly realistic story, fleshing out characters that live and breathe anxiety, fortitude and a right vs. wrong consciousness. Colorful, supporting roles of a wise, kind vagrant and a lonely, overweight dog owner round out this story of childhood helplessness, ingenuity and desolation. Georgina's reflections in a secretly kept "how-to" journal will have kids anticipating her misconceptions about the realities of theft and deception. A powerful portrayal from an innocently youthful perspective. (Fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Will keep youngsters totally engaged. This novel's gentle storytelling carries a theme of love and emphasizes what is really right in the world.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review

“This is truly Georgina's story, and to O'Connor's great credit, it's Georgina herself who figures out what's right and does it. The myriad effects of homelessness and the realistic picture of moral quandary will surely generate discussion.” —Booklist

“A suspenseful and achingly realistic story.” —Kirkus Reviews

“O'Connor knows how to spin a touching story, and reading this novel is its own reward.” —The Horn Book

“O'Connor once again smoothly balances challenging themes with her heroine's strength and sense of humor.” —Publishers Weekly

“Will give a more privileged audience much to ponder.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A must-have for a classroom library.” —IRA

From the Publisher