I felt her arm around me and I heard her saying something, but I was too lost in my misery to do anything but cry. When I was all cried out, I stood up and brushed the dirt off the seat of my pants, pushed the hair out of my eyes, and said, “Promise you wont tell?”
“Were gonna steal a dog,” I said. “How about that?” I grinned and waited for him to say “Hot dang” like he does, but he just stared at me with his mouth hanging open. That tuna fish odor swirled around us inside our beach towel tent. I waved my hand in front of my nose and flipped the towel off of us.
After school that day, me and Toby raced back to the car. When I unlocked it, Toby climbed in the drivers seat and started spreading peanut butter on a saltine cracker with his finger. I climbed in the backseat and locked the doors. Mama had told us to stay put. If anybody asked us what we were doing, we were supposed to say we were waiting for our mama, who was in the bank next door.
Discussion Questions 1. Define homelessness. Is Georginas homelessness similar to or different from what youve 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 doesnt 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 Mookies homelessness with Georginas 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?
I draped a beach towel over the clothesline that Mama had strung along the middle of the car to make me a bedroom. I could picture Luanne, snuggled in her pink-and-white quilt with her stuffed animals lined up along the wall beside her and her gymnastics ribbons taped on her headboard, and I sure felt sorry for myself.
“Will keep youngsters totally engaged. This novels gentle storytelling carries a theme of love and emphasizes what is really right in the world.” —STARRED, School Library Journal “This is truly Georginas story, and to OConnors great credit, its Georgina herself who figures out whats right and does it. The myriad effects of homelessness and the realistic picture of moral quandary will surely generate discussion.” —Booklist “Georginas . . . how-to journal will have kids anticipating her misconceptions about the realities of theft and deception. A powerful portrayal from an innocently youthful perspective . . .A suspenseful and achingly realistic story.” —Kirkus Reviews “OConnor knows how to spin a touching story, and reading this novel is its own reward.” —The Horn Book “OConnor once again smoothly balances challenging themes with her heroines strength and sense of humor.” —Publishers Weekly “Will give a more privileged audience much to ponder.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books “A must-have for a classroom library.” —IRA
Half of me was thinking, Georgina, dont do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, youre 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. With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara OConnor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see whats right when everything else seems wrong. How to Steal a Dog is a 2008 Bank Street – Best Childrens Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.
Half of me was thinking, Georgina, dont do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, youre 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. With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara OConnor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see whats right when everything else seems wrong. How to Steal a Dog is a 2008 Bank Street – Best Childrens Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.