How to Steal a Dog

by Barbara O'Connor

Book 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312561121
• ISBN13: 9780312561123
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Square Fish
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Family situation unrealistic.

The characters start out in a living situation that is unlikely. Every state has a program to financially assist families with dependent children with housing, food and living expenses.

whimsical yet realistic

I enjoyed the book: what there was of it! It was not complete! I'm in suspense; the book ended at Page 154...i've tried to get an E-Book copy to finish it this morning, but apparently there is no book with that title in E-books. Please advise! Teresa Williams

How to Steal a Dog book

This is an excellent book for school age children to read. It has alot of good life lessons in the book.

Full of heart

I really liked this one. Georgina is desperate; it seems like her overwhelmed mother will never keep her promises to her children, after their father leaves and they are forced to live in their car. Georgina is tired of sleeping in the car, never having her homework, fearing that her classmates will find out. So she naively hatches her plan--steal a dog, then claim the reward. She is too young and hopeful to imagine what could go wrong, but it all does. And she struggles with guilt--for lying, for hurting those she starts to care about: the dog Willie and Carmella, his owner. As she struggles with the problems she has created, and talks with a homeless man who tries to help her, with his help she sees that "Sometimes the trail you leave behind is more important then the path ahead of you." Yes, there are troubling moral issues here, but that's an opportunity to discuss: is it wrong to act badly under bad circumstances? What else could she have done? What would you have done in her place? As a librarian and a mom, I can see a lot of potential for considering people less fortunate than most of us, and for talking about choices and consequences. I plan to read this one to my three kids, ages 8-12.

Best Book Ever

By MJ (9) How to Steal a Dog, by Barbara O'Connor This book is about a girl named Georgina and her little brother Toby. They live in a car and their mother has to work two jobs to get money for food. Georgina gets sick of it and she decides to steal a dog when she sees an old reward sign for a lost dog. It says "Lost dog REWARD: $500".This gives Georgina an idea. If she steals a dog, the owner will put signs up. Then she takes the dog back, she gets the money, and her family can buy a house or an apartment. Georgina knows it's not the right thing to do. Will it work? I really enjoyed this book. What else can I say? I loved How to Steal a dog! It's a story that is unforgettable. It's like a roller coater you've never been on yet. You don't know what will happen next! I must admit, Barbara O'Connor`s work is pretty good! Something at the end of the book made me so happy! You wanna know what it is? Well, I it's for me to know and you to find out! Get How to Steal a Dog today! Seriously!

Found Cute Smart Little 'not-so-lost' Dog and One Very Wise homeless Guardian Angel?

I read this book to my daughters, ages 8 and 6. Wow! We couldn't put it down. Life in a car makes for desperate times. My daughters were shocked to learn how hard Georgina's life is and that she could be a real girl somewhere in the US. We found ourselves thinking of her in between our readings, wondering how she was coping and what would be her next move in her hairy plan to solve her family's terrible dilemma. I anticipate that my daughters will read this book again on their own in the future and I am certain it will bring tears and smiles in the end just as it did the first time.

A fine new book

"How to Steal a Dog" is a powerful novel that takes a clear look at a number of issues, both societal and moral. What do you do when circumstances force you to live in a car? What responsibilities does a young person take on in such a circumstance? How does she deal with friends--old ones who suddenly look down on her, or new ones that befriend her? I believed the narrative voice one hundred percent, and the characters all come alive on the page. A wonderful read!