How to Steal a Dog [Paperback]

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 Dogis a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.

Discussion Questions
1. Definehomelessness. 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 llc"