"How to Steal A Dog" by Barbara O'Connor

O’Connor, Barbara (2007). How to Steal a Dog. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books.

2008-2009 Bluebonnet Award Master List

My heart immediately hurt after reading the first sentence: "The day I decided to steal a dog was the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car." And my heart did not find relief until the end of the book!

Yes, eleven-year-old Georgina is forced to live with her mother and younger brother, Toby in a car after their father left them with no money or any other help. They have all that they own in that small car and must wash up inside public restrooms in restaurants or convenience stores and sparingly wash clothes in laundromats. So Georgina and Toby are starting to look more and more disheveled each day at school. Mom has to work two jobs just to manage, so they are left alone quite a while each day until dark. They eat mostly crackers and cheese slices and sometimes have the occasional tuna can. When Georgina sees posters that say rewards are given for lost dogs (up to $500 worth!), she hatches a great idea and begins writing down the steps needed to steal a dog for ransom money in order to be able find a "real" home before anyone else finds out she is homeless.

After much planning Georgina and Toby find the perfect dog from the perfect house to steal. Willy is the cutest dog and he seems to be living in a mansion owned by a lady named Carmela who surely loves him and would give anything to get him back! Perfect! Despite the nagging feeling that stealing is just wrong, wrong, wrong, Georgina takes Willy to an abandoned shack and plots her next moves. She eventually meets Carmela while checking up on her to see if she noticed Willy gone. YES! Carmela is in such a sad state! But slowly, Georgina and Toby come to find that Carmela does not have enough money to give the reward! They pretend to help her find the dog and soon start feeling for Carmella.

Georgina goes to care for Willy at the shack daily and one day finds "Mookie" staying behind the shack. Mookie is a hobo who seems not to have a care in the world and is free to live as he pleases! He also seems to be quite helpful to everyone. Mookie grows to be Georgina's conscience especially with his strange sayings such as "The more you stir it, the more it stinks." This helps drive Georgina her to confess to Carmella. Luck starts to turn around when Carmella does not seem to hate Georgina, but after the shock, invites Georgina and Toby back.

Her mother gets a better job and finally all is about to turn much better. There is hope after all!

Barbara O'Connor sure knows how to use musical language and sets up such a picture of what is going on with her figurative language! She also knows how to create a plot that will force you to think about your neighbor and what they are going through...

I loved this book!