How to Steal a Dog
From the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Wish
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Parents' Choice Award Winner
This heartwarming and witty novel is perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo.
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.
Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work:
Wish
Wonderland
Greetings from Nowhere
Beethoven in Paradise
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis
On the Road to Mr. Mineo's
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
Halfway to Harmony
and Dream, the standalone companion to Wish, coming to bookstores on 8/26/25!
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Community Reviews
I loved this book because it was a depiction of my childhood: I was homeless three times (lived in shelters) and my family and I lived in extreme poverty as a kid. Just like Georgina, I often got bullied. She was a character I could completely relate to. The author, Barbara O’Connor, did a fabulous job with the characters and the story line and the book ends on a hopeful note, which I loved.
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