How To Steal A Dog Part 1

The first half of this book surprised me because of all of the dark problems that it covers.From homelessness to theft, it brings up topics that are not often the main focus of a children’s book and definitely not issues that feel so real. My heart was already sad halfway through the first page. Georgina says, “I guess I’m pretty good at pretending.” Her father walks out on the family and Georgina, her mother, and brother are forced to move out of their apartment and sleep in their car. I love how honest the book is and how you can feel Georgina’s emotions. Her embarrassment shines through the first few chapters and it’s fully apparent when Luanne finds out about Georgina’s family living in a car: “If there was ever a time when I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole, it was when I turned around and saw Luanne looking at me and that car and all.” The book revolves around Georgina’s entertaining antics geared towards stealing a dog, receiving a reward after returning it, and helping her mom get enough money for an apartment or house. 

Throughout the first eleven chapters, my mind was focused on thinking about what if I had a student who was homeless? If they came to school with constantly dirty clothes and had poor hygiene? If I knew that their parents were struggling to get by and didn’t even have a home? What would I do for them? What could I do? I felt almost frustrated that Georgina’s teacher, Mr. White, never seemed to do anything to help her. On page 50, Mr. White related how disappointed he was in her and asked why she had a bad attitude lately. In my opinion, that is not the way to get to a child who is struggling and you can tell that something is wrong. You need to give them love and show them that you care, not scare them and make them not feel trusting enough to talk to you about it. But on the other side, later in the story, Georgina says how much she likes Mr. White because he doesn’t bring any unnecessary attention to her situation and struggles.

The book is full of visual descriptives that help bring the story to life. On page 4, “When I saw Luanne’s eyes narrow and her lips squeeze together, I knew her nosiness was about to irritate me.” You can see Luanne’s face and definitely feel Georgina’s emotions. On page 74, Willy the dog prances, yips, and jumps around. I also enjoyed how the story revolves around the homeless family, but homelessness has not ever been the sole backdrop. At least not yet. In my opinion, I think that the topic of homelessness is a tricky but great one for students. Many students have no concept of what being homeless means or how it affects people that are the same age as them. There are plenty of activities and lesson ideas out there. I found a few but here's a link to a site for ideas for students in K-2. Homeslessness Facts and Lesson Ideas for K-2 

So far I'm enjoying this book and am finding it heartwarming, funny, and thought provoking. I have a feeling that the second half will be just as good as the first!