How to Steal a Dog Part 2

I love the colorful characters that enter during the second half of the story. Georgina and Toby meet Willy's owner, Carmella. Carmella's not the wealthy and sophisticated owner that Georgina thought she would be but she is depicted as being a loving and distraught dog owner. The duo also meet Mookie, a wise man with some gold teeth and two missing fingers from a tousle with a tractor engine. These two characters help shape Georgina's feelings and decisions and I love watching Georgina think about her decisions and the consequences they have on different people.

One of my favorite lines came from Mookie on page 134. "Sometimes the more you stir it, the worse it stinks." Not only was the line funny, it was also a profound sentence for Georgina to hear. I think this is a great book for students who are also at that age where they are trying to decide whether something is right or wrong. I was momentarily worried that the book would end with Georgina simply returning Willy and never telling the whole truth. I was pleasantly surprised when the book ended with Georgina confessing everything, getting to spend more time with Willy, and ending up in a real house with her family!

In my opinion, readers would be able to connect with Georgina and feel the turmoil that she was going to. They could all, most likely, relate to the feelings of dread or worry or regret. The story could teach them a lesson on how freeing and important it is to tell the truth. Along with the lessons I mentioned in the first review, this book obviously would do well with a lesson on teaching students the benefits of telling not just the truth but the whole truth. There are also plenty of other children's books that are great for teaching about honesty, and students would love to read them. Teaching Honesty with Great Children's Books

All in all I think How to Steal a Dog is a funny, charming, and emotional book that is wonderful for students. It's easy to relate to, you feel for the character, and Georgina makes me laugh every time with her lists to herself!