80 pages • 2 hours read
Barbara O'ConnorHow to Steal a Dog
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
How to Steal a Dog
- Genre: Fiction; middle grade realistic
- Originally Published: 2007
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 700L; grades 4-6
- Structure/Length: 20 chapters; approximately 192 pages; approximately 4 hours on audiobook
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: Third-grader Georgina Hayes is living in a car with her mother and younger brother after their father abandoned them. Driven by desperation and the wish for a stable home, Georgina devises a plan to steal a dog and collect the reward money upon its return. The central conflict revolves around the moral dilemma of her plan and the emotional bonds she forms.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of poverty; parental abandonment; moral dilemma; emotional distress
Barbara O’Connor, Author
- Bio: Born 1950; American author of children’s literature; draws inspiration from her Southern roots for her works; former teacher and school administrator; has written many award-winning books; her work often features relatable characters grappling with realistic situations
- Other Works: Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia (2003); The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester (2010); The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis (2009); Wish (2016)
- Awards: Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Book (2007); School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (2007); ALA Book Links Lasting Connections (2007); Bank Street College Best Books of the Year (2007)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
