How to Steal a Dog (Chapters 12-21)

"Sometimes, the more you stir it, the worse it stinks."

-Mookie (Chapter 16)

In the second half of How to Steal a Dog, Georgina encounters difficulties in her plan to steal a dog and collect a reward from his supposedly rich owner. Guilt begins to creep in as she tries to take care of Willy while keeping him tied up behind an old abandoned house. She gains two new acquaintances: Mookie - a homeless man who shares his wisdom in the form of various life mottos and Carmella - Willy's owner who is not actually wealthy but is distraught over losing her dog. Georgina must decided whether or not to do the right thing and and return the dog even without the reward money. 

The character of Mookie provides an interesting viewpoint for the reader. Like us, he is looking at Georgina's actions from an outsider's perspective. Unlike us, he is able to assist her in making the right decisions. (Spoiler below!)

In the end, we learn that Mookie knew all along that Georgina had stolen Willy. Yet, he still gives her the freedom to make the right choice on her own. As he leaves, he tells her: "Sometimes the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you." This motto provides a great opportunity to talk to students about figurative language. The trail left behind is not just a physical path, but rather the consequences of our actions.

As we read through the story, I would continue to reflect with students on our questions and predictions. At the end, there may be many questions for which we don't have clear answers. For example, we find out that there aren't any signs posted because Carmella isn't wealthy enough to offer any reward money. However, would it have been right for Georgina to steal the dog if Carmella were rich? What evidence do we have that she actually learned anything or grew as a person? These questions require higher cognition that just finding literal answers in the text.

This book was a very enjoyable read! The story was heartfelt, well paced, and had some good messages for young readers. Don't steal a dog!

Sources

O'Connor, B. (2007). How to steal a dog: A novel. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.