How to Steal a Dog

Book by Barbara O’Connor.


This was a fantastic contemporary fiction novel about a 10 year old girl whose dad leaves, causing the family to become homeless. She is tired of being homeless, so she comes up with the brilliant idea to steal a dog, then return it for reward money. I really liked the glimpse into the realities of homelessness: the disruption to schoolwork, food insecurity, the difficulty of basic hygiene, and the social stigma, to name just a few. And there were sweet lessons learned about doing the right thing, and having the courage to admit when you’ve done wrong. Highly recommended for ages 10+. 

Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was great!

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