Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2012
HC: 978-0-374-38002-1
PB: 978-1-250-03993-4
Ages 8-12
How to Steal a Dog
Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation.
When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is “borrow” the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.
With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara O’Connor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see what’s right when everything else seems wrong.
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Awards and Distinctions
- ALA Book Links Lasting Connections 2007
- Bank Street College Best Books of the Year 2007
- Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008
- International Reading Assoc Notable Books for a Global Society 2008
- NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies 2008
- Parents Choice Recommendation 2007
- School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 2007
State Awards
- Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee 2010
- Hawaii (Nene) Book Honor Award 2010, 2011; Nominee 2009
- Illinois Blue Stem Award Nominee 2011
- Indiana Young Hoosier Award Winner 2011
- Iowa Children's Choice Award Nominee 2011
- Kansas Children's Book Award Winner 2010
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee 2009
- Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award Nominee 2010
- Maine Regional Library Cream of the Crop 2008
- Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee 2008
- Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominee 2010
- Minnesota Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee 2010
- Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee 2009
- North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee 2008
- Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee 2008
- South Carolina Children’s Book Award Winner 2009
- South Dakota Prairie Pasque Children’s Book Award Winner 2010
- Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Nominee 2009
- Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2008
- Texas Horned Toad Award 2009
- Washington State Sasquatch Award Nominee 2010
- Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award Nominee 2011