How to Steal a Dog

Chapters 1-7

Reading Check

1. Luanne Godfrey (Chapter 1)

2. Carmella Whitmore (Chapter 3)

3. Willy (Chapter 3)

4. Mr. White (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Georgina’s father left the family with only three rolls of quarters and a mayonnaise jar full of wadded-up dollar bills. They do not have enough money to afford the apartment and must live out of their car. When Georgina spots a missing poster for a dog, she at first thinks she may try to find the dog, but later decides to steal one to collect the reward money for her family. (Chapter 1)

2. Georgina is embarrassed about her living situation and tries to hide it from her best friend Luanne, suspecting she will tell everyone. At school, she is unable to complete homework, fails some of her lessons, lacks lunch money, and maintains a slovenly appearance. She worries her classmates will discover her living situation when her mother parks too close to school. After school, Georgina feels left out, as the students enjoy extracurricular activities while she must go do laundry at the laundromat. (Chapters 1-7)

3. Georgina does not trust that her mother will be able to fix their living situation. This mistrust of her parents likely stems from her current living conditions under the care of her mother and her father’s abandonment. (Chapters 1-7)

4. Georgina believes stealing a dog for the reward money is the only way she will be able to get enough money for her family to pay their bills, but she has doubts as to the morality of her decision. Georgina frequently reflects on the fact that she has never stolen before and cries when she considers the difficulty in executing her plan. (Chapter 1-7)

Chapters 8-14

Reading Check

1. The Brushy Creek Lutheran Church (Chapter 9)

2. Food (Chapter 11)

3. $500 (Chapter 12)

4. Gertie (Chapter 14)

Short Answer

1. Georgina is asked to read a report on volcanoes, but she does not have access to a computer and is forced to make up information about them, causing her classmates to laugh at her. She is also unable to produce a costume for the Boston Tea Party play in her classroom. Soon, she begins to feel isolated from her peers because of her lack of extracurricular involvement and Luanne’s withdrawn friendship. (Chapters 8-11)

2. Georgina’s mother feels helpless to resolve her financial difficulties and has been fired from her cleaning job. Her mother wonders what it would feel like to leave the planet because she is dreaming about escaping her difficult situation. This statement highlights Georgina’s mother’s helplessness and depression, as well as the lack of appreciation she feels from her family. (Chapter 8)

3. While Georgina is in the church parking lot, she thinks about the fun times she had with Racene Wickham at the church and remembers returning home to find her parents fighting. The flashbacks provide additional details about Georgina’s life: Before her father left, Georgina was able to participate in extracurricular activities, and she had the stability of a home, but she still experienced stressors that later contribute to her family’s financial hardship. (Chapter 9)

4. Georgina’s greatest fear of losing social standing with her peers becomes less pronounced as she becomes more accustomed to her living situation. She cares less about what her peers think of her and digs in the trash for a half-eaten granola bar in full view of her peers. (Chapter 11)

5. Georgina believed Carmella to be wealthy because the road she lives on is named after her family. Georgina learns that Carmella’s grandfather was not a successful farmer and lost most of his land. Additionally, Georgina looks inside Carmella’s home and realizes it is messy and cluttered—not at all the wealthy lavish home she had suspected. Georgina’s first impression of Carmella is incorrect, as are the impressions others have of Georgina. (Chapter 12)

Chapters 15-21

Reading Check

1. Mookie (Chapter 15)

2. Kirby Price (Chapter 17)

3. Uncle Haywood (Chapter 19)

Short Answer

1. Toby asks Mookie if he is homeless and tells him he smells. This is ironic because Toby does not have a home, and Georgina tells Toby he smells, too. Toby’s question indicates that he does not consider himself to be homeless, though he does not have a home. This conversation reveals Toby’s lack of self-awareness of his living situation. (Chapter 15)

2. Carmella is surprised Georgina would only help find her dog if reward money is involved, and not out of the goodness of her heart. Carmella is likely unaware of the financial situation Georgina and her family are in and therefore does not understand that she is driven by money. (Chapter 15)

3. Mookie tells Georgina that he often works without being paid. Georgina is astonished that Mookie would be motivated to work simply because something needs to be done. Later, Georgina realizes she has been wrong about Mookie because he is nice, smart, and leaves a good trail behind him. She also recognizes that Mookie fixed her family car when it would not start—a service he completed without being paid. (Chapters 15-21)

4. Georgina’s mother tells her children that the car will not start and that getting it fixed will set her back financially. This added financial difficulty would prevent her from acquiring housing for her family, but she ultimately arranges for them to live with another family in a small house. (Chapters 15-21)