How to Steal a Dog

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-7

Reading Check

1. Which friend does Georgina decide to hide her living situation from?

2. Whom does Georgina intend to steal from?

3. What is the name of the dog Georgina intends to steal?

4. Who writes a letter to Georgina’s mother?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What inspires Georgina to steal a dog, and for what purpose?

2. What social and emotional issues accompany Georgina’s poverty?

3. Why does Georgina feel the need to take matters into her own hands regarding her living situation?

4. Why does Georgina have conflicted feelings about her plan to steal a dog?

Paired Resource

“The Importance of Empathy”

• This 4-minute video explores the science behind and the purpose of empathy.
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation, Relearning Unconditional Love after Abandonment, and Coping with Moral Dilemmas.
• Why is it important to develop empathy? How might situations in the novel play out differently if the characters were more empathetic toward one another? What ethical decisions might Georgina make if she were more empathetic?

“The Hares and the Frogs”

• This resource provides Aesop’s fable of The Hares and the Frogs, which is referenced by Georgina in the novel.
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation.
• What is the moral of this story? What circumstances make Georgina doubt there is someone who is worse off than herself?

Chapters 8-14

Reading Check

1. What building do Georgina and her family sleep in front of after leaving the ramshackle house?

2. What does Georgina’s family have more of now that her mother works at a café?

3. How much money do Toby and Georgina suggest Carmella should offer as a reward for Willy?

4. Who refuses to lend Carmella the money she needs for the reward?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Georgina’s home life cause problems for her at school?

2. Why does Georgiana’s mother ponder what it would be like if she left the planet? What does it reveal about her feelings regarding her family’s financial state?

3. How do flashbacks serve an important purpose in explaining Georgina’s circumstances?

4. How do Georgina’s fears of what others think of her change?

5. What is Georgina surprised to learn about Carmella? What does it suggest about first impressions?

Paired Resource

“Effect on Children Growing up in Poverty”

• This two-minute video describes the impact of poverty on families. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing.)
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation and Coping with Moral Dilemmas.
• What kinds of prejudice may exist for those who are growing up in poverty? How does Georgina experience these prejudices? What can individuals do to prevent others from feeling ashamed of their circumstances?

“Ethical Dilemma: What is the Right thing to Do?”

• This 5-minute video explores the concept of moral dilemmas.
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation and Coping with Moral Dilemmas.
• What are some examples of moral dilemmas? Why is it difficult to make decisions with equally undesirable outcomes? What moral conflicts are faced by Georgina?

Chapters 15-21

Reading Check

1. Who cares for Willy while Georgina and Toby are away?

2. Which of Georgina’s classmates calls her a “dirt bag” in Chapter 17?

3. Who does Carmella plan to ask for money after Gertie rejected her request?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is ironic about Toby’s query to Mookie? What does it reveal about Toby’s awareness of his own living situation?

2. Why is Carmella surprised by Georgina’s statement about collecting the reward money? What might Carmella have difficulty understanding about Georgina’s life?

3. What surprises Georgina about Mookie? What lessons does she learn from him?

4. How do Georgina’s financial difficulties multiply after her mother acquires work as a waitress? What arrangement does she make to provide housing for her family?

Recommended Next Reads 

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

• This novel is about a young boy named Jackson, whose family’s financial difficulties prompt him to resurrect Crenshaw, his imaginary friend, large cat, and outspoken guide.
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation and Coping with Moral Dilemmas.
• Shared topics include financial hardship, homelessness, and family.
• Crenshaw on SuperSummary

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

• This novel follows the story of two young girls, Viji and Rukku, who escape their abusive home in India and find a new life scavenging through trash—until an unexpected illness takes hold, risking their freedom and their pride.
• Shared themes include Social Exclusion and Desperation, Relearning Unconditional Love After Abandonment, and Coping with Moral Dilemmas.
• Shared topics include poverty, prejudice, and family.
• The Bridge Home on SuperSummary