How to Steal a Dog

I can guarantee that there are many of us who have wanted to steal a dog at one point in our lives. I have absolutely wanted to steal a dog on many occasions. If you're a cat person, we can no longer be friends and you may disagree with everything in this blog. I often find myself taking my roommate's dog and keeping her in my room because I want to keep her for myself. Dogs are animals that just seem to make everything better. They are so fun and lovable. This is why they bring dogs in for pet therapy, not cats! Anywho, this post is not about debating whether dogs or cats are better (dogs all the way). This post is about a book titled How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor.

I have just started this book and I am already hooked. I want to share with you the introduction to help you get a feel.

"The day I decided to steal a dog was the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car. I had told my Mama she would find out sooner or later seeing as how she's so nosey and all. But Mama had rolled her eyes and said, "Just get on up there to the bus stop, Georgina, quit your whining." So that's what I did. I stood up there at the bus stop pretending like I still lived in Apartment 3B. I pretended like I didn't have mustard on my shirt from the day before. I pretended like I hadn't washed my hair in the bathroom of the Texaco gas station that very morning. And I pretended like my daddy hadn't just waltzed off and left us with nothing but three rolls of quaters and a mayonnaise jar full of wadded-up dollar bills. I guess I'm pretty good at pretending."

Georgina is in charge of watching her little brother Toby while her mom is busy working two jobs. Georgina wants nothing more than help out her mom and help change their situation. So naturally, when she spots a missing dog poster with a reward for $500 Georgina comes up with a plan. I am so excited to keep reading and find out what this little girl is up to.

As you can tell, Georgina is going through some hard times. Could you imagine having to go to school after sleeping in a car? This also makes me think about some of the students I teach. Many of those students are in poverty and could be going through a similar situation. This would be a great book to keep in your classroom. Students who are going through some hard times may be able to relate to this story. Hopefully, they don't try to steal a dog.

 

The Lemonade War

This week, I began reading The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. This book has been read by many of classmates and I've had it on my "want to read" list for quite some time. I am so glad that I finally got this book! The author does such a good job of pulling the reader into the story. Davies makes you feel as though you are connected to the story because many of her readers have similar personal experiences.

In this book, there are 2 siblings Jessie and Evan. Evan is only a year older than Jessie, causing some drama. Especially when Jessie skips a grade and they become classmates. Being in the world of education, many of us know how much tension there can be between siblings in the same class. These 2 decided to build a lemonade stand as summer is coming to an end. Of course, they could not share the same lemonade stand and work together. Each child built their own stand and it became a lemonade war.

I am connected to this book due to the fact that I have a strong sibling rivalry. I have 1 older brother and that is it. You can imagine some of the battles we have been through. Oh boy, I can remember the pranks and the arguments. This was especially apparent in my family because we all are so competitive, even my dad would hop in and help stir the pot between us. We eventually grew up and we now are very close. The rivalry has not completely gone away and this is apparent when we all get together for the holidays and we play Family Feud and other games, which is coming up soon this year and I am very excited!

Anyway, I don't want to spoil this book for any of you interested in reading it. If you enjoy a little laughter with some competitive spirit, you will love this book!