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Dog books for middle age kids have always found readers. Remember Old Yellar and Ribsy?  Recent books from this genre have combined the angst of preteen with dog ownership. The dog gets top billing but before you know it you are cheering for the main character as he/she deals with dysfunction in the family.  Consider it a great way to give kids a lifeline when their own world is confusing. Two such books to recommend are:

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor; and

How, I, Nicky Flynn Finally Got a Life (and a Dog) by  Art Curriveau.

In both books, the socio-economic status has taken a hit when the parents separate and mom is trying to make ends meet. New schools, new rules, less parent supervision, and less belonging drive the story.

How to Steal a Dog (Paperback)

By Barbara O'Connor
$6.99
ISBN-13: 9780312561123
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Square Fish, 4/2009
Other Editions of this Title

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Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don’t do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you’re in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it.
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.

How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life (and a Dog) (Hardcover)

By Art Corriveau
$16.95
ISBN-13: 9780810982987
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Amulet Books, 5/2010
Nicky Flynn’s life just got a whole lot harder. His parents are going through a messy divorce, and as a result he’s starting a new life, in a new city, in a new school. Now his mom has brought home Reggie, an eighty-pound German shepherd fresh from the animal shelter, who used to be a seeing-eye dog. At first Nick isn’t sure about this canine intrusion—it’s just another in a series of difficult changes. Soon, however, Nick is on the path to finding out why a seeing-eye dog would be left at an animal shelter, and along the way discovers that Reggie is a true friend that Nick can rely on. But when he tries to reconnect with his dad, Nick puts everything on the line, including the life of his new best friend.

Art Corriveau is a brilliant new voice for middle-grade fiction. How I, Nicky Flynn, Got a Life (and a Dog) is a heartfelt and honest look at the effects of divorce and the wonders of friendship.