Opal is new in town and when her father, the Preacher, sends her to the grocery store for a few things she finds more than she ever could have bargained for in a large dog whom she names Winn-Dixie on a whim. Opal slowly meets new people and mingles in the past searching for answers and an emotional calmness about her mother who abandoned she and her father. By the end of the story Opal again finds far more than she ever could have imagined and all because of Winn-Dixie.
Bibliographic Citation:
DiCamillo, K. (2001). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
My Impression:
I have always heard incredible things about Because of Winn-Dixie, but I hadn't read it until now and I certainly regret that I missed out on this story for so many years. Because of Winn-Dixie is a story, it is a story that so many people could relate to because of secrets they have in their heart and head- to be able to relate to the characters within this book and the transformations they all go through is part of what give a book its magic and Kate DiCamillo's story certainly has magic. Despite the fact that the main character is a girl, unlike many books of this type or genre, I think boys reading this would be able to find themselves in this story as well. Over all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone of any age or gender!
Reviews:
The quick beginning, an essential feature of well-written children's books, carries Because of Winn-Dixie forward quite effectively. The stage is set in the first sentence: "My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes, and I came back with a dog." Ten-year-old Opal then proceeds to tell the funny story of a stray dog found in the produce department of the Winn-Dixie grocery store, where she calls him as if he were her own in order to save him from the pound. Because of Winn-Dixie is indeed a dog story, but it is also the story of a child, lonely yet resourceful, who has just recently moved to Naomi, Florida, with her father. It is the story of a motherless child, who longs for the love and comfort that a mother could provide. It is the story of a character finding her way in the world, a character seemingly tentative, yet as starkly defined as her red hair and the big, ugly, smiling stray dog she takes home, washes, and makes her own. And it is the story of Opal's developing friendships with distinctive, well-drawn characters--old Gloria Dump, who is almost blind; the librarian, Miss Franny Block; shy Otis at the pet store--encounters made possible, one way or another, because of the dog, Winn-Dixie. In twenty-six short chapters, DiCamillo has crafted a fine, economical story told in the authentic voice of a child, using regional language and vivid description in a clear, straightforward way. There is immediacy of feeling in this book, perfectly expressing the secret inner life that every child knows. Because of her resourcefulness, demonstrated in the opening chapter and throughout the book at every turn, Opal develops and grows as a character, in both her inner and her outer life. All of this is accomplished through a story worth telling. Children will enjoy Opal's abiding humor and Winn-Dixie's disarming and endearing ways, and the funny and important things that happen when the two of them get together. 2000, Candlewick, $15.99. Ages 9 to 12.
Kathie Krieger Cerra (The Five Owls, November/December 2000 (Vol. 15, No. 2))
How to use this library in your book:
I think the best way to use this book would be to read it aloud. It is a quick and easy read, and could be read to children very easily. It would be a great book to kick off a Summer reading program, or to help kids in an after school program who deal with some of the issues of loneliness the characters struggle through.
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