Module 7 - Because of Winn Dixie

Summary
Because of Winn Dixie is a cute story about a lonely little girl, name India Opal, who just moved to a new town.  One day a dog runs wild in a grocery story.  She claims him and names him “Winn Dixie” after the grocery store he broke into.  Opal has trouble making friends. However, Winn Dixie, a happy dog that smiles, makes friends where ever he goes.  Throughout the summer Opal and Winn Dixie have many adventures.  They learn how forgiveness can lead to wonderful friendships.

Impressions
Loneliness is a reality for many students especially when they move to a new town and school.  This is a quick read that many students can relate to.  The story has a good flow and there are a variety of characters to keep the story interesting.  One story line that kept me interested with the history of India Opal and her mother.  I wanted to keep reading to see how she resolved her “mother” issues.

Reviews

"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." There you have it: main characters and conflict, all in the first sentence. But there's a lot more to this book. Opal has a singular voice with a simple, infallibly Southern inflection; her daddy is one of the nicest and quirkiest preachers to grace children's literature; and Winn-Dixie, named after the grocery store from which Opal rescued him, is an ugly dog with a smile that makes friends and also makes him sneeze, not to mention a pathological fear of thunderstorms. In addition, readers will meet an elderly librarian whose stories inject the small town Florida setting with a past; a "witchy" neighbor who has hung a tree with beer and whiskey bottles, each representing a mistake she's made in her life; a mentally challenged musician whose street-singing once led him to jail and who now plays for the residents of a pet store, including Gertrude the parrot, whose favorite word is "Dog!" The one person we don't meet is Opal's mother, who abandoned her family long ago. It is the pain of her absence that propels Opal into friendships with all the characters whom Winn-Dixie eventually brings together, lessening the loneliness of each. By turns funny and moving, vivid from trailer park to pet store, this will propel readers into a satisfying circle of companionship. BH

Hearne, B. (2000). Because of winn-dixie. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 53(10), 354-354. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223697376?accountid=7113

According to Miss Franny Block, the town librarian in Naomi, Florida, her great-grandfather made his fortune after the Civil War by manufacturing a candy "that tasted sweet and sad at the same time." Ten-year old India Opal Buloni (called Opal) thinks this description of the candy sounds a lot like life, where "the sweet and the sad were all mixed up together," too. It's also a pretty apt description of this engaging Southern-style first-person novel, featuring a girl and dog with a lot to offer each other. Children's literature is full of animal-to-the-rescue stories, but rarely does salvation come in the form of a creature with as much personality as Winn-Dixie. When Opal, who has just moved to town with her preacher father, discovers him cheerfully knocking over produce in the Winn-Dixie supermarket one day, it's obvious he's a stray. "Mostly, he looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain." His friendly manner, which involves pulling back his lips into what appears to be a smile, wins her over and, luckily, wins her father over as well. As if in gratitude for giving him a good home, Winn-Dixie immediately begins easing Opal's troubles, helping her make friends, who in turn help her come to terms with the fact that her mother abandoned her and probably won't be back. The story teeters on the edge of sentimentality and sometimes topples right in, but the characters are so likable, so genuine, it's an easy flaw to forgive. All in all, this is a gentle book about good people coming together to combat loneliness and heartache-with a little canine assistance. C.M.H.

Christine, M. H. (2000). Because of winn-dixie. The Horn Book Magazine, 76(4), 455-456. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199350503?accountid=7113

Suggestions
This is a good book to use discuss with intermediate and middle school students about assumptions.  Throughout the story India Opal makes assumptions that are just not true about other characters in the book.  Students can discuss what assumptions they have made about others and what assumptions have been made about them.

For elementary students they can talk about animal friends that they have or have had in their life.  Winn Dixie, the dog, is an important friend for India Opal. Winn Dixie helps India Opal through a difficult time.  The students can discuss and draw pictures of their animal friends.

 

References

DiCamillo, K. (2009). Because of winn-dixie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2012/06/WinnDixie1.jpg