Because of Winn-Dixie

Because Of Winn-dixie Anniversary Edition - By Kate Dicamillo (hardcover) : Target


Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo


Published by Candlewick Press (2000)

 

India Opal Buloni is 10 years old. Her father is a preacher, and they move to Naomi, Florida. One day, she goes to the store for a box of macaroni and cheese, white rice, and two tomatoes, but she comes back with a dog. She names this dog Winn-Dixie because that is the name of the supermarket. She instantly connects with the dog. Her mother left her and her father when Opal was three years old. She tells her father that Winn-Dixie will be her friend, since their family has been lonely. Throughout the story, Opal and Winn-Dixie become inseparable and go on many adventures together. The two of them start making more friends and good things start happening to them.

 

I love this book! I always have loved Winn-Dixie growing up. But I will say I appreciate the movie more than I do the book. Just because the movie brings this whole story to life, and it is fun to be able to the Opal and Winn-Dixie in real life. Growing up, I would always tell my parents that I wanted a dog like Winn-Dixie. While I didn’t get Winn-Dixie exactly, I did get a dog who I became inseparable with. 

 

There are a lot of mature and difficult topics in this book though. Since Opal has experienced a lot of pain since her mother abandoned her and her father at such a young age, Opal feels a lot of empathy for the older friends she makes. Topics such as alcohol, the Civil War, slavery, and rights are all mentioned in this book. So, to me that would be hard concepts for younger children to grasp. I recommend this book for children nine years old and up. Also, the movie must be played after you read this story!

 

I rate this book a four out of five stars. I say four due to the more mature conversations throughout the book. I do like how this book portrays and explains how powerful a bond can be between a dog and human!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lorax

Image
Title: The Lorax Author: Dr. Seuss Published by Random House, Inc. (1971)   In this book, the Once-ler describes the results of the local pollution problem.   This book has been banned because it was believed to portray logging in a poor light and would turn children against the foresting industry. Obviously, kids would never recognize this while reading, I know I didn’t. It is the adults and parents. Reading it now as an adult, I do see that in the storyline.   I rate this book a two out of five stars. The illustrations are fun, as they always are in the Dr. Seuss books. But again, the message it sends off is wrong. Reading it in your future classroom may spark some trouble with students’ parents if they don’t agree with this book.
Read more

Santa -Claus- Bruce (Mother Bruce Series-Book #5)

Image
  Title: Santa Bruce Author: Ryan T. Higgins Published by Disney Press (2015)   In this story, Bruce is still a mother to geese and a friend to the mice. Bruce wants to hibernate all through the winter, like any other bear. But he is not like the other bears. Instead, the geese and mice have other holiday plans for him …   Another great read and a great laugh! Higgins never fails to make you laugh while reading this series. Illustrations are on point, like always! In this book, there are a lot of jokes that connect more to the parents or adults reading the story. Somethings the children would not understand. I love how this book shows spending time with family on holidays. Even if they are animals!    I rate this book a five out of five. This would be a great book to read to students around Christmas time! Or holidays in general.
Read more

The Little Red Hen -An Old Story-

Image
  Title: The Little Red Hen -An Old Story- Author: Margot Zemach Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (1993)   The little red hen lived with her chicks in a small cottage. She was very hardworking and kept her family well fed. Working in the evenings, she always sang. One day while little red hen was walking with her friends, the goose, the cat, and the pig, she asked them “Who will plant the wheat?” They all responded saying “Not I”. She insisted that she would do it herself. Each morning after when she would find something that needs done, she would ask who will do it, and all of the animals said, “Not I”. At least she makes a loaf of bread, but since she did all the work, she tells them that they will not eat it.  In my opinion, this book is a great example of hard work and good/bad consequences. One major theme I saw was that if you want something to get done the right way, you must do it yourself. This is a fun book to read to kids, or even have them read themselves. It also sh
Read more