book review of because of winn dixie

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BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE

by Kate DiCamillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

A 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice. India Opal’s mama left when she was only three, and her father, “the preacher,” is absorbed in his own loss and in the work of his new ministry at the Open-Arms Baptist Church of Naomi [Florida]. Enter Winn-Dixie, a dog who “looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain.” But, this dog had a grin “so big that it made him sneeze.” And, as Opal says, “It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal meets Miss Franny Block, an elderly lady whose papa built her a library of her own when she was just a little girl and she’s been the librarian ever since. Then, there’s nearly blind Gloria Dump, who hangs the empty bottle wreckage of her past from the mistake tree in her back yard. And, Otis, oh yes, Otis, whose music charms the gerbils, rabbits, snakes and lizards he’s let out of their cages in the pet store. Brush strokes of magical realism elevate this beyond a simple story of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow and hope. And, it’s funny, too. A real gem. (Fiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: March 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-7636-0776-2

Page Count: 182

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2000

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Júlia Sardà

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SEEN & HEARD

CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE

by Christina Li ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2021

Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.

An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.

Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.

Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Christina Li

NUMBER THE STARS

by Lois Lowry ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1989

A deftly told story that dramatizes how Danes appointed themselves bodyguards—not only for their king, who was in the habit...

The author of the Anastasia books as well as more serious fiction ( Rabble Starkey , 1987) offers her first historical fiction—a story about the escape of the Jews from Denmark in 1943.

Five years younger than Lisa in Carol Matas' Lisa's War (1989), Annemarie Johansen has, at 10, known three years of Nazi occupation. Though ever cautious and fearful of the ubiquitous soldiers, she is largely unaware of the extent of the danger around her; the Resistance kept even its participants safer by telling them as little as possible, and Annemarie has never been told that her older sister Lise died in its service. When the Germans plan to round up the Jews, the Johansens take in Annemarie's friend, Ellen Rosen, and pretend she is their daughter; later, they travel to Uncle Hendrik's house on the coast, where the Rosens and other Jews are transported by fishing boat to Sweden. Apart from Lise's offstage death, there is little violence here; like Annemarie, the reader is protected from the full implications of events—but will be caught up in the suspense and menace of several encounters with soldiers and in Annemarie's courageous run as courier on the night of the escape. The book concludes with the Jews' return, after the war, to homes well kept for them by their neighbors.

Pub Date: April 1, 1989

ISBN: 0547577095

Page Count: 156

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1989

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

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by Lois Lowry ; illustrated by Jonathan Stroh

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Summary and Reviews of Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

Because of Winn-Dixie

• Critics' Consensus:
• Readers' Rating:
• First Published:
• Mar 1, 2000, 184 pages
• Sep 2001, 182 pages
• Young Adults
• Books About Animals
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Book Summary

Take one disarmingly engaging protagonist and put her in the company of a tenderly rendered canine, and you've got yourself a recipe for the best kind of down-home literary treat. Kate DiCamillo's voice in Because of Winn-Dixie should carry from the steamy, sultry pockets of Florida clear across the miles to enchant young readers everywhere.

The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace . They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar. Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship--and forgiveness--can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm. Recalling the fiction of Harper Lee and Carson McCullers, here is a funny, poignant, and utterly genuine first novel from a major new talent. Winner of the 2001 Newbery Honor Award.

Chapter One

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. This is what happened: I walked into the produce section of the Winn-Dixie grocery store to pick out my two tomatoes and I almost bumped right into the store manager. He was standing there all red-faced, screaming and waving his arms around. "Who let a dog in here?" he kept on shouting. "Who let a dirty dog in here?" At first, I didn't see a dog. There were just a lot of vegetables rolling around on the floor, tomatoes and onions and green peppers. And there was what seemed like a whole army of Winn-Dixie employees running around waving their arms just the same way the store manager was ...

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Because of Winn-Dixie

By kate dicamillo.

‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ is a thriller belonging to the middle grade and packed with self-help lessons for defeating nostalgia and unsociability - for a chance to fully appreciate and be happy with life as it is.

Article written by Victor Onuorah

Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

With ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ’, readers will find how much of futility it is to hold onto the past and not let go of it. Opal doesn’t enjoy her life – and by extension fails to appreciate the few people and little things around her – because she’s rooting to catch up with a happy past. Thankfully, Winn-Dixie comes along and shows her how to move on.

A Delightful Story of Friendship Found in Unlikely Places

Kate DiCamillo’s bestseller ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie’ is one book that shows the reader how even the most unlikely things can happen when they are less likely to happen.

The reader sees that Opal, despite her lovable and amiable personality, has something going on that greatly troubles her mind and that is her need for a companion. She has just recently moved into a new city with her father the preacher, so it’s normal for anyone to find it hard to make friends for the next couple of days maybe even months – but this so happens quicker than Opal expected.

She goes out to the supermarket on an errand for her father and surprisingly returns home with a big, mangy dog along with groceries. This dog, which she names Winn-Dixie, becomes the unlikely animal friend which connects the dots for all the other unlikely future friends and happiness which Opal goes on to enjoy.

Fast-paced, Poignant, and a Little Lacking in Depth

The story starts really quickly and gets interesting fast. Opal is 11 years old, but she immediately throws us back into her past of last summer when she was 10 years old. Personally, I think why Kate DiCamillo got the book so fast-paced was because she intended for it to be quite a small one, so there aren’t many pages to sleep on and lag.

Reading the book, I thought this might come off as maybe the only downside to the book. Yes, the story is great and each scene is filled with captivating suspense, but I thought there isn’t enough time or depth created for each suspense so they just come and go in a sort of jiffy fashion – preventing the reader to have an extended moment with it.

Letting Go, a Vital Key to True Happiness

Opal is a happy girl, but you could feel she doesn’t quite explore the depth of her happiness due to a few situations she’s putting up with. First, she’s just moved into a new city with her father, the preacher, apparently leaving her old friends behind. And as someone who has moved before I could understand how hard it gets to settle or even make new friends when you’re new in town.

Second, she still holds onto the hope of mama, her mother, coming back home to her and the preacher. Although thinking about mama gets her excited, it indirectly also saps her joy and energy afterward that she has none left to spend on real people around her.

When Winn-Dixie comes along, he teaches Opal the first lessons about letting go and making new, happy friends. Once she cues into this as a lifestyle, she is able to unlock her greatest happiness, but that comes with a sacrifice of letting go of mama and thoughts concerning her.

There’s a Sweet Feeling When Bitter Experiences are Shared

Everyone has a sad past or something that greatly disturbs them when it comes to mind, and there’s no difference between the characters that Kate DiCamillo created for ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie’ . It’s interesting, however, to see a bit of magic in play regarding how the characters’ sad past is unexpectedly stirred up by a sweet taste of candy.

Old Miss Franny Block tells a story of how her great grandfather, Littmus Block, founded a candy factory after the civil war because he wanted to make the world a better, sweet place after the devastating effect of the war – which also took the life of all his family members. Littmus set up this candy factory and it started manufacturing a candy called Littmus Lozenges, although made sweet but also with a taste of sadness.

In the book, we see Miss Franny sharing some of the candies with the characters; Opal who takes some to Gloria Dump and her father the preacher; young Amanda who is an ardent visitor of the library; Otis who was in jail – and the others . Despite the sweetness of the candy when eaten, these characters, each, have sad trips down memory lane but are again united by their shared feeling of sadness.

How long does it take the average reader to finish Kate DiCamillo’s ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ’?

Starting and finishing Kate DiCamillo’s ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ’ is easy and can typically take a few hours within a day for that to happen.

Why does Littmus Lozenges candy taste sad?

Littmus Lozenges, in the book, are made with sadness as part of its recipe, so when people eat them, they feel the pain of a certain void in their hearts. But the candy is also sweet at the same time.

Is ‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ’ a good read?

‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ’ by Kate DiCamillo is a very interesting book to read and it’s suitable for both children and adults alike.

Because of Winn-Dixie Review

Book Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Book Description: Kate DiCamillo's 'Because of Winn-Dixie' explores finding joy in simple things through Opal Buloni's heartwarming journey.

Book Author: Kate DiCamillo

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Candlewick Press

Date published: March 20, 2000

Illustrator: Mark Buehner

ISBN: 978-0-7636-0758-1

Number Of Pages: 208

Because of Winn-Dixie Review: True Happiness Sometimes Lies In The Smallest, Negligible Things

‘ Because of Winn-Dixie ‘ by Kate DiCamillo reminds the reader how sometimes what holds one’s true happiness isn’t some far away, complicated people or things, but the small, unlikely things around us. DiCamillo drives this message through her main character Opal Buloni, leaving several life lessons with every turn of a page. Written more than twenty years ago – and having won the prestigious Newbury award, the book never gets old, and it’s suitable for both the young and old.

• Captivating story
• Concise and easy to read
• Full of helpful morals and values
• Plot lacks depth
• Refreshes sad wartime memories
• Too many naive characters

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Book Review

Because of winn-dixie.

• Kate DiCamillo
• Children's Fiction , Contemporary

• 9 to 12 years old
• Candlewick Press
• Newbery Honor

Year Published

India Opal Buloni went to the grocery store to get macaroni-and-cheese, rice, and two tomatoes; she came back with a dog instead. She convinces her dad to let her keep the pooch, and now she has one bright spot in a summer that hasn’t had many.

Plot Summary

When 10-year-old Opal discovers a dog causing chaos in the produce section of the local grocery store, she knows the pooch has to be hers. She convinces her dad to let her keep Winn-Dixie (named after the grocery store), and suddenly her summer takes a turn for the better.

The summer certainly hadn’t started out so great. Opal is new to town and trying to make friends. With her dad always working on a sermon and no one to talk to, she finds herself thinking about the mother she can’t remember more than ever before. But with Winn-Dixie by her side, Opal soon realizes she won’t be lonely for long. Everywhere Opal goes, people love her dog. Soon, Winn-Dixie is opening all sorts of doors for Opal, ranging from chats with librarian Franny Block to the job she takes at the pet store. Her dad finds a soft spot for the dog, too—and he even forgives him for interrupting the sermon to chase a mouse.

Thanks largely to her adopted dog, Opal finds that one person after another has a story to tell—even Gloria Dump, the blind old woman who the Dewberry boys claimed was a witch. Now Opal just has to find a way to bring all her new friends together and draw her dad out of the shell he hides in so often. They might be very different people, but they have one thing in common—a sorry-looking stray named Winn-Dixie.

Christian Beliefs

Opal’s father is a preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. Florida. He also used to be a missionary in India. A church service, including prayer, worship, and preaching, is mentioned. Opal prays about her mom and about making new friends. Opal’s father asks Otis (a shy, quiet man who works at the local pet shop) to play a hymn.

Other Belief Systems

Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry call Gloria Dump a witch. Magic and ghosts are mentioned.

Authority Roles

Opal has a hard time thinking of the preacher as her daddy because he’s always working on a sermon and serving people at church. However, he’s a good preacher and a good man. Over the course of the book, he and Opal grow closer and connect more. Opal’s mom left when Opal was very young. She didn’t like being a preacher’s wife and often drank too much.

Profanity & Violence

The preacher mentions that Opal’s mom drank a lot, including beer, whiskey, and wine. Gloria Dump has empty bottles tied to her tree because she used to be an alcoholic.

The preacher throws a mouse out of the church that Winn-Dixie catches. Franny Block tells Opal that she threw a book at a bear that came into the library when she was young. The Civil War, slavery, and the Battle of Fort Sumter are all mentioned.

Stevie calls Otis retarded. Franny says war is hell. She also talks about her great-grandfather getting shot at and returning from war to a house burned to the ground. His mom and sisters got sick and died, and his dad was killed in battle.

Opal discovers that the brother of Amanda—a girl about Opal’s age—drowned the previous year.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Winn-Dixie helped Opal make new friends. How do you make new friends? Do you know anyone who might need a friend?

Read Proverbs 17:17. What does a good friend do?

Opal thought Amanda wasn’t nice, but then she learned that she was having a hard time. Do you usually give people the benefit of the doubt? Why or why not?

Additional Comments

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a classic book that teaches important lessons about friendship and bringing people together. It doesn’t have a lot of content to navigate, and kids will love DiCamillo’s vibrant characters and humorous plotlines, and they might fall in love with Winn-Dixie just like Opal and her friends.

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Review by Rachel Pfeiffer

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Parent reviews of, because of winn-dixie.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 14 Reviews
• Kids Say 48 Reviews

Parents Say

Based on 14 parent reviews

Parent Reviews

This title has:

• Great messages
• Great role models

Report this review

Best ever read aloud in a classroom.

• Educational value
• Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Beautiful book

A must have, the perfect read aloud for both character and academic lessons, better for 8+.

• Too much violence
• Too much swearing

You Should Read This Book!!!!

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Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo | Book Review

Book Review of  Because of Winn-Dixie The Children’s Book Review

Because of Winn-Dixie

Written by Kate DiCamillo 

Ages 9+ | 182 Pages

Publisher: Candlewick (2009) | ISBN-13: 9781536214352

What to Expect: Reality Fiction, Dogs, Family, Friendship, and Community

Did you know that Kate DiCamillo wrote Because of Winn-Dixie during a challenging winter season in Minnesota? Despite her strong desire to visit Florida, she couldn’t afford to go. But instead of giving up on her dream, she decided to transport herself there through her writing. It took her six months to write this incredible book, and one of her favorite characters to create was Gloria Dump. DiCamillo once shared that she would love nothing more than to sit with Gloria in her own backyard and share her problems.

Because of Winn-Dixie centers around Opal, a young girl who has just moved to a new town and is struggling to fit in, she carries the emotional weight of her mother’s absence. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she comes across a stray dog at her local Winn-Dixie store. She takes the lovable canine in and names him after the grocery store where she found him. Through her relationship with the dog, Opal discovers a whole community of charming and dynamic characters, all of whom teach her that everyone struggles with their own challenges. She also learns that forgiveness and friendship can have a profound impact.

Because of Winn-Dixie is a heartwarming story, a delightful read, and offers valuable insights on life and love.

Buy the Book

About the author.

Kate DiCamillo’s writing journey has been a truly remarkable one. She grew up in Florida and moved to Minnesota in her twenties, when homesickness and a bitter winter led her to write Because of Winn-Dixie — her first published novel, which became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. The Tiger Rising, her second novel, was also set in Florida and went on to become a National Book Award finalist. Since then, the best-selling author has explored settings as varied as a medieval castle and a magician’s theater while continuing to enjoy great success, winning two Newbery Medals and being named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She now has over 40 million books in print worldwide.

What to Read Next if You Love Because of Winn-Dixie

• Raymie Nightingale , by Kate DiCamillo
• The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread , by Kate DiCamillo
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• The Beatryce Prophecy , by Kate DiCamillo

Bianca Schulze reviewed  Because of Winn-Dixie . Discover more books like Because of Winn-Dixie by reading our reviews and articles tagged with reality fiction .

What to Read Next:

• A Home for Goddesses and Dogs, by Leslie Connor | Dedicated Review
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• Illustration Inspiration: Scott Magoon, Illustrator of Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship

• X (Twitter)

Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, because of winn-dixie.

The summer that 10-year-old India Opal and her preacher father move to tiny Naomi, Florida, is one of the loneliest ones Opal has had yet. She doesn't know anyone in town, and it seems like the local kids who attend her father's church aren't interested in knowing her, either.

But all that changes when Opal is sent to the nearby Winn-Dixie grocery store. As she tells it: "...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.

At the Winn-Dixie, Opal sees a big, ugly dog making a ruckus. When the manager threatens to call the pound to take take the mutt away, Opal fibs and says the pooch belongs to her. The dog, now named Winn-Dixie, loves the idea and is thrilled when Opal takes him home.

Winn-Dixie soon becomes part of the family, and Opal's best friend. She tells him everything, especially about how much she misses her mama, who left Opal and the preacher when Opal was three. Besides being a great listener, Winn-Dixie has a knack for making friends all over town, too. Before long, Opal's days --- and her heart --- begin to fill up with all the special (and unusual) people in her life. You won't want to miss this tender story about a girl and the dog that changed her world.

Reviewed by Shannon Maughan on February 29, 2000

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

• Publication Date: December 8, 2015
• Genres: Fiction
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick
• ISBN-10: 0763680869
• ISBN-13: 9780763680862