Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo (Author)

Because of Winn-Dixie
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

The classic heartwarming tale from Kate DiCamillo--now with an afterword from the beloved author, reflecting on twenty years in print.

One summer's day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries--and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It's because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it's because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie.

This updated edition of Kate DiCamillo's classic novel invites readers to make themselves at home--whether they're experiencing the book for the first time or returning to an old favorite.

Select format:
Paperback
$8.99

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 India Opal Buloni, 10, finds a big, ugly, funny dog in the produce department of a Winn-Dixie grocery store. She names him accordingly and takes him home to meet her father, a preacher. Her daddy has always told her to help those less fortunate, and surely Winn-Dixie is in need of a friend. Opal needs one, too. Since moving to Naomi, FL, she has been lonely and has been missing her mother more than usual. When she asks her father to tell her 10 things about her mother, who left the family when Opal was three, she learns that they both have red hair, freckles, and swift running ability. And, like her mother, Opal likes stories. She collects tales to tell her mother, hoping that she'll have a chance to share them with her one day. These stories are lovingly offered one after another as rare and polished gems and are sure to touch readers' hearts. They are told in the voice of this likable Southern girl as she relates her day-to-day adventures in her new town with her beloved dog. Do libraries need another girl-and-her-dog story? Absolutely, if the protagonist is as spirited and endearing as Opal and the dog as lovable and charming as Winn-Dixie. This well-crafted, realistic, and heartwarming story will be read and reread as a new favorite deserving a long-term place on library shelves.--Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"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." — Karen Hesse, author of the Newbery-award winner Out of the Dust

This is an amazing book please read!

The first time I read this book I loved it so much, since I loved it so much I read it three more times . This teaches a lot of lessons to people and again please read this book!! Incase you didn't know I am a eleven year old writing this so I think that should tell you if a eleven year old likes this book so will you.

Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.

Julie Morstad is the illustrator of numerous acclaimed books for young readers, including House of Dreams: The Life of L. M. Montgomery by Liz Rosenberg, When Green Becomes Tomatoes by Julie Fogliano, and Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536214352
Lexile Measure
670
Guided Reading Level
R
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
January 26, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
Library of Congress categories
-
Newbery Medal
Honor Book 2001 - 2001
Bluebonnet Awards
Winner 2002 - 2002
California Young Reader Medal
Winner 2003 - 2003

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