Whistling (Winn) Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo

Summary

Sometimes strength can come from the least expected places. For 10-year-old Opal, the stray dog she finds in the Winn-Dixie supermarket in Naomi, Florida, provides her the strength she needs to tackle questions about her mother and make friends in her new hometown. Named after the store she found him in, Winn-Dixie quickly becomes Opal’s confidant as she works up the courage to talk to her father about her mother, who disappeared when she was just a baby. Winn-Dixie also leads to new friendships with people in town, helping Opal understand and accept a variety of people into her life, making her feel at home in a new place.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Oh yes. I knew little about this book before reading it, and was amazed at how quickly I became absorbed in the story. Opal is a timeless character, and her questions, concerns and fears could just as easily be applied to children 20 years in the past or future. As she and Winn-Dixie explore the town of Naomi, her heart and mind are open, allowing her to befriend people who might have been avoided by others, such as the old librarian who loves to tell stories; Otis, the young man who runs the pet store but was once in jail; and Gloria Dump, an old woman on the outskirts of town who some of the other children call a witch. Winn-Dixie isn’t afraid of these people, and his ease and friendly manner make it easy for Opal to see them clearly as well. He also provides her the confidence to ask her father about her mother, a woman whom she knows virtually nothing about. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal is able to look at people and situations in new ways, and understand how to be happy and appreciate all the blessings in her own life.

Reviews

Newbery Honor Book, 2001

A New York Times Bestseller

“Through the love she gains from her new pet, a girl gains the courage to ask her father about the mother who abandoned them. In this exquisitely crafted first novel [a Newbery Honor book], each chapter possesses an arc of its own and reads almost like a short story in its completeness.” - Publishers Weekly

At the library

For fourth or fifth graders, this book would be great to read aloud or individually. Talk about why some people, like Gloria Dump and Otis, get unfairly stereotyped by others, and what Opal did to see past those labels.

For a more personal experience, ask students to write a journal entry about the book. Many may be able to relate to living in a single-parent household and having questions about the absent parent.

SLIS 5420

Week of Oct. 4-11