Rating: 
Summary: Wonder Dog
Review: This book is wonderful for 'Children of All Ages." It is about 10-year-old India Opal Buloni, new to the town of Naomi, Florida. She adopts a big, ugly, galoot of a stray dog she encounters one day when he has somehow managed to enter her local grocery store to forage for food and wreak havoc in the produce aisle. Guess which store? (That's how he got his name-o)I listened to the unabridged audio version while traveling the Upper Midwest (where, unfortunately, we do not have the Winn-Dixie chain but we do have Piggly-Wiggly. Now wouldn't THAT be a mouthful to call your dog home for supper? ;-) The reader, Cherry Jones, is a joy to hear and brings DiCamillo's characters vividly alive. And what a diverse cast of characters it is: Opal and her father, the Preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi; Otis the jailbird pet store man; Gertrude the parrot; the not-so-menacing Dewberry brothers; Gloria Dump; Miss Franny Block; 'pinched-face" Amanda Wilkinson; and Sweetie-Pie Thomas. Along the way, India Opal and the reader learn life lessons about the errors of pre-judging (prejudice) and that, like Littmus Lozenges, life is sweet with a little melancholy. The Newbery Honor is well-deserved and Ms. Jones' racountment is a delight.
Rating:
Summary: Because of Winn-Dixie
Review: Because of Winn-Dixie is a light-hearted story about a young girl named India Opal and the summer that changes her life. This is the summer that she gets her new dog, Winn-Dixie. One day in a Winn-Dixie supermarket, Opal stumbles across this funny looking and acting dog. Kate DiCamillo writes, "It's hard not to fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor". She is certainly right about that. Not only do we as readers come to love and wish we had this dog, but Winn-Dixie seems to attract all sorts of people in the book as well. This dog comes to help Opal meet many friends and to find out some interesting facts about her mother whom left when she was three years old. The friends that India meets are all very unique, yet believable. She becomes great friends with Miss Franny, the librarian whose family invented the sorrow-flavored litmus lozenge, Gloria Dump, who all the local children thought to be a witch, and Otis, the guitar-playing manager of the local pet shop. Through Opal's conversations with these individuals, we gain a lot of insight about their lives and their feelings. Otis tells Opal the story of why he was in prison, Miss Franny tells Opal about how she scared a bear away with a War and Peace novel, and Gloria discusses her ghost-scaring tree with her.
Overall, Winn-Dixie seems to give Opal that extra bit of courage to make friends in her new town. Kate DiCamillo creates an authentic setting in Naomi, Florida, where the reader can experience the life of Opal the summer she was 10 years old. The book also has several developed themes such as friendship, hope, companionship, and new beginnings, which become apparent to the reader by the end of the story. All these components make Because of Winn-Dixie a book of high literary merit.
Because of Winn-Dixie has a great story line and allows the reader to really experience the hope and bonds of friendship that this 10-year old girl experiences during the summer that changed her life. Children who like to read books filled with humor and companionship would really enjoy this story of India Opal and her dog.
Rating:
Summary: Because of Winn-Dixie
Review: Ten-year-old India Opal has just moved to the Florida town of Naomi with her father, a preacher. Opal feels very lonely and now more than ever misses her mother, who left her when she was just three years old. One day while grocery shopping Opal finds a dog who seems to be smiling at her. In order to save him from going to the pound, Opal claims the dog is hers and names him Winn-Dixie. Opal and Winn-Dixie become inseparable, except when there is a thunderstorm and Winn-Dixie is too scared to stay still. Winn-Dixie's friendly smile attracts many friends, each of who teaches Opal a valuable lesson in life. Together, Opal and Winn-Dixie have a summer never to be forgotten.
Because of Winn-Dixie may be classified as a children's book, but it has a message that both adults and children can relate to. It is full of laughs and also moments that are certain to make you think. You will not be able to resist Winn-Dixie, who has a habit of smiling so much that he sneezes. You will also not be able to resist Opal, who is struggling with letting go of the pain that remains seven years after her mother abandoned her. This book is full of wonderful characters, such as Otis, the preacher, and Gloria Dump, each of which you can relate to and adore. Because of Winn-Dixie is an excellent book for children of all ages and adults alike. It will teach you a lot about life while filling your heart with joy and laughter.
Rating:
Summary: Classic for 4 to 94
Review: Kate Dicimillo is a master at her work. I am a veritably young writer who wants to break into the Children's writers market.
So I made a point of reading the popular children's literature, not the latest adult romance
Because of Winn-Dixie is nothing short of being marvelous.
The writing is like poetry the way it flows. I read this book within two hours, and over that time I couldn't put it down.
Although a five year old could easily read this simple book, I recommended it to my 82 year-old-grandmother.
It is a well written story, with wonderfully developed characters, not too long, and beautiful language. There is even suspense.
The book is written in first person point of view with slight dialect. The plot itself is about a lonely ten-year-old girl, India Opal, who recently moved to Southern Florida with her father. Her father is so distant from her, like a turtle who is always in his shell as she describes him, that she calls him "the preacher."
She lives in a trailer park, and her father is indeed a Baptist Preacher.
When you discover early on that her mother, a drinker, left home, and left Opal in her father's care, it makes you more sympathetic. When India befriends a beat up stray dog, called Winn-Dixie, her life starts to change. "Because of Winn-Dixie" she is making new friends, becoming busy, and getting her father out of his shell.
Winn-Dixie and Opal decide they want to know ten things about Opal's mother, and the preacher, slowly, tells India Opal about the kind of person her mother was and why she left. Opal misses her mother terribly through the Summer, until she learns something important. There is plenty of symbolism and deeper meanings, and I recommend this to kids high school age all the way down to early readers at four and five. It's depiction of the South is great.
Rating: 
Summary: Because of Winn Dixie
Review: Because of Winn Dixie is a story of a young girl named India Opal Buloni. Opal lives with her father-the preacher- in a trailor park in Naomi, Florida. One day, Opal goes to the grocery store and she finds a big, ugly, dirty dog knocking over all the displays. The store manager asked who's dog it was and Opal told him he was hers. That was how it started. Opal didn't have many friends because she had just moved there, and then she found the dog who she named Winn Dixie, after the grocery store where she found him. She took the dog home and became friends with him. What she liked most about Winn Dixie was the way he could smile at her. Opal started making many new friends because of Winn Dixie. The dog didn't like to be alone so he went everywhere with her and he liked everyone and everyone liked him too. Because of Winn Dixie was an enjoyable book to read. A lot of things changed in Opal's life because of Winn Dixie. I think a lot of people could relate to Opal because a lot of people don't have a lot of friends because they moved and left their friends behind. I reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures and happy endings!
Rating:
Summary: Because of Winn-Dixie- what a great book!
Review: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a great Literature/read aloud/read-it-on-your-own book! It has won a Newberry Honor. Probably because of the Emotion DiCamillo put into the story. At times you'd feel sad in the book, at other times you'd feel surprised or happy! This outstanding book is about India Opal Buloni and how she recievs many friends because of-well- Winn-Dixie! Winn-Dixie is a dog India took home from the super mart. You see, Winn-Dixie is probably not the dog's real name because India just said the name that came right to her head after she heard the owner of the super mart saying he'll send the dog to the pound. India and her father-or as India calls him, "the preacher"- did not really get to see each other alot because "the preacher" had church work to do and India's mother left her when India was 3. This book taught me that it IS possible to become a closer family. This book is also about friendship. Winn-Dixie and India became very good friends and "because of Winn-Dixie" India has basically all the people who live in the trailer park to say "you're my friend" to.
Rating:
Summary: Because Of Winn-Dixie
Review: I would give Because Of Winn-Dixie 5 stars. Because it's full of suspense at the end of the chapter. It's about a girl named "India Opal" who in a supermarket called Winn-Dixie. And all of a sudden she hears the manager yell " Somebody get that dog." and sees a dog running down the aisle and tackles her to the ground.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational/Uplifting Story for All
Review: India Opal Buloni (better known as just plain Opal), is just 10-years-old, when her Father, the preacher, moves her to Naomi, Florida, where he will be taking on the duty of being the new preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. Opal's Mother left years before, and she can hardly remember her at all, which brings Opal down. So she sets out to find out anything she can about her beloved Mother, and ends up finding love in another place. In Winn-Dixie, the dog who she finds in the Winn-Dixie grocery store. Opal goes from being pure lonely to finding a friend who can share everything with her, and who teaches her the true meaning of love. BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE is an inspirational, and uplifting story that readers of all ages, whether young or old, will find touching and beautiful. Opal is a very optimistic character who wants nothing more than true friends, and love. Winn-Dixie is the same way, however, she brings love and true friendship to Opal. Kate DiCamillo has achieved greatness in this tiny book, as it is written so simply, that it can be understood by even the youngest child, but it tells such an in-depth and engrossing story that will have older readers delving into it's pages time and time again. This is a must read for all. Erika Sorocco
Rating: 
Summary: WInn-DIxie!!
Review: winn-dixie was ok. its not my favorite book, but I liked it. opal finds a dog at a grocery store So she takes it home and fixed him up.When winn-dixie get loose on a walk he goes to Gloia's yard and two boys say she is a witch, but Opal does not believe that she is a witch. Winn-Dixie is was a good book!!
Rating:
Summary: Because of Winn-Dixie Review
Review: I gave this book 3 stars for the exciting moments and the
adventures.And I really liked the begining and the ending.
At the begining I liked it when Opal got to keep Winn-Dixie.
And at the end with the drama about Winn-Dixie and Opals
mom.
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