by Kate DiCamillo
Flap Copy description:
When ten-year-old India Opal Buloni moves to Naomi, Florida, with her father, she doesn't know what to expect - least of all , that she'll adopt Winn-Dixie, a dog she names after the supermarket where they meet.
Right away, Opal knows she can tell Winn-Dixie anything - like the fact that lately she's been thinking a lot about her mother, who left when Opal was three. And that her father, the preacher, won't talk about her mother at all. An that she's lonely. But with such an unusually friendly dog at her side, Opal soon finds herself making more than a few unusual friends. And ultimately, Opal and the preacher realize - that while they've both tasted a bit of melancholy in their lives, they still have a whole lot to be thankful for.
My thoughts:
Because of Winn-Dixie, is a down-home type of novel, set in the South, a true classic for young readers. The author, Kate DiCamillo, won a Newbery Honor Award for this beautiful book in 2001. Her storytelling skills are so finely tuned that she hypnotizes the reader into thinking the story is fact, instead of fiction. It reminded me of the way a gifted actor convinces you that he really is the character he portrays. Ms. DiCamillo is one of the most preeminent authors of children's literature of our day; this book is a true treasure.
