Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

It’s easier if I blog before doing my discussion board and starting to analyze too much.  I pay a lot of attention to Newbery winners and honors.  I have quite a collection.  I’ve always “meant” to read this book, but it took a class assignment for it to finally happen.  I’m a dog lover so of course I fell in love with Winn-Dixie and India Opal Buloni wins you over pretty quickly too.  You follow Opal and Winn-Dixie over the course of their first summer together after Opal moves to Naomi, FL.  It’s a book in some ways about loss but about how life continues and it even shows melancholy and sorrow as a uniting factor among people who at first glance have nothing in common.  Winn-Dixie doesn’t just change Opal, he changes the whole town of Naomi with his winning personality.  I should have read it a long time ago because it really is a quick enjoyable read.  It definitely made me think and I could see it being a meaningful read for young people.

Newbery Honor 2001