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Because of Winn-Dixie

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 73,238 ratings · 3,435 reviews

Kate DiCamillo’s beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition.

Kate DiCamillo’s first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper — a New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor winner, the inspiration for a popular film, and most especially, a cherished classic that touches the hearts of readers of all ages...more

Paperback, 182 pages

Published February 10th 2009 by Candlewick (first published March 1st 2000)

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Oct 30, 2007 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: dog lovers and children of all ages

Shelves: childrensbooks, classicsworthreading, favorites

Opal Buloni goes to the Winn-Dixie store, and comes home with a big scraggly dog she claimed on impulse. Because of this dog, now named Winn-Dixie, she meets her new neighbors in the Florida town she now lives in. Nothing bad happens to the dog. Let me repeat: Nothing bad happens to the dog.
This book is carefully balanced with dark and light. It could so easily have been one of those syrupy, sweet stories with charmingly eccentric townspeople spouting folk wisdom, and the dog bringing everyone t...more

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 22, 2008 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Matt

Recommended to Paula by: Lauren

My friend Lauren read this to her elementary school kids last year -one day she read it to them aloud for an hour and a half! This is especially remarkable considering the usual behavior of her students (which is NOT sitting still, listening, and engaging in meaningful ways).

The story is well told in the ten-year old main character's voice. I'm sure this makes it attractive and understandable to young readers (or listeners). And easy for them to relate to.

The book does a good job of opening up...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2008 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fiction

Before reading Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie, I had heard many positive things about the book, and not just from adults. This alone is the mark of a book that has made a significant contribution to American literature for children, when children themselves recommend it! Through the guidance of a very loveable dog, India Opal Buloni learns many lessons about people: not to judge them by appearance, how to love and care for them, how to befriend them, and how to draw them together. DiCami...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2008 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

The talented author of this book is, Kate Dicamillo and the genre of this great book is Adventure.

Ople is the main character of this adventurious story. She is a lonley girl now, she wasnt before she had too move to this dreded town. Now she is veary alone and when she gose to the grocery store she will fine a veary hyper friend.

when Ople arrives at the grocery store she is finding all the employies are freaking out and chasing after someone or something. Ople is getting veary curious and she lo...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Quang Nhật rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-awards

Thực sự lúc đọc đến gần hết cuốn, tớ thấy cuốn sách hơi chán. Mọi chi tiết đều đơn giản. Sự việc nào cũng được tô màu hồng.
Nhưng đọc xong, ngẫm lại, lại càng thấy cuốn này hay.

Những chi tiết dưới đây có thể cho bạn biết trước nội dung cuốn sách

Trước nhất, đây là một tác phẩm thiếu nhi. Trong một tác phẩm như vậy, thiết nghĩ không thể xuất hiện lối kể rắc rối, chi tiết đan xen được. Sự cao trào được đưa đến cuối câu truyện, để một kết thúc vui vẻ xuất hiện, đọng lại nơi người đọc một tình cảm...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Brian Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a GREAT book! I think that it would be best used in a classroom that goes all the way up to high school. It has a moral that is great for young kids to read and maybe even learn about themselves as well as others after reading it. When kids see how hard it was for Opal moving and not having any friends and being so lonely that see befriends a stray dog I think that after reading this book it will help kids maybe look at other people in their lives and maybe see someone who is not as popu...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Daniela Gonzalez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pages: 98-126
Days: 25-27 November
Due: Friday 2
Winnie Dixie went to the library with Opal. She asked Ms. Franny if she had any book recommendations. She wanted a book to read to Gloria Dump her very closed friend. Ms. Franny told her she had a good book about the civil war called "Gone with the Wind". Opal didn't knew anything about the civil war, so she asked. Ms.Franny told her a story about the civil war and of her relatives connection to the civil war. Then Opal accepted the book and went to...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think this book is very inspiring story. The main character India Opal learns to not judge a book by its cover. She feels so lonely because her dad is preoccupied and they had just moved to a new town in Florida. So she befriended a dog, who would be friendly to any new person it encountered, therefore it gave India Opal a chance to meet new people. As she meets these new people she realizes she isn't the only one with a lonely and sad past, all the other people do it. The trailer park owner i...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2009 Harun Harahap rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: punya, fiksi, terjemahan, anak-hingga-remaja

Gw sering mengalami kesesuaian buku yang gw baca dengan keadaan gw dan sekitar saat gw membaca suatu buku. Dan itu terjadi saat gw membaca buku ini.

PRASANGKA

Prasangka Buruk terkadang membuat mata hati menjadi buta. Hingga kebenaran sudah tak diindahkan tapi bisikan setan yang diengarkan. Bersama setan, manusia sama-sama berpesta pora merayakan kebencian terhadap seseorang atau sesuatu hal. Hingga kita merasa puas namun letih karena terkuras prasangka.*eh itu setan apa memang manusia sebenarnya y...more

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Oct 22, 2008 Rachel3 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was awesome! Its about a little girl who really has nothing to do on a regular basis. And she meets a dog and names it Winn Dixie.. I dont want to give to much away. Read this book if your into animals because this dog will crack you uP!

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2009 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

I felt a little weird picking this one up, being 32 and all, but it was recommended for the handling of the child narrator and I have to agree. It is, very obviously, a youth book, but the child narrator is handled well. The language, logic, and perception of the narrator are all believably that of a child. I think the aspects I appreciate most is the narrator's tendency to use comparison to describe rather than adjectives and the narrator's tendency to project emotions onto others.

As a weird s...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2007 Andre moaney rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any one

i love the book it very funny and also mind blowing it's to good to put down

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2009 Lovergirl93 added it

I learned by this book that you can find friends anywhere and that dogs are great friends. Even when times are hard there is always people that care about you. I loved this book. This book is about a little girl who finds this dog at a store. The dog was going crazy and the boss was getting very angry at the dog. He wanted the dog out so he was about to call the dog control. The girl said that the dog was hers so that he didn't do it. She took the dog home to ask her dad if she could have it. He...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 01, 2008 amani rated it 5 of 5 stars

this was a sad but good book

1 like · like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Shinji Nishida rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

what a lovely story this is! I love this book and it became one of my favorite book.
I could see Opal's growth on p99-100. She could get to care about others because of Winn-Dixie by understanding his fear toward thunderstorms. She could understand the meaning of Winn-Dixie's behavior for Miss Franny and then she could also care about Gloria Dump. She decided to read her a book out loud to comfort her. I like the scean.
On p78, I noticed that I was standing on Opal's perspective and hoping same th...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 31, 2010 Lawral rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

Oh, Winn-Dixie. Anyone who's ever had a really friendly dog, especially a really friendly ugly mutt, will tell you that every outlandish and wonderful thing that happens in the book is totally possible. Well, maybe not, but having a good dog is great and Winn-Dixie is just who Opal needs to kick-start her new life in a new town. The preacher is too busy with his new church to be Opal's best friend until school starts in the fall, and Opal's mother is gone and has been for a while. The preacher d...more Oh, Winn-Dixie. Anyone who's ever had a really friendly dog, especially a really friendly ugly mutt, will tell you that every outlandish and wonderful thing that happens in the book is totally possible. Well, maybe not, but having a good dog is great and Winn-Dixie is just who Opal needs to kick-start her new life in a new town. The preacher is too busy with his new church to be Opal's best friend until school starts in the fall, and Opal's mother is gone and has been for a while. The preacher doesn't like to talk about her or why she left. But once she has Winn-Dixie, Opal isn't alone anymore. She tries out her ideas on him, tells him what she wants, and pours out her heart to him in ways she probably couldn't with another human being, and Winn-Dixie just gives her his goofy smile and unconditional adoration in the way that good dogs will do. It gives her the courage to talk to the guy at the pet store (Winn-Dixie does need a collar), the woman at the library (who thinks Winn-Dixie is a bear at first glance), the town "witch" (whose yard Winn-Dixie runs into in search of peanut butter), and various kids from her daddy's church who are drawn to Winn-Dixie or make fun of her about him. And Winn-Dixie gives Opal the courage to talk to the preacher about her mother. When Winn-Dixie is done working his magic, Opal has a whole cadre of people who love her.

I wouldn't say that religion plays a huge role in Because of Winn-Dixie, at least not explicitly. Opal uses tenets of what her father teaches her both to her advantage and as goals to work towards. She gets to keep Winn-Dixie because he is "an unfortunate," and Christians are supposed to help the unfortunate. On the other hand, she has to be nice to pinch-faced Amanda because she not only goes to the preacher's church, but because something very sad happened to her in the past. And the preacher prays for a mouse that Winn-Dixie catches in the middle of his sermon but does not kill. :) Even though religion does not really factor into the storyline, this book is just as much about how Opal's relationship with the preacher changes as it is about a little girl and her dog. At the beginning of the book, in addition to calling her father "the preacher" in her head, Opal likens him to a turtle. He pulls his head back in his shell when things get hard to protect himself from everything, even his daughter. He's able to do that precisely because he spends so much time "preaching or thinking about preaching or getting ready to preach" (13). Throughout the course of the book, and with Winn-Dixie's help of course, the preacher learns not to shut out Opal but instead to open up to her.

Overall this is a sweet book. There's not a lot of action, but there is a lot of storytelling as Opal gets to know all of her new friends. It can be episodic at times, but it all comes together in the end.

For folks who refuse to read dog books: This isn't Old Yeller. There are some tough moments, but nothing compared to classic "dog stories" or, you know, The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Book source: Holy Spirit Library at Cabrini College(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2008 Xiaojuanwu rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who lowns/loves animals

Recommended to Xiaojuanwu by: friend

Shelves: first-quarter

Opal is lonely a girl. All she has is her father, preacher. Opal had never seen her mother and she always wishes how her mother look like. A summer, she and her father moved to Florida. Once she goes to a grocery store, she rescues a big, ugly, and skin dog, who is fooling around the market. She rescues it because she doesn't want people take him away. She is surprised that dag can smile and she names him Winn-Dixie. Soon as Opal had Winn-Dixie, she talks to him even though it doesn't know what...more Opal is lonely a girl. All she has is her father, preacher. Opal had never seen her mother and she always wishes how her mother look like. A summer, she and her father moved to Florida. Once she goes to a grocery store, she rescues a big, ugly, and skin dog, who is fooling around the market. She rescues it because she doesn't want people take him away. She is surprised that dag can smile and she names him Winn-Dixie. Soon as Opal had Winn-Dixie, she talks to him even though it doesn't know what she is talking about. In addtion, she become a friend with him. She takes him every where she goes and encourage him to make friends with others while she is getting to know the new neiborhood. Whenever she is bored, Opal always looking for fun with Winn-Dixie. As you can imagine it's an ugly dog but it's very smart. It can catch a rat very fast. One bad thing about Winn-Dixie is he is frighttened of thunderstorm. He would running around unceasigly until it ends. Opal tries to calm him down whenever it happens but it doesn't work although her father helps too. Day by day, Opal and Winn-Dixie's relationship becomes very close. Opal sometimes share her personal things with Winn-Dixie and curiosity about her mother. Yet, Winn-Dixie becomes one of Opal's family memeber and they become unseparated.

I really like this book because it enthralls every time when I read it. It enthralls me because of Winn-Dixie can smile. I have ever seen a dog that smiles to human. I remembered I had a dog once when I was 10 years old. It was so much different than Winn- Dixie. It doesn't smile. It stratched me a lot. It ate a lot and it was funny. He was small and a lot of fur. It got wild when my father released his chain. It ran fast. I had looked for him for whole day until he showed up my himself. Unfortunately, it disappeared with unknown. I was upset and no matter who tried to comfort me, I coudln't cheer up. I still miss him.

I would reccomend this book to people who like to be with animals. It's very touching book. Even though I had read more than three times, I still like it so much. It's my favorite book.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 19, 2008 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Luke and I started reading this book three years ago when I found it at the Exchange (aka: the dump) on Orcas Island. We have probably read it at least 5 times since then and we just started reading it again last week. Opal has just moved to a new town in Florida. Her dad is the preacher, who she refers to as "the turtle" for his tendency to pull into his shell. She has no friends, she has no mom, but when we meet her in the first chapter she's finding this stray dog. With the dog as her compani...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 23, 2008 Melisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Since my background in reading is not that big, I was a little scared to see what type of book was going to be given to me. However, my teacher called Tim recommended me this book and just by looking at its cover, I knew it was the book for me!

This tender and warm story is about Opal, a 10 year old girl who was abandoned by her mother. She is trying to get over the sadness and emptiness left by her mother and to find herself in the world. She lives with her Father who is a peacher and they just...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 29, 2008 Jenie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: elementary-age readers & kids of all ages

Shelves: dicamillo-kate, classics-in-the-making, fairly-painless-school-reading, books-for-younger-readers, readers-of-all-ages, fiction, kid-safe-books, solid-reads

I read this because it's frequently on the area schools' required reading lists, and I'm really glad I did. It's a really heartwarming read, and I loved it. Kids should be able to easily identify with the book's heroine, and Winn-Dixie is a flawed but lovable hero, all on his own. Great kid reading. DiCamillo is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers.

Spoilers to follow, for parents:
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Nothing bad happens to Winn-Dixie. The story has a happy ending. It becomes scary at the end,...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2008 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, children-ya

Because of Winn-Dixie is about a girl who has moved to a new town during the summer. It's hard to make friends when you move, and its even harder when you move when school's out. But when she adopts a stray dog, who she christens Winn-Dixie, she finds it a little easier to reach out to people. She begins to make friends with many people and realizes that other people in the town have their own sadness and need friends too.

This is a very sweet book, but it is also very simple. There are a lot of...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2008 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: parents and kids to read together

Recommended to Heather by: Walter

Shelves: mady-and-me-books

What a treasure. Our dear friends the Underwoods gave us this book at newborn M's "welcome home from the hospital" shower. They said that their kids had loved reading it and that someday M would enjoy it just as much. Now it is 6 1/2 years later and I have just finished reading it to M. We loved it and were both hanging on every word.

It is a wonderful balance of "shaggy dog" scenes and touching scenes in which India Opal starts to understand the goodness and brokenness of all the people around...more

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Aug 22, 2008 Jena Marston rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone for a good quick read.

I just finished this book tonight. I have been reading it to Moab every night before bed this week. We started it Sunday or Monday night. It was a wonderful book. It had some sad topics, but it also had a good message about being friends with everyone, and being happy with what you have and what you may be blessed with.

The best part of this book was actually the experience I had reading it to Moab. This was the first real chapter book that I have sat down and read to her since she has been in sc...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was good but not as good as it could be because I watched the movie before it! Opal the main character is going to the Win- Dixie grocery store for the preacher (her dad) when she is in the tomato section and a dog is running around with four crew members from the store following it. Win dixie stops and stares at opal, as if saying please help me! Then finally they caught him and the manager wanted him straight to the pound, opal didn't know what to do so she said "hey that is my dog"...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Simone rated it 5 of 5 stars

it was a long summer day in Noami, Florida.when India Opal Buloni walked into the grocery store for a box of macaroni and cheese, white rice and two tomatoes.when suddenly she bumped right into the manager of the Winn-Dixie grocery store.When the manager shouted "who let a dirty dog in here?".At first Opal didn't see a dog but then a dog came running around the corner knocking just about everything over.The manager kept on yelling Opal new she had to do something so she said "Wait a minute!", "t...more

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Mar 05, 2009 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

Ok, I must say that I wasn't expecting much out of this book. Of course, this was based on the movie preview, which looked stupid. However, I got so into it I finished it in a couple hours last night. It's the story of Opal (who's mom left her when she was three) and her dad, who is a preacher of the local church. Opal finds a dog running loose in the Winn-Dixie and decides to take it home and adopt and names it after the store she found it in. She has moved there from another town and is the ne...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: setting-usa-florida, animal-animals-in-story, character-child-children-featured, m-library-sj-audio-oda, has-a-movie, genre-juvenile, animal-dog-in-story, reviewed-by-me, authors-k, authors-d, all-time-favorites

★★★★★ Didn’t realize this was a Juvenile book when I got the audio from the library for a challenge on “Southern Belles” -- but I’m glad I listened to tale of a motherless preacher’s daughter who adopts a big mangy dog. Loved this short story and Cherry Jones' narration is wonderful. She is so good, I may even listen to it again!

Update: I did lisen to it twice - it was that good.

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Sep 23, 2008 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: peolple who like story telling.

Recommended to Alex by: no one.

i liked this book because it was a story about a young girl named opal that is about 11 years old that is living with her father the preacher and she meets this dog in the store winn dixie and the manager is mad because there are no dogs aloud in the store so he decides to call the pound. when opal stops him she says that it is her dog. the manager asks what his name is and she says "winn dixie". the she takes the dog out of the store and takes it home tells her dad about what happened that day...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Alaa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think the book is good for the kids between 9 to 16. The whole book story is to teach them how to communicate perfectly. For example, never try to judge people. Try to understand them. How they feel, think, and behave in order to communicate with them will. The book also pointed out indirectly to the need to accept our destiny if way don't have a chance to change it.

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Jan 15, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, read2012

This is the first book my 8-year-old son was reading and said to me, "This book is really good, Mommy. I think you would like it. You should read it."

So. I'm reading it. :)

.....

Someone called Kate DiCamillo's writing enchanting. I think enchanting fits perfectly.

4 likes · like · see review

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About Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo spent most of her childhood in the South, and moved to Minnesota when she was in her twenties. She was inspired to write Because of Winn-Dixie, her first novel, during a bout of homesickness one brutally cold winter. The book was an immediate success: it is a Newbery Honor Book, has won more than twenty-five state awards, and has been made into a popular family film. Kate DiCamillo’...more

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Quotes from Because Of Winn Dixie

“There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.” — 527 people liked it

“You can't always judge people by the things they done. You got to judge them by what they are doing now.” — 105 people liked it

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