Title: Because of Winn- Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillio
Publisher:Candlewick Press
Publishing Year: 2000
Genre: Children's Fiction Chapter Book
Horn Book Rating: 2
Summary: Because of Winn-Dixie is a story about a 10 year old girl named Opal who just moved to a new town and comes across a dog that she takes in as her own. The story is about her first summer in a new town and Winn-Dixie her new dog.
Summary of Professional Reviews: This heart-warming story, about Opal and Winn-Dixie is life changing and emotional. This dog changed everyone life in this little town, the plot of the story is engaging and you find your self falling in love with the personality of each character. The story ending is also a wonderful way to end this story of this quirky town.
Review by Jane Fuscellaro: I thought this book took a sad thing such as loneliness and flipped it upside down to happiness and friendship so easily. This story was so easy to keep readying, because it kept you interested in each of the characters and how Winn-Dixie brought they all together. I also felt the sad things brought up in this book, are true life situations and bring to surface real emotions people may feel or felt themselves before.
This book would be useful when teaching…
Because of Winn-Dixie opens the doors with many emotional traits in all the characters therefore I would have students explore the characters while reading and writing.
Reading-Students could read and deeply look into the emotions of the characters and how they change from the begiing of the book to the end. Also, looking into character may bring up connections. Either personally, world, or text.
Writing- I thought a good idea for students to write a letter to Opals Mother, as Opal. I think having the students write a letter to the one character of the story we have not met would be interesting and a good assesment to see if characters understood the emotions of Opal. In the letter, Opal could ask her mom questions and talk about her life now. Therefore, students would have to reflect on the story, the feeling Opal felt to understand what questions she would want to know. And the characters and plot to tell about Opals life now.