Ages 8+1-min guideFriendshipAnimalsFamily
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
Good fitA great fit for most kids 8 and up. Warm, funny and gentle, about a lonely girl and a big goofy dog. It touches on a missing mom and grown-up sadness, very softly.
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What it’s about
Ten-year-old Opal moves to a small Florida town with her father, a preacher. She adopts a stray dog in a grocery store, and he helps her make friends with the town’s unusual people.
The ending
What might come up
Big feelingsSomeOpal’s mother left the family; her drinking is mentioned.
Death and lossA littleA friend’s little brother drowned last year, and a Civil War story tells of loss.
Adult topicsA littleA friend who once drank too much has a 'bottle tree'.
Scary momentsA littleA thunderstorm and a lost dog.
LanguageNone
RomanceNone
Why kids like it
A dog who smiles, and a girl who turns strangers into friends.
Read it, then watch it
Read the book first, then watch it together and talk about what changed.
