2001 Newbery Honor Book: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

For a girl so young, 10-year-old India Opal Buloni's life was far from a fairy tale. When she was only three years of age, her mother left her. Another life-changing event occurred when Opal and her father, a preacher, moved to Naomi, Florida, leaving behind many of her friends. It was in a Winn-Dixie supermarket where she met and kept a big, disheveled dog. With the friendship from her dog, Winn-Dixie, Opal was not only able to meet new friends, but she also came to an important realization within herself that her mother would never come back, a burden that she had struggled with for a long time.
Once I began reading this story, I couldn't put the book down. I was immediately drawn into the characters the author created. I thought she developed her characters very well. Not only did the author describe the characters' physical attributes, but she also did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to get inside the characters' emotions. I enjoyed the overall theme of the importance of true friendship. I also found that the story had even a deeper meaning- that if we live long enough, we will all at some time or another experience hardships. In the book, most of the characters Opal befriended had one thing in common - they had suffered in some way. For example, Amanda's little brother, Carson, died when he was only five; some of Miss Franny Block's family had suffered great loss during the Civil War; Otis was put in jail mainly because he wanted to play his guitar for others; and Gloria Dump had a drinking problem in the past that she still dealt with. I liked how the author, Kate DiCamillo, told an authentic story about life in general- its ups and downs. I believe this is an excellent choice for children. I feel it is important for children to understand that life is not always peachy- sometimes it has disappointments and difficult times. But, the important aspect is how they deal with those adversities.
Kate DiCamillo has written a combination of several early chapter books and novels for children. In addition to Because of Winn Dixie, she has also written books such as The Tale of Despereaux, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I have actually not read any of her other works.