I absolutely loved this book!! There will always be a special place in my heart for dogs; I believe that after having Winn-Dixie as a pet, Opal will always have a special place in her heart for dogs as well. I felt so sorry for Opal when she was talking about her mother and how much that she missed her. This family situation reminded me a lot of Dear Mr. Henshaw. It seemed that no matter how hard that Leigh or Opal tried to "forget" about their absent parents, the issue still seemed to surface. I believe that Winn-Dixie was the perfect dog for Opal, and he provided her companionship and a close friendship as well. I feel that when you have a dog it is as if nothing can replace that bond with you and your dog. Even though my little Marshmallow is a handful most of the time, I love him so much and I would not trade him for anything in the world. Opal seemed so alone in the world before she found Winn-Dixie, and after she found him he filled a void in her heart and in her life. One of my favorite passages in the book was on page 143-150 when Opal and Gloria Dump were planning their party. The combination of the egg salad sandwiches, Dump punch, and pickles was quite hilarious to me. The party brought everyone together, however, and Opal learned not to judge "a book by its cover" in a sense with Amanda and Dunlap. This book is one of my favorite books now!