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I thought this book was a great story because it highlights the many struggles of a young girl who many readers would be able to relate to. The passage I found most interesting is on page 30 after Opal has learned 10 things about her mother. Opal feels that she needed to know those things "inside and out. That way if [her] mama ever came back, [she] could recognoze her and [she] would be able to grab her and hold on to her tight and not let her get away from [Opal] again." I felt sad reading this part because Opal is so optimistic about seeing her mother again. In reality, I do not think she realizes that her mother will probably not come back again. I think it is good, however, for her to keep that optimism because one never knows for certain the events that will occur in the future. A lot of kids must go through this struggle of losing a parent or having parents that are divorced, now more than ever before. I know that as a child of divorced parents it was tough sometimes not being able to have a "whole" family. For kids in those situations this book is a great example of someone that can be optimistic about a not-so-happy time in their life. I was also pleased at the end when Opal "spoke" to her mom on page 178. She had come to the realization that her mom probably was not coming home. But, I could sense that, even though Opal said she would not think about her as much, she would always have a place in her heart for her mom and would always be hoping she would come back. This just shows her extreme optimism, as I mentioned earlier, and I feel that this is a wonderful way to show kids that, even through tough times, one can keep their head up and accept the hand life deals.

I really enjoyed reading Because of Winn Dixie! It was a book I could not put down! I really liked the message about not judging a book by its cover, like with Gloria Dump and Otis. I think this is a great point to introduce to children. But my favorite passage in the book was on pages 162 and 163. Winn-Dixie has just run away during the storm, or so they thought, and India Opal was getting desperate the find him. Her father had mentioned that they might not ever be able to find him and then she made a list of ten things to remember him by like the Preacher had told her about her mother. I thought this showed the close relationship that some children can have to understanding loss when they have already experienced it. I also think it is part of human nature to want to hold on to something and never let it go. That is what India Opal was going to do with the list if she had never found her beloved Winn-Dixie. It also revealed how truly grown up she was and how the things that had happened in her past had such a major impact on her.
When I was reading this book I feel like I took the stance of being in and moving through, for most of the book. I really got involved with learning more about India Opal and the Preacher and then about all of Opal’s new friends that she met because of her new dog. I got so wrapped up in the book and just wanted to be able to find out what was coming next. I was able to use my own experiences with having pets to understand the relationship between Winn-Dixie and his owners. I think this was a major aspect because someone who had never had a pet before would probably not have been as quickly able to understand and appreciate their relationship.

I really enjoyed reading Because of Winn-Dixie. It took me not long to read, and once I picked it up I could not put it down. The characters reminded me of people I have personally, and I really liked how they were portrayed. Opal was so desperate for something to fill that void her mother had left. Having Winn-Dixie changed Opal's life and made things happen for her. Opal met so many great people like Franny Block, Gloria Dump, Otis, even Amanda and the Dewberry Boys because of the new four legged friend she had rescued. One of my favorite lessons taught was about not judging a book by its cover. It is important for people to learn at a very young age the importance of not passing judgment on others and this book shows why. As a classroom teacher I feel this would be something good for the children to read or perhaps have read to them.

Because of Winn-Dixie was a fantastic book. I enjoyed reading it very much. Kate DiCamillo did a great job of putting life lessons into a children’s book that all ages could relate to. India Opal Buloni was a very sweet, strong, and smart character. Her love for the stray dog she rescued from Winn-Dixie and everything that dog did for her was very touching. It made me realize just how special a relationship between a person and their pet can be. Opal was lonely and felt she had really no one and Winn-Dixie was able to fill the empty spot she had. I was very sad every time Opal mentioned her mother and how much she wished she would come back to her. No child should have to face something like that. But there are plenty that do and Kate DiCamillo made it possible for children to relate to loosing a parent whether it be from death or them leaving and how a child might feel when that happens. DiCamillo even wrote about the loss of a sibling. I was so sad to read about why Amanda Wilkinson was always pinch-faced. Even though Opal was only ten years old, she acted as if she were older and extremely mature the way she handled everything that came her way. All of the characters added so much to the story line. I thought it was funny how Opal always called her dad, preacher. I liked that Opal was friends with Gloria, Miss Franny, and Otis who were very much older then her. My favorite lesson from Because of Winn-Dixie was about not holding on to something that wants to go; you can only love what you got while you got it. That lesson not only applies to younger children but it applies to adults too. In the end, I wanted to cry at the thought of Opal loosing Winn-Dixie and the thought of how much she has already had to go through. Thankfully everything turned out alright in the end. As a classroom teacher, I will definitely read this book to my children.

I could not put this book down!! I was so enthralled in the book that my teachers probably were not happy to see me reading when they were trying to get class started. This was a very easy read but at the same time I wanted to make sure I got everything out of the story. These characters gave life lessons here and there and they were sometimes discreet. Opal is a character that many people old and young can relate too. I can relate to her but not in the most obvious ways. I have never moved from my town let alone my house, i haven't had a death or someone leave me, and I never had a pet. However i did switch school systems and i was alone and sad when i entered my new school. Opal made the best of her situation and went out and met this amazing dog and people in town. Every character shared special place in my heart as i was reading. Each one has there own problems but they all come together and are able to work through them. They lean on each other for support. Opal at first was skeptical of the kids her age but eventually through the support of Gloria she opened up to them and realized no one has a perfect life. Everyone needs love and we should always be there and wanting to spread our love to them. There are so many more lessons that one can learn in this book but this is the one that really hit home for me. I think this book has hit my top ten list!!!

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!

This book was AMAZING!! I read this book in record time for me. The fastest I have probably ever read a novel. I could not put the book down. This book just captured my heart. I am an animal lover especially dogs. I absolutly love dogs. I can never remember not having a dog. I thought I would die laughing reading the part about how she came to be the owner of Winn-Dixie because it sounds just like something I would have done when I was a kid. No matter how ugly the dog, I still could find it cute. Having Winn-Dixie was a great outlet and sorce of hope for Opal. It is always hard growing up without one of your parents. Opal's dad, the preacher, was a very busy man and it took a lot for him to finally open up to Opal. She was very curious and had a kind heart for everyone. Since her mother was not there, Winn-Dixie was the one she could talk to and spend time with. My favorite and least favorite part of the book was when Winn-Dixie got lost. I almost cried. I could see myself searching for Winn-Dixie with her. How heartbreaking it was for Opal to have lost her mother but the thought of losing her bestfriend was too much. She was determined and willinging to find Winn-Dixie, and she did I finally breathed!!!

I picked this book up late Thursday night thinking I would just read a few chapters, but I ended up reading the entire book in one night! It was so good that I could not put it down! I loved the relationship between India Opal and Winn-Dixie. I always had a dog growing up and I can definitely relate to Opal. I was an only child too and I always thought of my animals as siblings because they were such a big part of my life. This book teaches children about how to deal with a situation that might seem hard to understand, like why Opal's mom left her and her dad. There are many students who may read this book and be able to relate to Opal's life. One of my favorite lines in the book was a quote by Gloria Dump. Gloria said, " There ain't no way you can hold on to something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it." I felt like this statement was so profound, yet worded in a way that young children could comprehend the full meaning of it. I also loved the idea of acceptance that seems to permeate this book. For example, it does not matter that Otis is mentally challenged, or that the other kids think Gloria is a witch, Opal and Winn-Dixie are friends with them anyway. I think that this sense of acceptance is a very important concept for kids to learn at a young age, and the author does a good job of hinting at it subtly.

This book was so adorable. It was such a quick read for me. I usually spend about a week on our novels, but I finished it in 2 days and that was only because I chose not to read it in one sitting. I wanted it to last a little longer. To me, the book was almost a little too short. Several times I kept looking ahead at how many pages were left and thought to myself, "How is the book going to conclude in this small amount of pages?" I liked the simplicity of the story. There was no major storyline or plot. It was just the happenings of her life and I felt like I really was following around a little girl, experiencing everything with her. I loved how the writing style really depicted the dialect of each person. That's what made the book so easy to read. I could really hear each person talking. I just loved little India Opal. If only there were more little girls like her, the world would be a better place, and if only there were more dogs like Winn-Dixie. I felt so bad for her, knowing her mother left her. I could really empathize with her because my dad left at a young age, and even though I still see him on occasion, I know what it's like to wonder why, and want to know your parent more. I think Winn-Dixie was good therapy for her, as was the many other characters she grew close with throughout the book. I'm looking forward to discussing this one with the rest of the class.

I am not completely finished with this story yet, but I have an hour tomorrow afternoon that I know I will be able to finsih it in a flash! This is a nice little change in our readings lately, especially during midterms. Opal is the sweetest little girl to me! But my heart goes out to her for her family situation. It is sweet and sad that she is still hoping so hard for her mom to come back to her. I just want to cry for her because I know that her mom won't be coming back. She talks to her through prayer in the story, which I would do if wanting to speak to a realative who has passed away. Who in the world would want to leave a little girl like Opal behind!? She is so unique and fun! But I do understand the pressure as a preacher's wife, even though I still think she should have taken Opal with her. I also feel so bad for Opal because her dad is not very open and lovng with her. He responds better to Winn Dixie than to Opal! That hurts my feelings for her, even though she does not seem to notice. I hate that Opal does not feel close enough to her own father to be able to call him "Dad". She feels like he is her preacher more than anything. Every child deserves a great parent to feel close to! I sure am glad, though, that she has Winn Dixie and her friends to be close to!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book. I can tell that it is realistic fiction because the characters seem so down-to-earth along with having normal human "quirks". One of my favorite passages that I believe reflects a quality of outstanding literature is the following, "I looked at the tree and then I looked up at the sky. 'Mama' I said, just like she was standing right beside me, 'I know ten things about you, and that's not enough, that's not near enough. But Daddy is going to tell me more; I know he will, now that he knows you're not coming back. He misses you and I miss you, but my heart doesn't feel empty anymore. It's full all the way up. I'll still think about you, I promise. But probably not as much as I did this summer.'" (p. 178) I thought that this passage tied up loose ends about how I felt about Opal's family situation. Her attitude was always so positive, even though bad things happened to her and other's around her she was always able to move on and see the beauty in situations and people even when other people wouldn't have seen anything else but trouble or a waste of time. Also I believe that Winn-Dixie is a symbol for this. She saw hope in him when everyone else saw an ugly and mangy dog. I believe that this is a recurrent theme throughout the book. For example she saw character in Gloria where others saw someone who seemed strange. She also saw something in Otis when others might have seen a criminal.

As I was reading Langer's 4 stances readers assume, I realized that Langer's theory had actually been put into practice as I was reading Because of Winn-Dixie. At first I was simply trying to get to know why Opal and the preacher had moved to Naomi, Florida and why Opal didn't have the best relationship with her father. I also wondered why her mother wasn't around. As I learned more I started to understand the motives her mother had to leave and the decisions her father had to face as a result of that. I also started to see Winn-Dixie's positive influence on Opal by helping her meet friends. In the being in and stepping out phase, I could easily relate to the experience of observing a dog's quirky habits. For example my dog is terrified of fire works and one time when we left him alone we came back and couldn't find him. We searched everywhere. It turns out that he had gotten himself stuck behind our washing machine when he heard fire works and he just stared at me like nothing ever had happened. I also could relate to hearing about various people's hardships throughout the book. In the stepping out and objectifying the experience stage, I realized that when I was done with the book it taught me that sometimes you have to let go of your preconceived notions of people to get to know them. I also learned that you must have hope in every situation and you can't reflect on the bad times or you will cause yourself more harm than good.

Because of Winn Dixie was a great little book. It was happy and carefree while at the same time a little bit sad. India Opal was so loving and accepting of everyone she met. There were a few times, for instance when she met the Dewberry boys, that she was mean at first. But it was only because they were mean first, and as soon as someone told her to give them a chance she did. This book did a great job of showing people how beneficial to place themselves in other peoples’ shoes. By that I mean you don’t know why people are the way they are until you know what they have been through. At first Opal thinks that Amanda is just a mean little girl, and she doesn’t like her. Later she finds out that Amanda’s little brother died the year before and that is the reason why she is so “squint-faced” or mean. After Opal finds this out she sympathizes with Amanda and eventually becomes her friend. So many other little life lessons are packed into this tiny book. Gloria Dump teaches Opal not to judge people by what they have done in the past, but what they are doing right now. I like that, because people can change for the better. Franny the librarian teaches Opal and Amanda about war and how devastating and sad it is. I liked how the Littmus Lozenges reminded everyone in the book of something different, while all of them were sad. I love the quote Opal says when she is eating her lozenge at night, “I lay there and thought about how life was like a Littmus Lozenge, how the sweet and the sad were all mixed up together and how hard it was to separate them out. It was confusing.” Lastly, I love how many times in this book one random act of kindness completely changed someone’s character. For example when Opal decided to wave at the Dewberry boys instead of say mean things, they were surprised and waved back instead of picking on her. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This is my new favorite book of all time! This week has been so stressful and with fall break all I have been thinking about is just getting out of town. However as soon as I began to read this book I found my peace within this hectic week. I couldn't put it down but the closer I got to finishing I got sad because I didn't want it to end. Opal is such a sweet character and as a reader I became her. The best part of this book is the fellowship that eventually happens in this small town. It is so moving to see how one lonely little girl can bring out the best in so many different types of people. By the end of the book I was smiling from ear to ear as all of her new friends finally were together and singing songs. Opal may never meet her mother and I love how because of Winn-Dixie running away, or so they thought, the two of them were able to reunite on a deeper level or understanding. This dog changed Opal's life that summer and mine too. The author does an excellent job of keeping you hooked and making it such an easy read.

I absolutely loved this book. I sat in the library and read all but the last 5 pages because my ride was leaving. I loved how Opal was able to meet lonely people when she was lonely in the town herself. It made me sad to see that Opal didn't have a very good relationship with her father to the point where she didn't even call him Dad. I was able to relate to this part of the book because my relationship with my father isn't that great but I do call him Dad. There are so many different life lessons in this story but the one that stood out the most was that you shouldn't form opinions about someone until you really know who they are. I have seen myself forming opinions about people before when I don't know very much about them. I could see the 4 stances readers assume as I read this book. In the beginning I wanted to know about Opal and who she was. The more I read the more I became absorbed in the story and felt like I was a part of it. I was also able to reflect on my own life with this story. Like I said my relationship with my father isn't that great and I have caught myself forming opinions about people before I really know them. I could also relate to when Winn Dixie got scared from the storms. My grandparents live behind me and their dog is afraid of fireworks. Everytime there are fireworks their dog goes crazy and they have to lock him in the basement. In the end I could see myself being reinfored for the lesson that I shouldn't form opinions about someone and that I need to reach out to lonely people.

I think DiCamillo establishes cultural perspective in this book through the different dialects. I noticed that each character had a separate way of talking. You knew it was Franny the librarian talking if she used the words “No, ma’am” or “Yes, ma’am.” You knew it was Gloria Dump talking if she used the word child. I also got a more southern feeling form this book because DiCamillo brought up the Civil War. Opal chooses the book Gone with the Wind to read to Gloria Dump. I find that the Civil War is more a part of southern culture than northern culture. It seems to still be a topic that is talked about in the south, and in the north they don’t really think about it anymore. DiCamillo also does a great job of creating all four of the stances readers are supposed to assume during a book. In the beginning we are introduced to the main characters, in which I think most of us immediately gain an appreciation of Opal. Next we are with Opal on her quest to make new friends. Once she meets her new friends we follow her several times through her daily routine. After this we find out more and more about the different characters which allows us to relate to them and think about similar situations that we have been in. By the end so many wonderful people have been brought together that you think back and reflect about what has happen, and who used to be different than the way they ended up.

I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down the entire time I was reading it. The author really did a great job with catching the reader's attention. I could relate to how Opal felt about moving to a new town with no friends and such. Before the ninth grade, my family and I moved five times. It was really hard for me to make friends and fit in at the beginning also, much like Opal's own experience. It really surprised me how accepting Opal's father was about keeping the dog when Opal first found Winn Dixie. I have found many stray animals in my lifetime and my parents would never let me keep any of them. I really liked how the author made the preacher so warm and understanding. I also really liked the passage about Otis playing music for the animals. I thought that really portrayed Otis' personality and his sensitive side. One of my favorite characters was Miss Franny. She was such a sweet lady. The author really made the characters come to life and seem so real and personal. I think this is a book that any age, any person can enjoy.

Because of Winn-Dixie was a wonderful book! Like most people this week I've been really busy studying for exams and doing projects but I actually looked forward to picking this book up and reading it! I can definitely see why this book is a Newberry Honor Book! The characters in this book were great! I feel like each character brought something different to the table! I feel like this is a great book for young children to relate to if they are coping with things in their life like losing someone or moving to a new place and having to make new friends. Opal, is a great inspiration and a wonderful character in this book! She was constantly thinking of others and always trying to think of ways to make her friends happy! This is by far one of my favorite children's books I've read!

First of all, I love, love, love this book! Opal is the sweetest little girl, with a huge heart. As I read I felt light hearted and sympathetic for Opal. This book shows what it means to be a friend. It also shows what true compassion for another person is. I don’t believe that I had a favorite character, but I really liked Gloria. She was so wise and with the simple comment about holding on to something that wants to be let go. She helped sum up the theme of the book and it gave the reader a settling thought about the internal conflict that Opal struggled with throughout the book about her mother. I really believe that many children from the south can relate to Opal because so much of the southern culture is incorporated into the book. Such as the Baptist church Opal’s father preaches at, the stories of the Civil War, and just the southern hospitality that is represented by the characters. This book was a fun to read and I can't wait to use it in my classroom.