Because of Winn-Dixie

As a child, Because of Winn Dixie was one of my favorite movies. I was fascinated with the relationship between the main character Opal and the dog she found, Winn-Dixie. I was able to relate to this movie because during my childhood years I had such a strong relationship with my dogs. As I was looking for another book to read, I was surprised to see that Because of Winn-Dixie was originally a book, so it peaked my curiosity to read it after I had seen the movie. Although I am not too surprised to say this, I found the book to be much better than the movie. It made me wish that I had read the book as a child and then watched the movie. Some parts of the book were not portrayed well in the movie, and also as a reader you get to understand how Opal is feeling on a more personal level. I love Opal’s personality and how she treats people around her. For someone who has been through the hardship of not having a mother to depend on, Opal does her best to keep her chin held up. Although Opal tries her hardest to be positive, it is obvious that something is missing in her life and the light at the end of the tunnel is finally found through Winn-Dixie. While reading this book I realized that there are some mature topics and for some children it may be too much for them to handle. Although the language is fairly easy to read, profanity is prevalent throughout the book. Additionally, it may be hard for some children to grasp the concept of Opal not having many friends and Gloria’s addiction to alcohol. All this aside, I think this book has a strong and positive underlying message … even when you are lonely, there may be someone who can walk into your life and help fill the void, just as Opal found Winn-Dixie in a grocery store. I am so glad I was able to relive my childhood and finally read this amazing book. Even though it may be considered a children’s novel, I think everyone can find something in this book that they can relate to.

DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2000. Print.