Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie has been on my list of books to read for a l-o-n-g time. Yet, I didn’t get around to reading it until I thought of introducing it to my book club. And I’m so glad I did! It’s a gorgeous book. It’s the kind of book that makes your heart ache and swell with its sweetness and its gentleness.
India Opal’s mother left her father and her, and it’s because of Winn-Dixie, a dog she adopts at the spur of the moment, that she begins to come to terms with her loss. Not just that; all thanks to Winn-Dixie, she makes friends and learns what it means to be part of a community where everyone not only has a story to share and but also has ghosts that haunt their past.
I can’t wait to read it with my book club!
Vocabulary
Playing with words is always fun! I have three vocabulary activities in mind for Because of Winn-Dixie. One, before we start reading, we’ll do a word search puzzle and then string together some of the words to build a story of our own. Next, we’ll try to make a list of words we associate with dogs. And finally, we’ll do a crossword puzzle based on the book. There are so many resources available online; I hope to use at least some of them!
Ten Things
As Opal is ten years old, she asks her father to tell her ten things about her mother. What ten things would you tell us about a parent or best friend? Do you think they give us a clear picture of what the person is like?
Letter to Mom
There are so many writing activities we can do with Because of Winn-Dixie! One thing I would love to explore is to get into Opal’s character and write a letter to her mother about Winn-Dixie. What would Opal say? Writing a little about how she feels about each of her new friends would be a great way to begin!
Come, read with us!
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