Because of Winn- Dixie
Walker Books 2001
182p pbk $14.95
ISBN: 0-7445-7829-9
Awards: A Newberry Honor Book
This story is about a
young girl who lost her mother. She moved into a new town with her dad and
was trying ever so hard to fit, but then she realised that you don’t
have to ‘fit in’ with other people’s arrangements, you should create
your own. She then befriended a dog, called ‘Winn-Dixie’, which in
fact made her quite a few new friends. Winn-Dixie and her then explored
the worlds of other people and how they deal with their lives. This book
would be under the genŕe of families and friends.
Its appeal to the intended
audience is very good. Large printed writing and short chapters, make this
book incredibly easy to read. This book would be suitable for an advanced
reader from the ages 7-9 or for a struggling reader who is 10 or 11,
therefore the topic is very suitable for its broad age group as children
around those ages love having friends and family around them. The
storyline is very well prepared. The illustrations on the front and back
cover are amazing. Someone put a lot of effort into these and their
integration with the text is very good. This book would be a ‘read-
alone’ book and the font, layout and language is very appropriate for
the age group.
Personally, I think this
book was very easy to read, as I am older than the intended age group. The
story grabs you from the first page and anchors you down the entire time
you are reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves
stories with happy endings, or just wants a book to read one night. It is
good to see a book that actually gives out a positive message;’ You are
never alone’.
India Opal Buloni was just your average ten
year old and lead quite a normal life until she came back from the grocery
store with a…dog! But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It is because of
Winn-Dixie that she gets to meet some amazing people and make new friends.
It is also because of Winn-Dixie that she finally discovers things about
her mother who left when she was only three. Read about the funny
situations and interesting characters in Because
of Winn-Dixie.
I really enjoyed this heart-warming tale and
would probably recommend it to young readers between the age of 10-13. I
give it a 6/10.
Melissa,
aged 16, Canberra, ACT
