Friday, November 20, 2009

SLIS 5420 Module 6 October 5 - October 11

Book Cover





Bibliography

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.



Summary of the Plot


The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie because she found him in the grocery story where she bought white rice, two tomatos and some macaroni and cheese. Opal is curious about her mother who has disappeared from her life and so she makes a deal with the preacher that he will tell her one thing about her mother for every year that Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace. Winn Dixie also helps Opal meet Gloria Dump and Otis who are both misfits in the town of Naomi. Otis is an ex-con who works at the pet store and turns the pets out after hours then soothes them with his guitar playing. Miss Gloria Dump is the town's eccentric old lady but she and Opal host a party of which they invite all of their friends.


Vi's Vibes

Because of Winn-Dixie is an well-crafted story which tells of a young girl heart-broken over her mother's disappearance and a father who no longer has time for her. Upon meeting this ugly dog whom she names Winn-Dixie because of where she finds him Opal embarks upon finding herself in this new town. Her dog helps her to meet people that she would otherwise never have taken the time to meet and he also helps her reconnect with her father. She realizes that her Dad misses her Mom just as much as Opal does and through this connection they become a stronger family unit.

Reviews



Gr 4-6-India Opal Buloni, 10, finds a big, ugly, funny dog in the produce department of a Winn-Dixie grocery store. She names him accordingly and takes him home to meet her father, a preacher. Her daddy has always told her to help those less fortunate, and surely Winn-Dixie is in need of a friend. Opal needs one, too. Since moving to Naomi, FL, she has been lonely and has been missing her mother more than usual. When she asks her father to tell her 10 things about her mother, who left the family when Opal was three, she learns that they both have red hair, freckles, and swift running ability. And, like her mother, Opal likes stories. She collects tales to tell her mother, hoping that she'll have a chance to share them with her one day. These stories are lovingly offered one after another as rare and polished gems and are sure to touch readers' hearts. They are told in the voice of this likable Southern girl as she relates her day-to-day adventures in her new town with her beloved dog. Do libraries need another girl-and-her-dog story? Absolutely, if the protagonist is as spirited and endearing as Opal and the dog as lovable and charming as Winn-Dixie. This well-crafted, realistic, and heartwarming story will be read and reread as a new favorite deserving a long-term place on library shelves.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

School Library Journal June 2000


Utilization for Library Classes

In order to use this book in my class I would have the students choose a character from the story Because of Winn-Dixie. Then after choosing a character I would have them create an item that would show what was important to that character. For instance, if someone chose Otis they might choose to make a guitar, or if someone chose Gloria Dump they might make a tree with doodads on it.

Another idea might be for the students who have moved to a new town draw a picture or write a story about how they felt about moving to a new town. Then describe to the students who have never moved what made them feel comforted in their new town.

No comments:

Post a Comment