Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (contemporary realistic fiction)

     Because of Winn-Dixie takes readers through an emotional and thrilling story of a young girl, Opal, and her newly found best friend Winn-Dixie. Winn-Dixie is a dog, who came close to calling the pound home before Opal saved him and made him her own. 

    This book is a great example of contemporary realistic fiction. The characters and plot seems super relatable and real, it gives something for children to connect to. It is very engaging and the setting and plot all support the events in the story. It all flows very natural, and the intended age group would be able to follow along and comprehend the story. Nothing in this book seems like it is too far fetched or too out of the ordinary. It is a very simple yet engaging story that children of all ages would love. 

Motivational Activities:

With students, using this book, you could do a class "bottle tree" where they decorate and create their own bottles to hang on a bulletin board. This would be a good way to incorporate social / emotional lessons into the reading by talking about how everyone makes mistakes and that its okay and we should acknowledge those things in our lives. There also is opportunity for inspiration for creative writing. Students could place themselves in the shoes of Opal and create their own story line based on the book. You also could show the movie of the book and then have students respond with the similarities and differences and talk about which version was their favorite and why.


possible questions to ask:

  1. Why do you think Opal immediately gave Winn-Dixie a bath?
  2. What do you think is the importance of the relationship Opal has with Winn-Dixie?
  3. What do we learn about lies and truth in this story?

This is a classic story that I use to love as an older elementary schooler! I also think that it would just be a lovely read aloud for children of all ages. It is a great story overall and students will fall in love with Opal and Winn-Dixie. It is a wonderful plot with lovable characters, and I think that having it available in the classroom library would be a great idea! 


References:

 Galda, L., Liang, L. A., & Cullinan, B. E. (2016). Literature and the Child. Cengage Learning.


DiCamillo, K. (2021). Because of Winn-Dixie (Reprint ed.). Candlewick.

Comments

  1. Amelia TMay 8, 2022 at 8:46 PM

    I remember reading this book back in grade school! I will say it was one of my favorites! It's a book title I do not think I will ever forget. You have identified the genre as, contemporary realistic fiction; I would agree because this story describes a potential realistic scenario, and this story would be viewed as relatable to some.

    Two Alternative Activities could include:
    1. Alternate Ending - Write a different ending for this novel.
    2. Artist Rendering - Create an artistic rendering of what you think Gloria's house and yard look like based on the descriptions included in the novel.

    ReplyDelete

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