Because of Winn-Dixie Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

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Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo
  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Readers' Rating (48):
  • First Published:
  • Mar 1, 2000, 184 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Sep 2001, 182 pages
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Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

The Short of the Story:

At the start of Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Honor novel, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni has just moved to Naomi, Florida. Her mom has left the family, and her preacher father has been hiding in his old "turtle shell." All India Opal wants is a friend. That's when she finds Winn-Dixie, a stray dog she rescues at the local grocery store. Having Winn-Dixie for a dog is great. India Opal starts to meet people in town, her father starts poking out of his shell, and India Opal even begins to understand why her mother may have left. All of this happens because of Winn-Dixie.

Questions to Discuss:

  1. What brings India Opal and her father to Naomi?
     
  2. Describe Winn-Dixie. What is it about him that makes him appealing to India Opal?
     
  3. How does India Opal's father react to Winn-Dixie? How does she convince him to let the dog stay?
     
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  1. How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
  2. What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
  3. Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?


Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Candlewick Press. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

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