Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, K.  (2000).  Because of Winn-Dixie.  Cambridge, Ma.: Candlewick Press.

This book is a John Newbery Honor book for 2000.

India Opal Buloni was a very lonely girl.  She had just moved to Naomi, Florida, with her father, the preacher, and had no friends.  One day in the grocery store she came face to face with a dog who changed her life.  The dog who she called Winn-Dixie (the name of the grocery store) became her constant companion.  After that she began to make friends, like the librarian, Miss Franny Block, Otis at the pet store, Sweetie Pie Thompson, Gloria Dump and Stevie and Dunlap Dewberry.  She decided to have a party at Gloria's house for all her friends.  On the night of the party, Otis was afraid to join the other guests, the Dewberry brothers almost decided not to come, and it began to rain.  The thunder scared Winn-Dixie and they thought he ran away.  Opal and the preacher looked everywhere for him.  They finally found him under Gloria's bed and had to coax him out with Otis' music.  

I liked this book for the simple fact that it was a cute story and it was a really easy book to read.  The description of the Dewberry boys haircut reminded me of those that my brothers got when we were little children.  Another similarity was the house for the library, our library in town was a house someone donated to the library.