Otis Because Of Winn Dixie

2000 children's novel written past Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie
First edition
Author	Kate DiCamillo
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	Candlewick Press (The states) Walker Books (UK)
Publication engagement	March 2000
Media blazon	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	182 pp.
ISBN	0-7636-0776-2
OCLC	41601218
Followed by	The Tiger Rising

Because of Winn-Dixie is a 2000 children's novel written by Kate DiCamillo. It was adapted as a 2005 family moving picture directed by Wayne Wang, produced past Walden Media and Twentieth Century Fox, and starring AnnaSophia Robb equally Opal Buloni.^[1] ^[2]

Plot [edit]

A x-twelvemonth-quondam girl named India Opal Buloni has just moved to a trailer park in the minor town of Naomi, Florida, with her father, who is known as The Preacher because he preaches at the local church. Her female parent, Benjean-Megan, abandoned them when she was three. She describes the preacher equally a turtle, e'er sticking his head into his shell, and never wanting to come up out into the real world. This is near likely because of how sad he is nearly her mother, with whom he is still in love.

While in the supermarket, Opal sees a scruffy dog wrecking the store and decides to take him home, naming him Winn-Dixie after the supermarket chain. Miss Franny Cake, a librarian, shares great stories about her past, including ane about her slap-up-grandfather, whose family unit members died while he was fighting for the South in the Ceremonious War. He invented Litmus Lozenge candies, which tasted like root beer and strawberry but included a cloak-and-dagger ingredient—melancholy. Anyone who tasted the candies tasted sweet mixed with sadness. In Because of Winn-Dixie, these candies symbolize that fifty-fifty though life sometimes deals people a bit of sadness, there is ever much to appreciate. Opal learns that her sour-faced neighbour, Amanda Wilkinson, lost her younger blood brother Carson when he drowned in the town lake the previous summer. She vows to be nicer to her from then on.

Opal finds a dog collar that she wants to purchase for Winn-Dixie, just she has no money and decides to work for the pet shop to earn it. Otis, a worker at Gertrude's Pets, is unwilling to hire Opal every bit a cleaning girl, but she comes to piece of work. When Opal and Winn-Dixie step into the shop, the animals panic when they see the big dog. Otis plays his guitar to calm them. Opal learns that Otis once went to jail for battering a police officer who tried to confiscate his guitar after the officer told Otis he could not play music on the street because he was disturbing others.

While Opal is riding her bike and Winn-Dixie runs alee, they meet a adult female named Gloria Dump. She and Opal become good friends. Opal and Gloria, a recovering alcoholic, decide to host a small party, inspired by the one in Gone With the Wind, inviting anybody they know. In the process, Opal becomes a friend to her former enemies, the brothers Stevie and Dunlap Dewberry. She likewise invites Amanda Wilkinson and Sweetie Pie Thomas, a younger girl who has no pet, and then has fallen in dear with Winn-Dixie. Otis and Miss Franny Cake are also invited.

Opal and Gloria gear up everything outdoors, only it starts to rain, so they bring the political party indoors. Opal can't detect Winn-Dixie anywhere, even after searching the town. Ten minutes later she returns to Gloria's home to discover that Winn-Dixie has been at that place all the time, hiding because he is scared of storms. The volume ends with Otis playing his guitar and everyone singing one of The Preacher'south songs.

Reception [edit]

Considering of Winn-Dixie was the winner of a Newbery Honor distinction the year later on publication.^[3] In 2000, the book won the Josette Frank Laurels,^[4] and in 2003 won the Marker Twain Award.^[5]

In 2007 the U.S. National Education Association listed Winn-Dixie as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children", based on an online poll.^{[half dozen]} In 2012 it was ranked number 20 on a list of the tiptop 100 children'south novels published by School Library Journal, the first of 3 books by DiCamillo in the Top 100.^[7]

Musical adaptation [edit]

A Broadway musical based on the novel was announced in 2011 and debuted at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on Dec 5, 2013.^[8] John Tartaglia directed the play while Nell Benjamin wrote the volume and lyrics and Duncan Sheik wrote the music.^[9] ^[x] The musical was a office of Goodspeed Musicals' 2019 season, playing from June to September, and was directed past John Rando.^[11] ^[12]

References [edit]

^ Considering of Winn-Dixie (2005) Allmovie entry
^ Because of Winn-Dixie - IMDb Retrieved 2015-08-22
^ Newbery Medal winners
^ Josette Frank Honour winners Archived 2009-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
^ Mark Twain Award winners
^ National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 19, 2012.
^ Bird, Elizabeth (July seven, 2012). "Summit 100 Chapter Volume Poll Results". A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. School Library Periodical (web log.schoollibraryjournal.com). Archived from the original on July xiii, 2012.
^ Maxwell, Stephanie (December 26, 2013). "Off The Record: Because of Winn Dixie a heartfelt holiday musical". Arkansas Online . Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ Cox, Gordon (December xvi, 2011). "'Winn-Dixie' aims for Broadway". Variety . Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ Rizzo, Frank (July 19, 2019). "Regional Theater Review: 'Considering of Winn Dixie,' the Musical". Variety . Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^ Lefkowitz, Andy (September 25, 2018). "Nell Benjamin & Duncan Sheik's Because of Winn Dixie Musical Gear up for Goodspeed'south 2019 Season". Broadway.com . Retrieved May two, 2022.
^ Gans, Andrew (July 22, 2019). "Read Reviews for Because of Winn Dixie, the New Musical by Duncan Sheik and Nell Benjamin". Playbill . Retrieved May two, 2022.