“There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it” (pg. 159).
This book was very popular in my fourth-grade class because of the movie adaptation, but I never got around to reading. I heard various reviews about it, mostly saying that it was sad. This scared little 11-year-old me into not reading it. That is, until now. I am happy to say I loved this book, and it wasn't as sad as people were making it out to be.
This story follows India Opal, a young girl who has just moved to a small town, away from all of her friends. She only lives with her dad due to her mother leaving them when Opal was only a baby. She has a hard time making friends, so she is very lonely at the beginning. One day, while going to the grocery store, she finds Winn-Dixie, who is a skinny, scrappy mutt who loves to get into trouble. With the help of her newfound friend, Opal meets many new friends around her town, such as the librarian, a pet store manager, and a "witch". The book ends on a happy note, with Opal and all her new friends at a party enjoying some music, pickles, and Litmus Lozenges.
Including this book in your classroom would be very beneficial to your students. The first tough topic it covers is parents leaving. Early on in the book, it goes into detail about how Opal's mother left. This topic, while difficult to discuss, can really open up conversations to students who have dealt with this in their personal lives. Sometimes, kids can have a hard time expressing their feelings. If they find a character dealing with the same thing, the connection can bring out their struggles and help them cope. Another topic this book deals with is making friends. In school, making social connections and collaborating are extremely important. However, this can be hard for some people, like Opal. This book can be relatable to students who are having struggles with making friends and can offer support to them.
This book was definitely 5/5 paws for me! It was a cute story with deeper meanings that are helpful to students. I constantly felt myself smiling throughout the story and felt warm after reading it.
2 out of 20 books down! Tune in next week to see what my next book adventure will be!
Kaylee,
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie when I was a child. If you have seen the movie, do you think it is pretty similar? I remember when I was in Florida and I saw the "Winn Dixie" store. I was so pumped because I related it to the movie. I also think that this is a good book to introduce kids to the concept of parents leaving a child's life. It shows it in a way that is not too depressing, but still that it is a real thing. I think that this book would be a very valuable resource to have in your future classroom! It covers so many important topics that many students can sadly relate to. Books like these make the hard talks a little bit easier. I'm glad you are finding such meaningful books to read!