How does it live up to its name? In what ways is it different from churches in your community? In what ways is it similar? 9. }iscuss the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. Do you think this incident really could have occurred? How might it also be a story about the power of literature? 8. Miss Franny Block claims to have chased away a bear by hurling a big fat book at him. He said, Opal, I believe Winn-Dixie has a pathological fear of thunderstorms. What do they reveal about her mother’s strengths? What do they reveal about her weaknesses? Do they help explain why she left? Do they excuse her actions? 7. The preacher lay there on the ground, rubbing his nose.
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}iscuss the ten things that Opal learns about her mother from her father. What are his objections? Why does he change his mind? 6. Opal’s father is initially reluctant to let Opal keep Winn-Dixie. What makes the stray so irresistible? Why is Opal so ready for something to love? 5. Winn-Dixie is ugly, limping, and smelly, but Opal knows within moments that she loves him with all her heart (page 14). Why does she use different terms for the same man? Which role does Opal think he prefers: preacher or daddy? Why does he sometimes remind her of something completely different: a turtle? 4. Opal usually calls her father Daddy, but she thinks of him as the preacher. “That’s my dog.” How is she deceiving the man? How is she, at the same time, being truthful? 3. “Wait a minute!” Opal says to the store manager (page 9) when he threatens to send WinnDixie to the pound. How does Opal introduce herself to the reader? What do you discover about her life and her personality right from the start? 2.
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S ome literary characters make a very strong first impression, just the way some people do. Take a closer look at the novel’s opening paragraph. ILLUSTRATION COPYRIGHT © 2000 BY CHRIS SHEBAN ĭiscussion Questions 1. How a girl with an ache in her heart and a stray with a great toothy grin transform their lives-and the lives of those they love-is the joyful adventure at the center of this perennial bestseller, the first book in Kate DiCamillo’s extraordinary career. He is big and ugly, and Opal knows right from the start that his name is Winn-Dixie-and that he doesn’t belong to anyone but her. Ībout the Book One summer day in Naomi, Florida, India Opal Buloni goes into a grocery store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese and comes out with a dog.