Because of Winn-Dixie: A Small Read with a Big Heart

As my title suggests, Because of Winn Dixie is a tale that will certainly tug at your heartstrings! It tells the tale of India Opal Buloni, a ten year-old narrator with the same honest and endearing qualities of Scout Finch, who moves to Naomi, Florida one summer with her preacher father and learns more about life than she ever bargained for. Opal's mother, a free spirit with a dark past, abandoned the family when Opal was just 3. Opal and her father are close but her father remains emotionally distant when it comes to the past, hiding the pain of his lost love. When Opal and "the preacher" (as Opal calls her father) move to Naomi, life as they know it is turned upside down because of Winn Dixie, an ugly mutt of a dog with a tendency towards the mischievous who adopts Opal almost upon her arrival. Winn Dixie's astounding ability to make friends everywhere he goes, Opal encounters a town full of personalitie, including an ex-con who charms his pet store charges with his guitar to the neighborhood "witch" whose musings are profound, all of whom help Opal through this coming of age.

I absolutely loved Because of Winn Dixie. Opal reminded me SO much of Scout Finch, one of my favorite literary heroines, that I immediately warmed to her. Her naive yet wise voice spoke volumes and drew me in, so much so that I was nearly brought to tears over the course of the novel and I didn't want it to end! Each chapter sort of reads like its own short story - all have a clear message of their own but also weave together to build towards the larger plot. This is something that I believe really speaks to the story-telling skills of the author, Kate DiCamillo.Because of Winn Dixie was the first book published by the much-lauded author DiCamillo, the mind behind contemporary major children's books like The Tale of Desperaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Avid movie-goers might also recognize the title because it was made into a movie in 2005 by the same name. One potential activity associated with the book could be to read the story and then watch the movie and compare and contrast what was the same in both versions and what was changed in the adaptation. This activity would give students practice at making double bubble maps and comparison. Scholastic.com also has some great activities that could be used for enrichment or extension, including a "Watch the Story Grow" section where students can read and compare the various drafts that Kate DiCamillo developed throughout the writing process and an interview with the author on how she develops a story. This could provide a lot of inspiration to children who don't like to write or who are bogged down by the at times lengthy nature of the writing process. You can check out all of the above activities at http://www.scholastic.com/winndixie/. The author's website also supposedly has a teacher's guide for Winn Dixie but since opening it made my computer freeze twice and nearly cost me this blog post, check it out at your own risk.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. Judging from my fifth grade class, it seems to be popular with a lot of girls but I think boys will definitely identify with a lot of the issues Opal deals with and the adventures that she and Winn Dixie embark upon together. If you are looking for a great realistic fiction read that will keep you wanting more, check out Because of Winn Dixie.

Shel Silverstein's poems and drawings invite children to explore "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

In Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, readers will find a collection of funny, entertaining and whimsical drawings and poems sure to delight both children and adults of all ages. The anthology begins with a poem, “An Invitation,” that I want to somehow incorporate into my classroom décor because it has such a great message that leaves a lasting impact on the reader:

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…

If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!

Come in!

In this initial poem, Silverstein has captured the anticipation that book-lovers feel before diving into a good book and a feeling that I would like to impart onto all of my students. The rest of the anthology is filled with the types of poems that have become Silverstein’s trademark: always silly and zany, some written just for fun and some with a lasting take-away message.

I’ve found that the silly ones are the best to read aloud and often the most memorable for kids. One of my favorites from this book is called “Sick.” It tells the story of a girl, Peggy Ann McKay, who claims she cannot go to school because of a variety of symptoms that would stump even the most experienced medical professionals…That is, until she learns that its Saturday, upon which she is miraculously cured. I remember being so thrilled by this poem that I memorized the entire thing in third grade. To this day I can still recall a few sporadic stanzas!

Other poems in Silverstein’s anthology are meant to inspire and encourage, like the short but sweet “Listen to the Musn’ts”:

Listen to the MUSN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON’Ts
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS,
The IMPOSSIBLES, THE WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

These two excerpts are just examples of the diverse literature awaiting readers of Where the Sidewalk Ends and really capture Silverstein’s uncanny ability to create fantastical and time-tested works that appeal to both children and adults.

Upon researching Shel Silverstein further, I was not surprised to find that before he was a children’s author, he wrote for adults with works appearing on stage in New York City and published in Playboy Magazine. He also was an accomplished musician, writing song for Johnny Cash and Dr. Hook. He even won a Grammy in 1984 for Best Children’s Album with his recitation of Where the Sidewalk Ends. (http://www.shelsilverstein.com/play.asp) 

Since even his works for children contain a more serious edge to them, you can easily see the adult influence in them. Hence, readers should be aware that Silverstein’s poems and drawings border on the macabre and adults should be cautioned to use their better judgment when reading them to younger readers. A lot of the illustrations for the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends are wacky and psychedelic, like a head with two faces or a person with their head on the backside of their body. Older readers who are mature enough to handle the zaniness will be fascinated by this element of his work. I remember being both horrified and intrigued by Silverstein’s poetry, particularly his description of Peggy Ann McKay’s horrible symptoms in “Sick” or the sandwich in “Recipe for a Hippopotamus Sandwich.”  

In sum, a classroom library is incomplete without at least one collection of poems from Shel Silverstein and I would recommend his first anthology, Where the Sidewalk Ends as a great place to start. In the modern world, where children are exposed to various forms of computer and video games upon entrance into the world, Silverstein’s collections remain a refuge where children are encouraged to live within their brains, to explore, to imagine and to create.