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

Exposition:

India Opal Buloni is a lonely girl in a new town who finds a stray dog at the grocery store and takes him home to her preacher father.

Conflict:

Opal and her father miss her mother, and they are still getting adjusted to life in their new town, but their new dog starts to show them many things they are missing.

Rising Action:

As Opal and her dog, Winn-Dixie, travel around their new town, they meet many unusual people whom they befriend. As she becomes closer with her new friends, Opal begins to better understand her father and her missing mother.

Climax:

During a thunderstorm at a party with their new friends, Winn-Dixie is missing, so Opal and her dad go out looking for him. They cannot find him but agree to continue searching, but they also come to terms with Opal’s missing mother when they realize she isn’t coming back.

Falling Action:

Opal and her father return home and discover that Winn-Dixie was hiding at the party, and their new friends are looking out for him and each other.

Resolution:

Opal says her own good bye to her mother and plans to move on with her life making new friends.

Literary Qualities:

1)      The character description and development are very strong, and through her ideas about other characters, we learn more about Opal.

2)      Point of view is a very clear, and readers are drawn into Opal’s world through her own thoughts and ideas.