Just So Stories

Walker Books Australia

February 2022

ISBN13:9781536214352

Imprint: Candlewick Press

Australia RRP:$14.99

New Zealand RRP:$17.99

Awards

Alabama Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award

Arkansas Charlie May Simon Award

Bank Street College Josette Frank Award for Fiction

California Young Reader Medal

Children’s Librarians of Dover, NH Cochecho Readers’ Award

Delaware Library Association Blue Hen Award

Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award

Hawaii Nene Award

Iowa Children’s Choice Award

Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Honor Book

Maine Student Book Award

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award

Massachusetts Children’s Book Award

Michigan Mitten Book Award

Nebraska Golden Sower Award

New Hampshire Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award

Newbery Honor Book

Ohio Buckeye Children’s Book Award

Oklahoma Sequoyah Children’s Book Award

Parents’ Choice Award

South Carolina Children’s Book Award

South Dakota Library Associations Prairie Pasque Book Award

William Allen White Children’s Book Award

Maryland Children’s Book Award

I absolutely adore Kate’s books (and was so very happy to meet and hear her speak on a visit to Brisbane a few years back) but I truly think that Because of Winn-Dixie is my favourite. This beautiful, funny, heart-warming story has acquired fans all over the world since it was first published in 2000 (can you believe that!!!?) and further to that, has reaped awards galore, as you can see from the list.

This new edition updated with a charming afterword from Kate and some very useful discussion questions will connect with an entire new generation of readers, particularly as the movie (which is actually quite a good adaptation IMO) is available on streaming so many of your kiddos will no doubt have seen it.

When India Opal Buloni and her daddy, the Baptist preacher, move to a new town, she certainly never imagined she would make a whole raft of new friends because of one scruffy but loveable dog. And she certainly never imagined it would help both her and her daddy to heal some after her mother’s abandonment of them both, when Opal was just tiny.

But it seems Winn-Dixie is not your average stray dog. There’s something about him – and Opal – that makes people feel comfortable and valued, and as Opal and Winn-Dixie gather the lonely, the shy, the unwanted to their warmth and companionship, Opal begins to see that friendship – and forgiveness – can completely take one unawares. It is a story filled with love and hope with strong yet subtle themes for all readers, particularly about not judging by appearances or rumour.

Because of Winn-Dixie twenty + years on is just as wonderfully warm and engaging as it was when it first was released. And I am so very glad that this special edition has my favourite of the covers.

Highly recommended (I’d go as far as to say mandatory reading) for kiddos from around 9 or 10 years upwards.