"Take one disarmingly engaging protagonist and put her in the company of a tenderly rendered canine and you've got yourself a recipe for the best kind of down-home literary treat. Kate DiCamillo's voice in Because of Winn-Dixie should carry from the steamy, sultry pockets of Florida clear across the miles to enchant young readers everywhere." — Karen Hesse, author of the Newbery-award winner Out of the Dust
"Brush strokes of magical realism elevate this beyond a simple story of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow, and hope. And it's funny, too. A real gem."
– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[E]xquisitely crafted first novel. Each chapter possesses an arc of its own and reads almost like a short story in its completeness; yet the chapters add up to much more than a sum of their parts . . . This bittersweet tale of contemporary life in a small Southern town will hold readers rapt."
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A gentle book about good people coming together to combat lonliness and heartache--with a little canine assistance."
– The Horn Book
"This well-crafted, realistic, and heartwarming story will be read and reread as a new favorite deserving a long-term place on library shelves."
–School Library Journal (starred review)
" Poignant and delicately told." – The New York Times Book Review
"The books' truthfulness is what makes it so powerful. People can identify with the fact that everyone sort of isolates themselves because of a misconnection or a loss or whatever is in their lives."
–Newsday
"It's the kind of book people love and tell their friends to read."
–Washington Post
"An enchanting little book with a touch of magic, a cast of great characters, and a lot of real life and wisdom."
–Star Tribune
"Both kids and grown-ups love it . . . it's a great read-aloud book . . . it has scooped up numerous awards . . . it's an unforgettable story about making friends."
– Orlando Sentinel
