School Read
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
About Our School Read...
This year we are excited to do something new with all of our Cool Cat Families. Every student received a copy of the book Because of Winn-Dixie today (1 copy per family). This is your family’s book to keep. We invite you to read this book along with us over the next several weeks! This is a great opportunity to spend time together reading as a family and engage with the entire school community! Each week we will read the same chapters in the book. Happy Reading!
Videos, Trivia, & More...
Wrightsboro staff have recorded themselves reading the chapters from the book so you can choose to read the book at home together or listen as a family. We will share the new chapter videos each week on ClassDojo and here on the school website. There will also be discussion questions to guide your conversation. Students will have the opportunity to win prizes at school with the daily trivia question! Let’s get reading!
Show Us Your Reading! #coolcatsread
We would love to see our Cool Cat families reading together! Take a picture and post to social media using the hashtag #coolcatsread so we can see all of our amazing readers.
Save the Date!
We will be celebrating our School Read on Nov. 15th! Please save the date and plan to join us at 5:30 that evening! More details will be provided soon.
| Date | Chapters |
| Sept. 21st-26th | Introduction-Chapter 3 |
| Sept. 27th-Oct. 3rd | Chapters 4-7 |
| Oct. 4th-10th | Chapters 8-10 |
| Oct. 11th-17th | Chapters 11-14 |
| Oct. 18th-24th | Chapters 15-18 |
| Oct. 25th-31st | Chapters 19-21 |
| Nov. 1st-7th | Chapters 22-24 |
| Nov. 8th-14th | Chapters 25-End of the Book |
Check out this video of our School Read Project!
https://live.myvrspot.com/iframe?v=OTNkMDY0MzdhZWQzODk3NDJjYzM0ZTFkMTkxNTQ1Nzg
Chapter Videos & Questions
*Due to copyright restrictions, recordings of teachers reading the chapters will be removed after 2 weeks. The questions will stay posted.
September 21st-26th
Introduction
- Trivia Question - Who is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie?
Chapter 1
- Trivia Question - What did Opal name the dog she found at the grocery store?
- Discussion Question - Opal finds a dog when she goes to the grocery store. The manager isn't happy the dog is in the grocery store. Opal wonders what her dad will think about the dog. How do you think her dad will feel?
Chapter 2
- Trivia Question - What job does Opal's father have?
- Discussion Question - Opal hopes her dad will let her keep Winn-Dixie because he is a "suffering dog" and her dad cares a lot about "suffering people." What does it mean to suffer? Do you think the dog is a "suffering dog?" Why or why not? Can you make a text-to-self, text-to-text, or text-to-world connection about suffering?
Chapter 3
- Trivia Question - Why does Opal say she and Winn-Dixie are almost like orphans?
- Discussion Question - Opal and the preacher recently moved and she had to leave all of her friends. Have you ever moved or been the new person somewhere? How did that make you feel? Did you feel similar or different than Opal?
September 27th - October 3rd
Chapter 4
- Trivia Question - How many things does the preacher tell Opal about her mama?
- Discussion Question - Opal wrote all of the things the preacher told her about her mama down and then repeated them until she memorized them. How do you think this list made Opal feel? Can you think of someone in your family you've wanted to know more about? Ask them and take time to learn more about them.
Chapter 5
- Trivia Question - What does Winn-Dixie do when he is left alone?
- Discussion Question - Winn-Dixie doesn't like to be left alone. Opal also feels lonely sometimes because she misses her mama. Feeling lonely is something Winn-Dixie and Opal have in common. Can you think of something else they have in common? What is a difference between Winn-Dixie and Opal?
Chapter 6
- Trivia Question - Miss Franny screams when she sees Winn-Dixie through the window. What does she think Winn-Dixie is?
- Discussion Question - Miss Franny felt embarrassed when she realized that Winn-Dixie was a dog. Embarrassed means to make someone uncomfortable, feel ashamed, humiliated, upset. Why do you think Miss Franny was embarrassed? Have you ever felt embarrassed? What made you feel embarrassed?
Chapter 7
- Trivia Question - What did Miss Franny ask her dad for her birthday when she was a little girl?
- Discussion Question - Miss Franny uses a variety of imagery to describe the bear. She described the smell, how she felt, the way the bear looked through descriptive language and compared the bear to everyday things to help Opal picture it. Authors use imagery to paint a picture in our minds. Look around you and pick out something to describe. Use multiple senses (touch, smell, sight, taste, sound) just like Miss Franny did.
October 4th-10th
Chapter 8 Video
- Trivia Question - What does Opal want to get from the pet store?
- Discussion Question - What is the biggest difference in Opal’s life at the end of chapter eight compared to the beginning of the story? Describe and explain the difference.
Chapter 9 Video
- Trivia Question - What does Gloria Dump give Opal and Winn-Dixie to eat?
- Discussion Question - Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry followed Opal on her bike and told her that Gloria Dump is a witch. Is Gloria Dump a witch? Describe her. Gloria Dump asks Opal to tell her everything about her "so as I can see you with my heart". What do you think it means to "see someone with your heart?"
Chapter 10 Video
- Trivia Question - What kind of tree does Opal plant?
- Discussion Question - Have you ever heard one thing about a person, but then your opinion changed once you got to know him or her? Opal's opinion of Gloria Dump changed. How did her opinion of Gloria Dump change?
October 11th-17th
Chapter 11 Video
- Trivia Question - What is Winn-Dixie afraid of?
- Discussion Question - Opal learns Winn-Dixie has a pathological fear. The preacher tells her that a pathological fear is a fear that goes way beyond normal fears and you can't be talked out of or reasoned out of it. Talk to your family about your fears. What are you afraid of? Is it a little fear or a big fear like a pathological fear?
Chapter 12 Video
- Trivia Question - What happens when Otis plays his guitar and sings?
- Discussion Question - Opal works very hard at the pet store so she can have the collar for Winn-Dixie. Opal must think Winn-Dixie is a very special friend. Why is Winn-Dixie such a good friend for Opal?
Chapter 13 Video
- Trivia Question - Opal goes to 3 places every day. Name 1 of the places she goes to each day.
- Discussion Question - The Dewberry boys would make Opal mad because they made fun of her or her friends, but Gloria Dump told Opal she thought the boys just wanted to be friends with her. Do you agree with her? Why or why not? What can you do to make friends with somebody?
Chapter 14 Video
- Trivia Question - Why did Gloria Dump hang bottles in her tree?
- Discussion Question - Gloria Dump tells Opal not to judge people based on their past, but on their present. She tells her Otis should only be judged on what he does now, not what he did back in the day. Sometimes we hold a grudge and don't really forgive someone if they do something bad or if they hurt us. Why is it hard to forgive others? What does it mean to really forgive someone?
October 18th-24th
Chapter 15 Video
- Trivia Question - What does Winn-Dixie do when Miss Franny has a fit?
- Discussion Question - Opal wants to comfort Gloria Dump so she decides to read her a book. Have you ever been comforted by a book? What is your favorite book and why?
Chapter 16 Video
- Trivia Question - What happened to Littmus’s home and family during the war?
- Discussion Question - Opal and Amanda said the story Miss Franny was telling them about Littmus was a sad story, but she said she wasn't done with the story yet. What do you think might happen to make the story better?
Chapter 17 Video
- Trivia Question - What did Littmus do to bring something sweet to the world?
- Discussion Question - Opal likes the taste—root beer and strawberry—but something about it makes her sad. Miss Franny tells them the secret ingredient: sorrow. If they can taste it, they've felt it. Sorrow is when someone is very sad. Has something in your life made you sad? What was it?
Chapter 18 Video
- Trivia Question - What book does Opal read to Gloria Dump?
- Discussion Question - The preacher told Opal she had to apologize to the Dewberry boys for calling them names. Opal didn't want to apologize because she said the boys were also being mean to her. Sometimes it can be hard to say you're sorry. When you apologize, it's important to say what you are apologizing for. Think about a time when you had to apologize. Was it hard to apologize? Did apologizing help fix the problem?
October 25th-31st
Chapter 19 Video
- Trivia Question - Why did Otis go to jail?
- Discussion Question - Opal often shared her thoughts with Winn-Dixie. Do you think it is easier to talk to pets or people? Why?
Chapter 20 Video
- Trivia Question - Name someone Opal invites to the party at Gloria Dump's house.
- Discussion Question - Gloria Dump made Opal promise to invite the Dewberry boys and Miss Franny convinced her to invite Amanda Wilkinson. Do you think they will come? Will they have a good time? Make a prediction what you think will happen.
Chapter 21 Video
- Trivia Question - What food and drink do Opal and Gloria Dump make for the party?
- Discussion Question - When Otis arrives at the party, he stood on the sidewalk and didn't come in. How do you think Otis felt? What makes you think that? Use evidence from the book to explain your thinking.
November 1st-7th
Chapter 22 Video
- Trivia Question - What food did Otis bring to the party?
- Discussion Question - Think about a party you’ve been to, either with friends or with family. How was your party similar or different to the party Opal and Gloria Dump had?
Chapter 23 Video
- Trivia Question - What did Opal forget when it started storming?
- Discussion Question - Before Opal leaves to look for Winn-Dixie, Gloria gives Opal this advice: “There ain’t no way you can hold on to something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.” Why does Gloria say this?
Chapter 24 Video
- Trivia Question - Opal makes a list of things about Winn-Dixie. How many things were on the list?
- Discussion Question - Opal and The Preacher looked for Winn-Dixie for a very long time. Think of a time when you lost something valuable, then searched for it for a long time. Describe what you lost and explain why it was so valuable. What did you do to find it? How did you feel when you found it, or, when did you finally decide to give up?
November 8th-14th
Chapter 25 Video
- Trivia Question - Where was Winn-Dixie?
- Discussion Question - When the thunderstorm arrived, Winn-Dixie hid where he felt the safest. Describe a place that makes you feel safe. Really describe this area and explain why it makes you feel safe.
Chapter 26 Video
- Trivia Question - Why does Opal say her heart is now full of happiness?
- Discussion Question - Opal meets a lot of interesting characters in the book. Out of her new companions, who would you most like to be friends with? Why?
Afterword
- Discussion Questions - Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not? What was your favorite part of the book?