*Please note: This post contains affiliate links.

My favorite book as a child is still at the top of my list today.

I mean, who can resist a cast of characters that includes a dog with a sense of humor, a local librarian who once fought off a bear, an ex-con, and terrible twins?

If you haven’t guessed it, the book we’re talking about today is Because of Winn-Dixie (Amazon Affiliate Link) by Kate DiCamillo. 

In Because of Winn-Dixie, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni learns how to make sense of life after moving to a new town with her father. Opal’s lonely heart starts to heal when she brings home a dog from the Winn-Dixie supermarket—and that dog turns out to be pretty good at making new friends.

I love this story because it reminds us that we are never alone and we are never without hope.

We often find friendship in unexpected places and at unexpected times. We are created to do life with others—humans, and sometimes dogs, too.

There’s really no such thing as normal. We all have our particular stories and habits and idiosyncrasies, even if we don’t like to admit it. And sometimes, we might feel like no one will ever want to be around us.

But there is always hope, and we can always look out for the gifts God has placed on the horizon.

Maybe that gift is a dog, like it was for Opal. Or a new friendship, or a new job, or a new mentor, or a new community.

Connection comes in so many ways, but when it comes down to it, most of our stories include a quirky cast of characters, just like in Because of Winn-Dixie.

So if you’ve never read Because of Winn-Dixie, I highly recommend it.

Even if you’re not a dog person, this is such a good story. It’s also been adapted into a movie, which my parents still own on VHS because I couldn’t bring myself to part with it. Themes of hope, friendship, love, and community make it a great family film.

The link below is an affiliate link for Amazon, along with some of my other favorites from Kate DiCamillo, which helps support me in creating more posts like this one!

And never forget… you are onederfully created.

Love,
Becca