50 Fun Facts About Because of Winn-Dixie

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal names her stray dog after what kind of business, where she first finds him?

A supermarket is where it happens: Winn-Dixie is a real grocery chain, and the name is simply the first thing that comes into Opal's head when the dog needs one fast.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what frightens Winn-Dixie into tearing around the trailer and knocking the preacher over?

Thunderstorms send him into a blind panic, which the preacher calls a pathological fear: one he cannot be talked or reasoned out of. Father and daughter agree to watch him closely so he never bolts.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what do two boys from church say Gloria Dump is when Winn-Dixie runs into her overgrown yard?

A witch who will eat the dog is the boys' warning, so Opal goes in after him. She finds a kind, nearly blind old woman feeding him from her hand.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which famously long novel did young Miss Franny Block hurl at a wild intruder in her library?

War and Peace was the book in her hands, and it never came back: the intruder left with it. Jokes about the well-read visitor followed her for years.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which wild animal does Miss Franny Block mistake Winn-Dixie for at the library window?

A bear once strolled into her library when Florida was still wild, so a big furry face at the glass sends her diving behind her desk. Telling Opal the tale makes them friends.

In the original edition of Because of Winn-Dixie, which Southern epic does Opal read aloud to nearly blind Gloria Dump?

Gone with the Wind is Miss Franny's pick, and its barbecue scene gives Opal the idea for a party. The 20th-anniversary edition swaps the book for David Copperfield.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Miss Franny Block name as the secret ingredient of the Littmus Lozenge candy?

Sorrow is what Littmus Block somehow worked into his sweets, and only people who have known sadness can taste it. Opal's father says his tastes melancholy.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, where has Winn-Dixie been hiding while Opal and the preacher search the town in the rain?

Under Gloria's bed is where the party guests find him, in the very house Opal set out from. Otis's music coaxes him out covered in dust, looking like a ghost.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which creature does Opal liken the preacher to for hiding from the world and sad thoughts?

A turtle pulling its head into its shell is how Opal pictures him dodging anything sad. By the last chapter he is smiling and offering to teach her the songs her friends are singing.

Which author, after hundreds of rejection letters, saw Because of Winn-Dixie accepted as her first published book?

Kate DiCamillo nearly missed her break: the manuscript sat lost in a pile at the publisher until an editor's office was cleaned out. She then left her day job to write full-time.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what is Winn-Dixie eating from Gloria Dump's hand when Opal first finds them together?

Peanut butter wins him over, and Gloria says you can always trust a dog that likes it. She then makes Opal a sandwich of the same stuff.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which instrument does Otis play to keep the loose animals at Gertrude's Pets calm and still?

Guitar music holds every creature in the shop spellbound, and the moment Otis stops they run wild. He lets them out because he knows how it feels to be locked up.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal gets the pet-shop job only if Gertrude likes Winn-Dixie; what animal is Gertrude?

A parrot who normally cannot stand dogs, Gertrude takes to Winn-Dixie at once and perches on his head. That is all the approval Otis needs to let Opal start work.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal claims the stray as her own to stop the store manager from calling whom?

The pound is where the manager wants the dog sent after it knocks him flat. Opal blurts out that the dog is hers and has to invent a name for him on the spot.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which sandwiches do Opal and Gloria Dump spend a whole afternoon making for their party?

Egg salad sandwiches are the party food, served with a fruit-juice mix called Dump Punch. Gloria slips Winn-Dixie one on the sly, minus its toothpick.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does shy Otis bring in a huge jar as his contribution to Gloria Dump's party?

Pickles are his offering, and Opal assures him they are just right for a sandwich party. He hovers out front until she coaxes him into the yard.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, pulling his lips back in a huge toothy smile often makes Winn-Dixie do what?

Sneeze: he smiles so wide outside the store that it happens on the spot, and Opal falls for him at once. Later the same noise tells her friends where he has got to.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal's first name is which country, where the preacher once served as a missionary?

India is her given name, but the preacher calls her Opal, the name her grandmother had. She explains all this to Winn-Dixie on the walk home from the store.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which nickname did kids in Opal's old town give her because of the surname Buloni?

Lunch Meat was the taunt, since Buloni sounds like bologna. Opal admits it to Gloria Dump straight after Gloria complains about her own unlucky last name.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what hangs from the branches of the old tree at the back of Gloria Dump's yard?

Empty bottles of whiskey and wine clink there, every one drained by Gloria in her drinking days. She says they keep away the ghosts of all the things she did wrong.

Because of Winn-Dixie follows Opal through her first lonely months in a new town during which season of the year?

Summer leaves Opal with long, idle days in a town where she knows nobody, which is why a dog matters so much. By the season's end she has a houseful of friends.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher's Baptist church meets in an old Pick-It-Quick store; what is the church called?

Open Arms Baptist Church still has the old shop's name written on its floor tiles, whatever the preacher tries. Worshippers bring their own seats.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Winn-Dixie chase and catch alive in the middle of the preacher's sermon?

A mouse is caught unharmed and dropped at the preacher's feet while the congregation cheers. He asks everyone to pray for it, then tosses it out of the door.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher explains why Amanda Wilkinson misses someone named Carson; who was Carson?

Her little brother Carson drowned at the age of five the year before, which is why Amanda always looks so pinched. Learning it changes how Opal treats her.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which two flavors does Opal taste in the Littmus Lozenge that Miss Franny Block gives her?

Root beer and strawberry are the flavors Opal names. The candy is no longer made, but Miss Franny keeps a desk full of it, and Winn-Dixie swallows his in one gulp.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Littmus W. Block lies about his age at fourteen to go and fight in which war?

The Civil War cost Littmus his home and his whole family, and Miss Franny says it left him craving something sweet. That craving became a candy factory in Florida.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which disease killed Littmus W. Block's mother and three sisters while he was away fighting?

Typhoid fever took them, his father fell in battle and enemy soldiers burned the house. Littmus walked all the way home to find nothing left.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what landed Otis in jail after he refused to stop playing music in the street?

Hitting a policeman hard enough to knock him out is what Otis confesses to. He lashed out because handcuffs meant he could no longer play.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Opal offer Otis to persuade him to come to the party at Gloria Dump's house?

A week of unpaid sweeping at the pet shop is her offer, plus a promise that he need not talk to anyone. Otis only says maybe, but he is smiling down at his boots.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Gloria Dump agrees to host the party only if Opal promises to invite whom?

The Dewberry boys, Dunlap and Stevie, tease Opal daily, but Gloria suspects they only want to be friends. Dunlap accepts with a smile.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, which adults-only trailer park lets Opal live there as a rare exception to its rule?

Friendly Corners allows no children, so Opal warns Winn-Dixie that he must behave like an exception too. He sits on command, as if he understands.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, to which small Florida town have Opal and the preacher just moved for his new church?

Naomi is their new home, and the pair have come from Watley in the north of the state, where Opal left every friend she had.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher's ten facts about Opal's mother say she knew and loved all of what?

The constellations were a passion of hers, along with funny stories and anything that grew. The same list admits that she drank and hated being a preacher's wife.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Opal clean Gertrude's Pets to earn because her allowance cannot cover the price?

A collar and leash in red leather catch her eye, and Winn-Dixie approves through the window. Otis turns down her installment plan, so she offers to work off the price.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, nearly blind Gloria Dump asks Opal to tell her everything so she can see Opal with what?

Her heart is what Gloria relies on now that her eyes have failed. Opal, who has waited a long time to tell someone about herself, pours out everything.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Gloria Dump call the seedling she helps Opal plant in her yard?

A wait-and-see tree gets its name because nobody knows what it will grow into. Gloria suggests planting it to find out whether Opal shares her mother's green thumb.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, how does the store manager react when Winn-Dixie jumps up and knocks him to the floor?

He starts to cry, and a worried Winn-Dixie licks his face, which does not help at all. Opal believes the dog had only been trying to thank him.

The author of Because of Winn-Dixie dreamed it up while homesick for Florida during her first winter in which state?

Minnesota had her missing home and living in an apartment that banned dogs, so she put one on the page instead. A fellowship grant later bought her more time to write.

Where did the author of Because of Winn-Dixie work, on the children's floor, while writing the novel before shifts?

A book warehouse job had her pulling children's titles for orders, and she read them hungrily to learn the craft. Her draft reached a publisher through a sales agent at the firm's Christmas party.

Which children's-literature distinction did Because of Winn-Dixie earn the year after it was published?

A Newbery Honor went to the novel, and its author later took the Newbery Medal itself twice, for The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses.

Which young actress made her feature film debut as Opal in the 2005 movie version of Because of Winn-Dixie?

AnnaSophia Robb followed it the same year as Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and later starred in Bridge to Terabithia.

Which Dumb and Dumber star plays Opal's father, the preacher, in the 2005 film of Because of Winn-Dixie?

Jeff Daniels's preacher has a battle on his hands in the film: the landlord, Mr. Alfred, orders the dog out of the trailer park, and he has to plead for three months' grace.

Which future cast member of The Help plays Gloria Dump in the film of Because of Winn-Dixie?

Cicely Tyson, an Emmy winner for Miss Jane Pittman, joins her co-stars in singing 'Glory, Glory' on the film's soundtrack.

Which rock bandleader, a Grammy winner for 'So Much to Say', plays shy Otis in the film of Because of Winn-Dixie?

Dave Matthews also sings one of his own songs, 'Butterfly', on the soundtrack. Born in Johannesburg, he formed his band in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Which Hitchcock leading lady plays librarian Miss Franny Block in the film of Because of Winn-Dixie?

Eva Marie Saint starred in Hitchcock's North by Northwest, having won an Oscar for her very first film, On the Waterfront, opposite Marlon Brando.

Which rare French breed, with dogs flown in from Europe, played Winn-Dixie in the film of Because of Winn-Dixie?

Berger Picard dogs matched the scruffy mutt on the book's cover, and a purebred meant several lookalikes could share the role. Many viewers assume he is a mixed breed.

Because of Winn-Dixie is set in Florida, but in which other Southern state was the 2005 film actually shot?

Louisiana stood in for Florida, with filming based in the small town of Napoleonville and further scenes shot in Gibson.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what is the one-word theme of the sixth birthday party Sweetie Pie Thomas invites Opal to?

Pink is the whole theme, and Winn-Dixie is invited as well. The party is not until September, but the invitation still leaves Opal feeling less alone.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, Littmus W. Block walks home from Virginia after the fighting to a burned house in which state?

Georgia was a long walk from Virginia, and Littmus then set off on foot again for Florida, where he built his candy factory.

In Because of Winn-Dixie, what does Winn-Dixie hog at the library that makes Opal fear he will lose his fur?

The only working fan in the library is his favorite spot, but Miss Franny says he may hog it all he likes and will not go bald. He leaves it only to sit beside her during her fits.