Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
★ Top 5 book of 2000 · #3 on Best Books of 2000
In her first summer in Naomi, Florida, ten-year-old Opal walks into a supermarket and leaves with a big, scruffy dog she names Winn-Dixie. Through him she meets a cast of local characters and slowly learns to cope with her absent mother.
Best for: Young readers who enjoy warm, friendship-filled stories about dogs and a small town
Because of Winn-Dixie is #3 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar.
What Because of Winn-Dixie is about
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni has just moved to the small town of Naomi, Florida, with her father, the preacher. Then she walks into the Winn-Dixie supermarket and walks out with a big, ugly, struggling dog who seems to have a fine sense of humor. She names him Winn-Dixie. The dog turns out to be far better at making friends than Opal has ever been, and through him she meets the town's librarian, a nearly blind woman who sees with her heart, and an ex-con who soothes his pet shop animals with a guitar. All summer Opal gathers their stories and thinks about the mother who left. Because of the dog, her father finally begins to share ten things about her, one for each year of her life. A warm, gentle, bittersweet story about friendship, community, and learning to let go.
Because of Winn-Dixie on the Best Books of 2000
Because of Winn-Dixie came out in 2000. Of the 45 books first published in 2000 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #3 on our Best Books of 2000 list.
Why it made the list: 1,243 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (101 ratings); 101 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Reader favorite and being read right now.
Nearby on the 2000 list
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling, #1
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene, #2
- The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson, #4
- Life of Pi Yann Martel, #5
See all Best Books of 2000 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1999 Best Books of 2001.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,022 want to read it, 101 are reading it now and 120 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 101 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 93 | 55% |
| Reader love | 93 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 93 | 20% |
Questions about Because of Winn-Dixie
When was Because of Winn-Dixie published?
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo was first published in 2000.
Was Because of Winn-Dixie one of the best books of 2000?
Because of Winn-Dixie is #3 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar. 1,243 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (101 ratings); 101 are reading it right now.
Why is Because of Winn-Dixie on the Best Books of 2000 list?
1,243 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (101 ratings); 101 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2000
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling, #1
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene, #2
- The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson, #4
- Life of Pi Yann Martel, #5
- Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan, #6
- Rich Dad's Guide to Investing Robert T. Kiyosaki, #7
See the full Best Books of 2000, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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