Because of Winn Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo

Answer all questions in complete sentences.  Echo the question and use details. 

Chapters One – Two (p. 1-19)

 Chapter One (p. 1-12)        

1.    Who is the preacher?

2.    Why does Opal go to the store?

3.    What is the problem at the grocery store?

4.    What special trick does the dog do that amazes Opal?

5.    Why does Opal say that the dog belongs to her?

6.    What does the dog do when Opal calls it?

7.    What does the manager do when Opal calls the dog Winn-Dixie?

Chapter Two (p. 13-19)

1.    Why did the Opal and the preacher move to Naomi?

2.    How did India Opal get her name?

3.    Why does the preacher call her Opal?

4.    What does Opal tell Winn-Dixie about her life?

5.    Why does Opal have to behave at the trailer park?

6.    Explain why Opal believes Winn-Dixie has nice manners.

7.    What is the preacher doing when Opal and Winn-Dixie arrive home?

8.    Why does the preacher let Winn-Dixie stay?

Chapters Three and Four (p. 20-30)

 Chapter Three (p.20-25)

1.    What does Opal do first with Winn-Dixie?

2.    How does Opal know that Winn-Dixie doesn’t like baths?

3.    What evidence is there that Winn-Dixie likes being brushed?

4.    Explain how Opal and Winn-Dixie are alike?

5.    Why does Opal not have any friends?

Chapter Four (p. 26-30)

1.    How does Opal intend to take care of Winn-Dixie’s thinness?

2.    What are the first two things that the preacher tells Opal about her mother?

3.    Why did Opal’s mother hate being a preacher’s wife?

4.    What does Opal do right after the preacher tells her the ten things about her mother and WHY does she so that?

Chapters Five and Six (p. 31-44)

 Chapter Five (p. 31-39)

1.    What does Winn-Dixie do when he is left alone?

2.    How do Opal and the preacher solve the problem they have when Winn-Dixie is left alone?

3.    Why isn’t the Open Arms Baptist Church a regular looking church?

4.    Where does the preacher leave Winn-Dixie the first time they take the dog to church?

5.    How does Winn-Dixie get to come inside the church?

6.    What causes Winn-Dixie to misbehave inside the church?

7.    Why does Opal say that Winn-Dixie is a “special dog?”

 Chapter Six (p. 40-44)

1.    Who is the librarian at the Herman W. Block Memorial Library?

2.    What does Franny Block think that Winn-Dixie looks like?

3.    Why does Winn-Dixie stand in the window?

Chapters Seven and Eight (p. 45-59)

 Chapter Seven (p. 45-51)

1.    How did Franny Block get an entire library?  

2.    What made Miss Franny look up the day she was scared in the library?

3.    What animal was in the library the day Miss Franny was so scared AND how did she get the animal to go away?  

4.    What did the animal do when it left?

5.    What did the people in town do after the animal visited the library?

6.    Who else comes to the library while Opal and Winn-Dixie are there?

 Chapter Eight (p. 52-59)

1.    What does Opal want to get for Winn Dixie?

2.    How does Opal solve her money problems?

3.    Who is Gertrude?

4.    How does Opal get invited to Sweetie Pie Thomas’ birthday party?

5.    Explain why Opal does not feel so lonely anymore.

Chapters Nine-Ten (p. 60-71)

 Chapter Nine (p. 60-66)

1.    Why do Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry get their heads shaved every summer?

2.    How does Opal come to meet Gloria Dump?

3.    What is Winn-Dixie doing with Gloria Dump when Opal finds him?

4.    Describe Gloria Dump in detail the first time Opal meets her.

5.    What do Gloria and Opal have in common?

6.    Why does Opal have to sit down carefully in Gloria’s chair?

7.    List five things that Opal tells Gloria about herself.

 Chapter Ten (p. 67-71)

1.    What does Gloria Dump’s garden look like, according to Opal?

2.    What is the preacher doing in this chapter, as Opal tells him about her day?

Chapters Eleven and Twelve (p. 73-86)

 Chapter Eleven (p. 73-78)

1.    What problem does Opal discover about thunderstorms?

2.    What does Winn-Dixie do that wakes Opal?

3.    Where does Winn-Dixie go after Opal opens her door?

4.    What does Winn-Dixie do during the storm?

5.    What does Winn Dixie do after the storm is over?

 Chapter Twelve (p. 79-86)

1.    What does Opal hear when she arrives at Gertrude’s Pets?

2.    What is unusual about the animals when Opal walks into the store?

3.    How do Otis and Opal finally get the animals back in their cages?

4.    Why does Otis take the animals out of their cages?

5.    What does Opal learn about Otis?

6.    What do Sweetie Pie Thomas and Opal talk about after leaving the pet store?

7.    What are three stories that Opal is collecting for her mother?

Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen (p. 87-97)

 Chapter Thirteen (p. 87-91)

1.    Why do Opal and Winn-Dixie arrive early for work each day?

2.    What kind of pet does Sweetie Pie Thomas want?

3.    Besides sweeping and dusting, what other task(s) does Opal perform at the pet store?

4.    Where is Opal’s favorite place to be that summer?

5.    How does Otis keep track of the work that Opal does in the store?

6.    What are two things that Stevie says to Opal that make her mad?

7.    What lie does Opal tell Stevie and Dunlap?

 Chapter Fourteen (p. 92-97)

1.    Why can’t Gloria Dump read?

2.    What secret does Opal share with Gloria?

3.    What does Gloria show Opal?   

4.    How were Gloria Dump and Opal’s mother alike?

Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen (p.  98-109)

 Chapter Fifteen (p. 98-103)

1.    What happens to Miss Franny sometimes when Opal and Winn-Dixie visit?

2.    How does Winn-Dixie try to help Miss Franny when she is having a fit?

3.    Why does Opal decide to read a book to Gloria?

4.    What book does Miss Franny suggest that Opal read to Gloria?

 Chapter Sixteen (p. 104-109)

1.    Who was Littmus W. Block?

2.    How old was Littmus when he went to fight in the Civil War?

3.    What lie did Littmus tell to get into the army?

4.    When do Amanda and Opal make eye contact?

5.    Why does Amanda act like Opal is stupid for asking if Littmus was killed in the war?

6.    What happened to Littmus’ home while he was away at war?

7.    What do Amanda and Opal agree about?

Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen (p. 110-127)

 Chapter Seventeen (p. 110-117)

1.    What did Littmus do after the war?

2.    How did Miss Franny’s family become so rich?

3.    How does the Littmus Lozenge taste, according to Opal?

4.    What is the secret ingredient in the Lozenge?

5.    Explain why Amanda is able to taste the sorrow in the candy.

6.    Why is Opal able to taste the sorrow in the candy?

7.    Where does Opal go after leaving the library?

 Chapter Eighteen (p. 118-127)

1.    What does Opal do when she rides by Stevie and Dunlap’s house?

2.    Why is it going to take a long time to read Gone With the Wind?

3.    According to Gloria Dump how does the lozenge taste?

4.    How does the lozenge taste to the preacher?

5.    What does the preacher talk to Opal about before she goes to bed?

6.    How are the preacher and Gloria alike in their thinking about the Dewberry boys?

7.     Who was Carson and what happened to him?

Chapters Nineteen and Twenty (p. 128-142)

 Chapter Nineteen (p. 128-132)

1.    How does the lozenge taste, according to Otis?

2.    Why was Otis put in jail?

3.    How did Otis get the job at the pet store?

4.    How does the lozenge taste, according to Sweetie Pie?

 Chapter Twenty (p. 133-142)

1.    How does Opal get the idea to have a party?

2.    Who does Gloria want Opal to invite to the party?

3.    Who does Opal wind up inviting to the party?

Chapters Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, and Twenty Three (p. 143-160)

 Chapter Twenty-One (p. 143-149)

1.    Why do Opal and Gloria decide to have the party at night?

2.    Who does Opal wish could come to the party?

3.    What do Miss Franny, Sweetie Pie, and Otis bring to the party?

 Chapter Twenty-Two (p. 150-154)

1.    Who does Otis first meet at the party?

2.    What does the preacher bring to the party?

3.    Why does Amanda shush Sweetie Pie? 

 Chapter Twenty-Three (p. 155-160)

1.    Who reminds Opal about Winn-Dixie?

2.    Why does Opal get upset at the party?

3.    What does Opal have to do before she can go look for Winn-Dixie?   

Chapters Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five, and Twenty-Six (p.  161-182)

 Chapter Twenty-Four (p. 161-168)

1.    Why is Opal glad that it is raining?

2.    What are two things on Opal’s list about Winn Dixie?

3.    Why do Opal and the preacher talk about her mother that night?

4.    What does the preacher do that surprises Opal?

5.    What important thing did Opal’s mother leave behind?

 Chapter Twenty-Five (p. 169-176)

1.    What is happening when Opal and the preacher arrive back at the party?

2.    Why weren’t the people at the party upset about Winn-Dixie?

3.    What is Otis’ gift, according to Gloria Dump?

4.    How was Winn-Dixie found?

 Chapter Twenty-Six (p. 177-182)

1.    What does Dunlap do that surprises Opal?

2.     What do Dunlap and Opal do after they talk?

3.    Which was your favorite chapter in this book and why? Use specific examples and good details to answer this question.