The Newbery Award/Honor book I chose to read for this semester is Because of Winn-Dixie. The book was a fabulous family story and can be enjoyed by children and into adulthood.
The story begins as India Opal Buloni enters a Winn-Dixie only to find a mutt terrorizing the produce section. The dog slides into Opal (as she is called) and wins her heart by smiling, yes smiling at her. Before the manager can call the pound to retrieve the mangy mutt, Opal steps up and claims him as her own to keep him out of trouble. After all, who could let something bad happen to a dog that smiles? Opal tells the manager the dog's name is Winn-Dixie, and he allows her to leave with her new pet. Opal tells the dog everything about her on their walk home, including that her mother left her when Opal was a baby, and that her father is a preacher who just moved them to this new town, and she has no friends.
Her father falls in love with Winn-Dixie just as quickly as Opal did, and he allows Opal to bring her new friend into church with her. While in church one Sunday, Opal prays to God that she will make some more friends besides Winn-Dixie so she won't feel so lonely. Little does she know that with the help of God and Winn-Dixie, her prayers are about to come very true.
It's up to you to read the rest of the story and see how it ends. Read it with family, you will all enjoy.