BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE

India Opal Buloni walks into the Winn-Dixie in her new hometown of Naomi, Florida, for a box of macaroni and cheese, two tomatoes, and white rice and comes out with a dog--a mangy, homeless, smiling dog. And her life changes forever. Motherless Opal and that dog aren't so different, each looking for the comfort of home and people to love them. Tony Award-winning actress Cherry Jones delivers a superb first-person narration that brings the charming 10-year-old daughter of the Open Arms Baptist Church preacher to life. Her simple, sometimes not-quite-grammatical, but always humorous, take on daily experiences and profound life issues rings true. Her gravelly voiced blind friend, Gloria Dump; her animal-charming, big-hearted friend, Otis; her dreamy, book-loving librarian, Miss Franny Block; and squeaky-voiced, lisping Sweetie Pie are all memorably and individually created. A stellar audio interpretation of a Newbery Honor book! T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. 2002 Audie Award Finalist. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]