Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Book and Movie

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Book and Movie Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a novel we highly recommend for ages 8 to 12. Why? Its a combination of the excellent writing by the author, a story both poignant and humorous and a main character, 10-year-old Opal Buloni, who, along with her dog Winn-Dixie, will win readers hearts. The story centers on Opal and the summer she moves with her father to Naples, Florida. With the help of Winn-Dixie, Opal conquers loneliness, makes unusual friends and even convinces her father to tell her 10 things about her mother who abandoned the family seven years ago. The Story With the opening words of Because of Winn-Dixie, author Kate DiCamillo captures young readers attention. My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog. With these words, ten-year-old Opal Buloni begins her account of the summer her life changed because of Winn-Dixie, a goofy stray dog she adopted. Opal and her father, whom she usually refers to as the preacher, have just moved to Naomi, Florida. Her mother abandoned the family when Opal was three. Opals father is the preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. Although they are living at the Friendly Corners Trailer Park, Opal does not have any friends yet. The move and her loneliness make Opal miss her fun loving mother more than ever. She wants to know more about her mother, but the preacher, who misses his wife very much, wont answer her questions. The author, Kate DiCamillo, does an excellent job of capturing the voice of Opal, who is a resilient child. With the help of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to meet a number of people in her community, some quite eccentric. As the summer progresses, Opal builds a number of friendships with people of all ages and types. She also convinces her father to tell her ten things about her mother, one for every year of Opals life. Opals story is both humorous and poignant as she learns about friendships, families, and moving on. It is, as the author states, ...a hymn of praise to dogs, friendship, and the South. An Award Winner Kate DiCamillo earned one of the highest honors in childrens literature when Because of Winn-Dixie was named a Newbery Honor Book for excellence in young peoples literature. In addition to being named a 2001 Newbery Honor Book, Because of Winn-Dixie was awarded the Josette Frank Award from the Childrens Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. This annual childrens fiction award honors outstanding works of realistic childrens fiction that portray children who successfully deal with problems. Both awards were well deserved. Author Kate DiCamillo Since the publication of Because of Winn-Dixie in 2000, Kate DiCamillo has gone on to write a number of award-winning childrens books, including The Tale of Despereaux, awarded the John Newbery Medal in 2004, and Flora and Ulysses, awarded the 2014 John Newbery Medal. In addition to all of her writing, Kate DiCamillo served a two-year term as the 2014-2015 National Ambassador for young Peoples Literature. My Recommendations: The Book and the Movie Versions Because of Winn-Dixie was first published in 2000. Since then, paperback, audiobook and e-book editions have been published. The paperback edition is about 192-pages long. The cover of the 2015 paperback edition is pictured above. I would recommend Because of Winn-Dixie for children 8 to 12, although the publisher recommends it for ages 9 to 12. It is also a good book to read aloud to kids 8 to 12. The childrens movie version of Because of Winn-Dixie opened on February 18, 2005. We  would also recommend the Because of Winn-Dixie movie for children between the ages of eight and twelve. Its on the list of the Top Kids Movies Based on Books for Kids Ages 8-12. We recommend your children read Because of Winn-Dixie before seeing the movie. Reading a book allows readers to fill in all of the gaps in a story from their own imaginations, whereas if they see the movie before reading the book, memories of the movie will interfere with their own interpretation of the story. (One caveat: If your kids dont like to read, you can use the movie to interest them in reading the book afterwards.) While we like the movie version of Because of Winn-Dixie very much, we  like the book even better because of DiCamillos writing style and because theres more time and attention spent on character and plot development than in the movie. However, one of the things we particularly like about the movie was the sense of place and time it creates. While a few critics found the movie cloying and trite, the bulk of the reviews matched my perception of the movie as very good and gave it three to four stars and cited it as touching and funny. We agree. If you have children 8 to 12, encourage them to read the book and watch the movie. You might also do the same. For more about the book, download the Candlewick Press Because of Winn-Dixie Discussion Guide. (Candlewick Press, 2000. latest edition 2015. ISBN: 9780763680862)

States With Highest Teenage Pregnancy and Birth Rates

States With Highest Teenage Pregnancy and Birth Rates While the teen pregnancy rate has been declining overall over the past two decades, rates of teen pregnancy and birth can vary wildly from state to state within the United States. However, there seems to be a connection between ​sex education (or the lack thereof) and the rates of teen pregnancy and parenthood. The Data A recent report by the Guttmacher Institute compiled teenage  pregnancy statistics in the United States gathered state by state in 2010. Based on available data, below are listings of states ranked by pregnancy and birth rates. States with the high rates of pregnancy among women age 15–19  in ranked order: New Mexico  ArkansasMississippi  OklahomaTexas  Louisiana In 2013, New Mexico had the highest teenage pregnancy rate (62 per 1,000 women). The next highest rates were in Arkansas (59), Mississippi (58), Oklahoma (58), Texas (58) and Louisiana (54). The lowest rates were in New Hampshire (22), Massachusetts (24), Minnesota (26), Utah (28), Vermont (28) and Wisconsin (28). States ranked by rates of live births among women age 15–19:   New MexicoArkansas  OklahomaMississippiTexas  West Virginia   In 2013, the teenage birth rate  was highest in New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma (43 per 1,000 women), and the next highest rates were in Mississippi (42), Texas (41) and West Virginia (40). The lowest rates were in Massachusetts (12), Connecticut (13), New Hampshire (13), Vermont (14) and New Jersey (15). What Does This Data Mean? For one, there seems to be an ironic correlation between states with conservative politics around sex education and contraception and high rates of teen pregnancy and birth. Some research suggests that U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates  of teenagers giving birth.  The relationship could be because communities with such religious beliefs (a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance) may frown upon contraception  ...  If that same culture isnt successfully discouraging  teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise. Furthermore, teen pregnancy and birth rates are often higher in rural areas rather than more urban areas. Think Progress  reports: While teens across the country have largely been having less sex and using more contraception, teens in rural areas have actually been having more sex and using birth control less frequently. It’s not clear why that’s the case, but it could partly be because teens in rural areas still lack access to a range of comprehensive contraceptive services. There just aren’t as many sexual health resources in rural counties, where teens may have to travel farther to the nearest women’s health clinic. And deeply rooted attitudes about sex- including school districts that continue to cling to  abstinence-only health curricula  that don’t give teens enough information about methods to prevent pregnancy- may also play a role. Urban school districts, particularly in  New York City, have made significant advances in expanding teens’ access to sexual education and resources, but there often aren’t similar pushes in rural places. Ultimately, the data underscore that it is not simply because teens are engaging in risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex. They are also engaging in sexual activity while being un- or under-informed and while lacking access to contraception and family planning services.   Consequences of Teen Parenthood Having a child young often incites problematic life outcomes for teen mothers.  For example, just  40% of women who have a child before age 20  finish high school. Because many  teen mothers drop out of school to parent full-time, support around their education is crucial. While supportive social infrastructure to aid young parents is key, it is often missing, particularly in states with large percentages of teen pregnancies. One small way to help is for communities to start a  Babysitters Club  so they young mothers can take GED classes and continue their educations.   As the  National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy  argues by preventing teen and unplanned pregnancy, we can significantly improve other serious social problems including poverty (especially child poverty), child abuse and neglect, father-absence, low birth weight, school failure, and poor preparation for the workforce.  However, until we tackle the large infrastructural and cultural issues around teen parenthood, including access to family planning resources, the issue seems unlikely to go away anytime soon.   Source: Kost K, Maddow-Zimet, I and Arpaia, A. Pregnancies. Births and Abortions Among Adolescents and Young Women in the United States, 2013: National and State Trends by Age, Race, and Ethnicity. New York: Guttmacher Institute. 2017.