Kate DiCamillo marvels at 25 years of 'Because of Winn-Dixie'

Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

Twenty-five years ago this fall, a generation of readers met 10-year-old India Opal Buloni and her loveable, scruffy dog, Winn-Dixie — so named because Opal found the canine while he was causing chaos in the produce aisle of the local grocery store.

Winn-Dixie transformed Opal’s life, as only a dog can do.

And their story changed those who read it, as only a book can do.

“Because of Winn-Dixie” received a Newbery Honor the year it was published — a significant award for a debut children’s book. Since then, it has been translated into almost 30 language and been made into a major motion picture.

It also catapulted Minneapolis author Kate DiCamillo into the national spotlight and launched her remarkable career.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this modern classic, DiCamillo joined Big Books and Bold Ideas host Kerri Miller in the studio to reflect on what “Because of Winn-Dixie” meant to her.

Between bouts of laughter and teasing, DiCamillo and Miller talked about the transformative experience of writing for children, which DiCamillo believes makes her a better, more hopeful person.

“I didn't know how much that hope was a part of me until I started to write books for children,” she tells Miller. “So that's part of how ‘Winn-Dixie’ changed the whole of my life — not just by letting me become a writer, but by letting me see myself a little bit better.”