Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

This is a kids' novel about a lonely little girl, 10 I think, living in Florida with her father, The Preacher. She finds a dog in the Winn-Dixie grocery store, and convinces her father to let her keep him. Winn-Dixie, as she named the dog, wins friends and influences people by smiling at them. Opal and the Preacher have recently moved to town and she has yet to make any friends. She also struggles with the feelings of abandonment resulting from growing up motherless. Over the course of the summer, Opal makes new friends, because of Winn Dixie.

This is charmingly written from the girl's point of view, with a perspective which is consistent with an old-beyond-her years ten-year-old's take on the world. Although the slightest bit predictable, this book is no less satisfying in the end for it. It was a fast read (I finished it in two short sittings) and I am lobbying hard to get my 7-year-old to read it with me. I highly recommend it as a heartwarming tale of innocence, tolerance, loss and family. A wonderful book.