Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	Because of Winn-Dixie
	Author:	DiCamillo, Kate
	Date Published:	2000
	Genre:	Humor
	Grade Level:	6
	Booktalker:	Kathy Preller
	Awards:	Newbery Honor Book

Notes:
I listened to this on tape in the car, and pretty much used the first chapter (slightly shortened) as the booktalk.

Booktalk:
“Who let that dirty dog in here?!” When I walked into the produce department of the Winn-Dixie grocery store I couldn’t see what the manager was yelling about, but he was all red-faced, and wavin’ his arms; and there was produce rolling all over the floor – green peppers and onions and tomatoes; and a whole army of Winn-Dixie employees were running around waving their arms just like the manager. Then I saw him – a dog came running around the end of the aisle. He was a big dog. And ugly. And he ran right up to me, and then he smiled at me. I have never before in my life seen a dog do that, but that is what he did. He did this thing were he pulled back his lips and showed me all his teeth, and he smiled at me. Then he wagged his tail so hard, he knocked oranges off a display, and they got all mixed up with the tomatoes, onions and green peppers already on the floor. The manager screamed again – “somebody grab that dog!” The dog trotted over to the manager, smiling and wagging, and he stood on his hind legs and put his paws on the manager. You could tell he just wanted to get face to face with the manager and thank him for the good time he was havin’ in the produce department, but somehow he knocked the manager over, and that manager must have been havin’ a real bad day, ‘cause right there in front of everyone he started to cry. “please somebody call the pound” “Wait” I said, “that’s my dog. Don’t call the pound.” All the Winn-Dixie employees stopped and looked at me, and I knew I had said something big. And maybe something stupid, too. But I couldn’t bear the thought of that dog goin’ to the pound. “Here boy!” I called. And that dog perked his ears up and looked right at me like he was tryin’ to remember where he knew me from. “Here boy” then I thought maybe that dog is like everybody else, and wants to be called by his name. But I didn’t know what his name was, so I just said the first thing that came into my head “Here Winn-Dixie.” And that dog trotted over to me like he’d been doin’ it all his life. The manager sat up and gave me a hard stare. “Don’t you know dogs aren’t allowed in the grocery store?” “Oh, yes sir. He got in by mistake. It won’t happen again. Come on, boy.” I started walking, and the dog followed me out of the produce department, down the cereal aisle, and out past the cashiers. When we were safe outside, I took a good look at that dog. He was big, but so skinny you could see all his ribs. He had bald patches all over his body, and in between was matted brown fur, that looked like an old carpet that someone left out in the rain. And he smelled real bad. “Dog” I said “you are a mess”. And he did that thing again, he smiled at me. He smiled so big he sneezed. It was like he was sayin’ “I know I’m a mess. Isn’t it funny?” It is hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor. I have never been allowed to have a dog before. But somehow I’ve just got to convince my daddy, the preacher, that this is a Less Fortunate who needs our help. Find out what else happens to India Opal “Because of Winn-Dixie”, by Kate DiCamillo.