This is a heart-warming tale about a 10-year-old girl named Opal who feels lonely when she moves to a new town. It is not until she finds Winn-Dixie, a stray dog, that her life starts to change. Winn-Dixie's companionship not only allows Opal to create new friendships but it also helps her come to terms with her mother's abandonment of the family seven years before, and aids her in building a better relationship with her father.