How are dogs, egg salad sandwiches, fruit punch, second graders, and two teachers related? As I walked into my second-grade classroom one morning, I stood in awe. The classroom had been completely transformed; into a magical space. It looked exactly like I imagined the party in Because of Winn-Dixie, the book we were reading in class. Vines were strung all around the room, with twinkling lights shining from them like little fairies. In the center of the classroom were tables bedecked with all sorts of food from the book: little egg salad sandwiches, fruit punch, popcorn, and even pickles. Mrs. Havens and Mrs. Visconsi, my second-grade teachers, were all dressed up as two of the main characters in the book, Gloria Dump and Miss Franny Block. And they were both ready to party. I got a glass of fruit punch and some popcorn and started to enjoy. I remember deciding not to eat the pickles or egg salad sandwiches because I wasn’t particularly fond of the taste of either of them. 

As my friends and I all gathered around the movie screen, my body was bursting with excitement. Because of Winn Dixie was one of my favorite books that I had read that year, and I was thrilled to be able to watch the movie. The storyline was about a young girl named Opal who moved in with her pastor father after her mother left. She is shy at first until she meets Winn-Dixie, a friendly street dog that every neighbor seems to know. As the story continues, Opal makes new friends and amazing new memories with them. Scene by scene, the book unfolded in front of my very own little eyes. When the scene with the party showed up, it felt like we were there too. This classroom party was one of the best memories I’ve had here at Clark. When I look back to that day, I remember the happiness I felt to have fun and be in a caring community. Being surrounded by friends I knew well and cherished and having dedicated teachers who were willing to make a book come to life truly is a unique Clark experience.