This is a wonderful joke to play upon a prisoner, to promise forgiveness.

Everything, as you well know . . . cannot always be sweetness and light.

Pea was aware suddenly of how fragile her heart was, how much darkness was inside it, fighting, always, with the light. She did not like the rat. She would neverlike the rat, but she knew what she must do to save her own heart.

What would make me happiest is if kids read these books [Bink & Gollie] and think: there is so much to love in the world; and words are so much fun.

Rats have a sense of humor. Rats, in fact think the world is very funny. And they are right, dear reader. They are right.

We must ask ourselves these questions as often as we dare. How will the world change if we do not question it?

Wayne Wang, the director of Because of Winn-Dixie the movie, understood the book and transferred as much of the feeling of the book onto film as humanly possible. I think he did a fabulous job. And also I'm thrilled because the movie brings people to the book - people that wouldn't know about the book - and that's a great thing.