Because of Winn-Dixie Chapter 17 Summary

  • When Littmus got home, he sat on the front stoop and had a pity party about everything he missed.
  • Then he stopped crying and realized he needed something sweet, like candy. Light bulb moment! He decided he would dedicate his life to bringing sweetness into a world full of sadness.
  • So he walked to Florida (no biggie after walking all the way from Virginia, right?) and planned his candy factory. Amanda says that the candy factory building is old and super creepy, but Miss Franny disagrees.
  • She tells the girls about the candy Littmus created, the world-famous Littmus Lozenge. Neither girl has heard of it because they aren't made anymore.
  • Well, today is their lucky day: Miss Franny has a whole desk full of lozenges. She gives one to each girl and the dog.
  • Winn-Dixie gulps it down, but not Opal and Amanda.
  • Opal likes the taste—root beer and strawberry—but something about it makes her sad. Snotty Girl has the same experience, even though Opal can't imagine what Amanda would be sad about.
  • Miss Franny tells them the secret ingredient: Sorrow. If they can taste it, they've felt it. (Sort of like seeing thestrals.)
  • Opal spills her sorrows: moving, getting teased, missing her mom.
  • Amanda says the lozenge makes her miss Carson, and then she hightails it out of the library. Uh, who's Carson?
  • Opal wants to know how Littmus put sorrow into candy, and Miss Franny tells her that no one knows—that's why he became so rich.
  • Opal loads up on candies for her friends and heads over to Gloria Dump's with Gone with the Wind and Winn-Dixie.
  • She passes the Dewberrys playing football and, thanks to Miss Franny's story and Gloria's advice, gulps down the urge to stick out her tongue at them. Instead, she waves. And Dunlap actually waves back (shock!).