Because of Winn-Dixie is Kate DiCamillo's first book. Her second book, The Tiger Rising, also deals with relationships. Rob Horton, the main character, has recently lost his mother, moved to a new town, and discovers a caged tiger in the woods behind the motel where he lives. The story explores issues of death, grief, unexpressed emotions, and the importance of friendships. It is also available on cassette, published in 2001 and narrated by Dylan Baker for Bantam Books.

Readers interested in stories exploring the relationship between people and their dogs will find My Dog Skip, by Willie Morris, similar in tone to Because of Winn-Dixie.

For those seeking stories about similar familial relationships, Joan Bauer's Hope Was Here and Rules of the Road both explore variations of this theme, one with a missing mother and the other with an absentee father. Toby, in Kimberly Willis Holt's book...