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Kate DiCamillo

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Meet Kate!

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Kate DiCamillo, in full Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo, (born March 25, 1964, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American author whose award-winning children's books commonly confronted themes of death, separation, and loss but whose plots and prose were often exuberant and assured. She won a Newbery Medal in 2004 for The Tale of Despereaux (2003) and another in 2014 for Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (2013).

As a child DiCamillo suffered from chronic pneumonia, a condition that prompted her mother, a teacher, and older brother to move with her to Florida when she was five. Though her father, an orthodontist, was scheduled to follow the family in due course, he never did. DiCamillo credited her sickly childhood with having shaped her as a writer, since she spent time alone in her bed imagining and observing. She majored in English at the University of Florida at Gainesville (B.A., 1987) and then took on various short-term jobs. In 1994 she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she worked in a book warehouse and became drawn to children's fiction. Her first novel, Because of Winn-Dixie (2000; film 2005), was published after a young editor spotted it in the "slush pile," a publishing house's collection of manuscripts sent unsolicited by aspiring authors. The novel-which relates the story of 10-year-old Opal, a girl made lonely by the loss of her mother and her arrival in a new town, and the mangy dog she finds in a supermarket-was praised for its gentle humour, the clarity of its writing, and the endearing nature of its young protagonist. It was named a Newbery Honor Book.

In DiCamillo's second novel, Tiger Rising (2001), she again explored the life of a child beset by the loss of a parent. In it, two friends discover in the woods a caged tiger, and DiCamillo interspersed lines from William Blake's "The Tyger" to help drive the narrative. The award-winning The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread (2003; film 2008), DiCamillo's third novel, is the story of a nonconformist mouse who falls in love with the princess of the castle in which his family lives. Her other novels included The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006), which features a conceited china rabbit that learns how to love through tragedy, and The Magician's Elephant (2009), about an orphan whose quest to find his missing sister involves an elephant. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (2013; film 2021), which concerned the adventures of a cynical young comic-book lover and a squirrel endowed with human abilities, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. DiCamillo also drew praise for Raymie Nightingale (2016), which centres on a young girl who, in an effort to get her adulterous father to return home, hopes to win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition. Other characters in the book included Louisiana Elefante, whose struggles after moving away from her friends were chronicled in Louisiana's Way Home (2018), and Beverly, who finds herself after leaving home in Beverly, Right Here (2019).

In addition to her novels, DiCamillo also wrote several successful series of chapter books. The first series began with Mercy Watson to the Rescue (2005) and follows the adventures of the exuberant toast-loving pig Mercy Watson. Later books in the series include Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (2006), Mercy Watson Fights Crime (2006), Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise (2007), Mercy Watson Thinks like a Pig (2008), and Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes (2009). Characters from these works later appeared in the Tales from Deckawoo Lane series, which included Leroy Ninker Saddles Up (2014), Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package (2017), and Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem (2020). DiCamillo also published picture books, including La La La (2017).

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DiCamillo was named to a two-year term as the national ambassador for young people's literature by the Library of Congress in 2014.

Siobhan Dowd The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

Newbery Medal, annual award given to the author of the most distinguished American children's book of the previous year. It was established by Frederic G. Melcher of the R.R. Bowker Publishing Company and named for John Newbery, the 18th-century English publisher who was among the first to publish books exclusively...

William Blake, English engraver, artist, poet, and visionary, author of exquisite lyrics in Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794) and profound and difficult "prophecies," such as Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793), The First Book of ...

Literature, a body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems,...

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Kate DiCamillo | Books, Biography, & Facts

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Kate DiCamillo is an American author whose award-winning children's books commonly explored death and separation but whose prose was often exuberant. She won a Newbery Medal for The Tale of Despereaux (2003) and for Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (2013). Learn more about DiCamillo's life and work.

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Kate's Recurring Book Themes

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Not until years later when I finally made a commitment to writing, when I was fighting despair, wondering if I had the talent to do what I wanted to do, did those words come back to me. And what I thought was this: I cannot control whether or not I am talented, but I can pay attention.

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Kate DiCamillo is the author of THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT, a New York Times bestseller; THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, which was awarded the Newbery Medal; BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, a Newbery Honor book; and six books starring Mercy Watson, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book MERCY WATSON GOES FOR A RIDE.

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Kate DiCamillo's New York Times Article

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Why Children's Books Should Be a Little Sad

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In her response to Matt de la Peña: "I think our job is to trust our readers. I think our job is to see and to let ourselves be seen."

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When Newbery award-winning author Kate DiCamillo talks to kids about how she became a writer, she sometimes shows them a photo of her own family.

"I would put up this picture of my mother, my brother and me and I would say to them, 'Who's missing?' " she tells NPR's Kelly McEvers. "Clearly it's my father." And kids get that right away.

DiCamillo was always getting sick as a child, and when she was 6 years old, her family moved from Philadelphia to Florida in hopes that it would help her get healthy.

"My father - he was an orthodontist - was supposed to sell his practice and move down to Florida but that never happened ... " DiCamillo says. "I would sometimes spend the summer with him and visit him, but he never lived with us."

As a kid, DiCamillo always wondered what she might have done differently - a question shared by the young protagonist in her new book, Raymie Nightingale. Like DiCamillo, Raymie grows up in central Florida in the 1970s. And 10-year-old Raymie is also struggling with the pain and loss of abandonment. She's convinced that if she can win the title of Little Miss Central Florida, she'll be able to reunite their family.

DiCamillo, who's now 52, says she was probably in her 40s before she stopped asking herself what she might have done differently to win her dad back.

Interview Highlights
On similarities between her and Raymie

Raymie is very much like the child that I was: very introverted, watching, worrying, wondering, but also hopeful.

I don't know what my mother was thinking, but she entered me in a Little Miss contest - Little Miss Orange Blossom, I think it was. And I don't remember anything about that except I have one flash-bulb memory of standing on the stage and thinking: This is not where I should be. Raymie is very much like the child that I was - very introverted, watching, worrying, wondering, but also hopeful.
On Raymie being a "haunted" child
[She's] haunted by the beauty of the world. There's a moment in the book where ... she goes to read to somebody in a nursing home and the floor of the nursing home has been polished ... so it looks like a lake and it's just beautiful and the light is hitting it and Raymie has this feeling that she's going to understand everything, everything's going to make sense. And I had that feeling all the time when I was a kid. So she's haunted by that feeling of almost tangible understanding and beauty in the world.
On Beverly Tapinksi and Louisiana Elefante, the characters Raymie teams up with
When I sat down to write the book I thought it was just going to be a funny thing about an inept child, i.e. me/Raymie being in a beauty contest - a place she should not be. And then these characters that I did not anticipate, Louisiana and Beverly, showed up almost immediately.

There's a moment in the book - because Beverly's this gruff kid who carries a pocket knife and is studying how she can crack safes and wants to sabotage the Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest - but there's this moment in the book where they're in the nursing home and there's this woman who keeps screaming, "Take my hand!"

And Beverly, the toughest of all nuts, walks into this terrifying room and takes hold of this woman's hand. Talk about haunted. I'm still haunted by that moment because that's always the kid that I wanted to be and I wasn't. I wasn't brave enough to be that way. ... It takes a lot of bravery to be kind.
On what she learned writing Raymie's character
I don't want to give a spoiler alert about something that happens in the book but it wasn't until after I finished the book that I ... [realized] that I was, as a kid, stronger than I thought I was. ... Raymie does something that surprises herself and surprised me and made me realize ... you're stronger than you think you are.

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'It Takes A Lot Of Bravery To Be Kind,' Says Kids' Author Kate DiCamillo

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When Newbery award-winning author Kate DiCamillo talks to kids about how she became a writer, she sometimes shows them a photo of her own family. "I would put up this picture of my mother, my brother and me and I would say to them, 'Who's missing?' " she tells NPR's Kelly McEvers.

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Hi Kate! Was there ever a time when you felt like you would not make it as a children's book writer?
Yes, absolutely. I still worry that I won't make it as a book writer. Everything has happened so quickly and I still can't believe that I make my living as a children's book writer.
We have a group of 17 parents, second graders and teachers in an evening book club who have all read Because of Winn-Dixie. We would like to know what your pictures would look like if you drew some for the book?
It is hard to think of what the pictures would be like if I could draw since I have no drawing ability at all, and I can't write music. The only art form that is available to me is writing. But I do see everything as I write. I have a very visual image. The writing is the answer to the pictures in my head.
What is your favorite part in Winn-Dixie?
It's always hard to pick a favorite part, but there is a moment at the end when the preacher says the prayer at the party and that moves me deeply even now. So that would probably be my favorite part.
What character do you relate best to?
I love all of those people. If you made me pick a favorite in Winn-Dixie, it would probably be Gloria Dump, because I would want to sit in her backyard and tell her my problems.
Did you ever have a dog like Winn-Dixie?
No. Winn-Dixie is my idea of the best dog imaginable - stinky, funny, ugly, friendly. I have a part-time dog. I'm actually an aunt to a dog and he's an awful dog, but I love him. He's only interested in doing what he wants to do.
In the book, Opal's mother left her. Were your parents divorced?
My parents are separated. My father left when I was six years old.
Are you going to write a sequel to Because of Winn-Dixie? Will Opal's mom ever come back?
I don't think Opal's mother will come back. Will I ever write a sequel? Probably not.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
The book is a direct result of two things: 1) It was the first time in my life I had been without a dog for an extended amount of time. 2) I wrote the book during the worst winter in Minnesota, and during the worst winter in Minnesota you just want to go back to Florida, which I couldn't afford to do, but I could write a book that would take me there.
Have you seen the movie? Does it match the images in your head?
I have seen the movie, and the imagery in the movie is so compelling and beautiful that it has replaced the imagery in my head. I got to work with the director and re-write the script, but the imagery is all the director's (Wayne Wang).
Why did you choose to be a writer?
Because I had failed at everything else. I had it in my head when I was in college that I wanted to be a writer, but it took me a long time to commit to being a writer. Up until then, I had worked one dead-end job after another while writing on the side.
What do you like most about writing?
"I hate writing. I love having written." (Dorothy Parker) Each day is a struggle to do it, but once I've done it, I'm happy. I'm thrilled.
How did you first get your work published?
What happened was I was working in a book warehouse and a Candlewick sales rep came in, and I said that I loved everything that Candlewick does but I can't get in the door there because I don't have an agent and I've never been published. And this sales rep said "If you get me a manuscript, I'll get it to an editor." And that's how it happened.
What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Writing a novel isn't like building a brick wall. You don't figure out how to do it and then it gets easier each time because you know what you're doing. With writing a novel you have to figure it out each time. Each time you start over, you just have the language, and the idea and the hope.
When you get stumped while writing, what do you do?
You have to start off with the baseline knowledge that you are stumped all the time, and you just make yourself just write all the time, which for me is two pages a day. And they might be two lousy pages that go nowhere. So sometimes you are beating your head against a brick wall and thinking that you are not making any progress, and then the wall gives way.
When you write a story, and you think you're done, how do you know for sure that you're really done and there's not more information that needs to be answered?
I never know that I'm done. I just know when it's time to let go because I have this feeling that I can keep on fussing with it, or instead of making it better, I'll make it worse. You have to give up on the idea of making it perfect, and that's what letting it go is about. It will never be perfect.
Hi, Kate! Do you ever feel that you're not going to be able to finish a book by your deadline?
Deadline? I don't work with deadlines, I guess. I just work hoping I can tell the story right. It's not like journalism with a deadline. You just want to tell the story right and not have it take up the rest of your life. There are self-imposed deadlines. After all, I don't want to be writing the same story when I'm 90.
Approximately how long did it take you to write your books?
Winn-Dixie took me about six months. Tiger Rising took me about eight months. Despereaux took me almost a year. So the more I know, the harder it gets.
When you write, how much do you think about your readers?
I only think about telling the story right. I'm always answering to the story and not to the reader.
Which book of yours do you enjoy most?
I can't answer that question because to me, my books are like my kids. I love them equally. I see them as deeply flawed but lovable anyway. And I see them as individuals, so it's impossible to choose between them.
Are you always satisfied with your work?
I'm never satisfied. But I keep on trying.
I am going to be giving a presentation on you and your books in my Children's Literature class. Is there any information on upcoming books or interesting facts about yourself that I can share with my class?
I've got a series of beginning novels coming out which are about a pig named Mercy Watson, and I have another novel coming out in 2006 called The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and a couple of picture books. I'm short. I'm loud. Do you have any guidelines to answering some interesting facts about myself?
Your books are so varied. Are you impressed with yourself for having such a wide array or imagination? I am!
I'm never impressed with myself! I am amazed at how lucky I've been. Because I have been so fortunate, I've been allowed to experiment with different ways of storytelling.
When you write a book do you get really involved, almost as if you are in the story? Especially the characters, do you feel like they are almost there with you?
Absolutely. The way I feel about characters is not that I've made them up but that they already exist and that I was lucky to find them. They are very real to me.
Do you ever use people that you know and convert them into characters in your books?
No. I haven't at all. I've had names of real people that I know. Sweetie Pie was the name of my babysitter when I was a kid.
I can't think of any interesting characters. What should I do?
That's a tough question because with me writing starts with the character. But if you can't think of an interesting character, get on a city bus with a notebook and ride around all day and take notes, look at people, and listen to them. By the end of the day you'll find a character with a story.
If you see other good writers, do you get discouraged?
No, if I see other good writers, I get inspired because I think, "I want to be able to write like that."
When you're writing, where do you write? At your house?
I write in my house, at my desk where I have Christmas lights strung over it to try and convince me that I'm having a good time. I can't really write anywhere else.
Where did you get the idea for Tiger Rising?
Tiger Rising came from the character Rob first, and I didn't know what he wanted, I just had him. Then my mom called and told me that a tiger had escaped from the zoo, and that's all I needed. I thought: that boy is waiting for a tiger.
What is your favorite part of The Tale of Despereaux?
I guess it's when Despereaux forgives his father.
Are you ever going to write a sequel to The Tale of Despereaux? Where Despereaux and Pea go on another quest?
There is a line in the end of Despereaux that my editor made me put in that sounds like there is a possibility for a sequel. She wanted to make sure we left the door open, and so the door is open. But I haven't felt the urge yet.
I love the book design of Tale of Despereaux, did you decide you wanted it to look like an old fashioned book yourself?
As a writer, I don't have a whole lot of say about how a book looks, but fortunately the design people at Candlewick are just fabulous, and they decided that it would be like an old fashioned book and they were right.
What are some of your favorite children's books?
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, Abel's Island, The Secret Garden, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, Ribsy, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Bridge to Terabithia. But I have different favorites every day. There are just so many books that I have loved.
Is there a single author that inspired you?
There have been so many from the adult world and the children's world. From the children's world: Christopher Paul Curtis and Katherine Paterson. From the adult world: Anne Tyler and Isak Dineson.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from looking at the world and paying attention to people and just looking closely. Also from reading. I get so much inspiration from other authors.
Do you have any hobbies besides writing?
I like to eat. Does that count as a hobby? I love to read, and I walk.
Do you ever go to schools and talk to students?
I do. I haven't gone a lot recently with everything that was going on with themovies, but I love talking with kids.
Do you ever feel pressure that you have to write books?
No, but I'm happier when I have a story.
How many more books do you think you will write?
I'm not sure. All I know is that writing is what I'm supposed to do, and I'm lucky because that's what I get to do. I don't know how many books I'll write, just that I will keep on writing.
Did you always want to write for children?
I started writing short stories for adults and then I got a job in a book warehouse and I was assigned to the third floor, which was nothing but kids' books. And I started to read those kids' books and thought, "I want to do something like this." I still write for adults, but increasingly I feel like I'm a storyteller and I don't make the distinction on whether I'm telling that story to an adult or a child.
Since you are a writer, do you respond to fan letters?
I do, but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. Right now I'm getting about 100 letters a week.
Did you always enjoy reading, even as a child?
Yes. Yes. Yes. I have always been a reader. I was one of those kids desperate to learn. I would read anything.
What is one thing you think all aspiring authors need to know?
It's not about you, it's about the story.
How can someone send you a fan letter? E-mail? Snail mail? Web site?
You can send it snail mail in care of the publisher, Candlewick Press, and you can find the address in the front of your book.
We're almost out of time. Ms. DiCamillo, is there anything you would like to add?
I feel incredibly lucky that I tell stories for a living and I'd like to thank everyone who reads those stories.

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Kate DiCamillo Interview Transcript | Scholastic

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Hi Kate! Was there ever a time when you felt like you would not make it as a children's book writer? Yes, absolutely. I still worry that I won't make it as a book writer. Everything has happened so quickly and I still can't believe that I make my living as a children's book writer.