AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.
At first glance, it may appear that Kate DiCamillo waltzed onto the children's book scene and experienced nothing but success. Her first published novel, Because of Winn-Dixie, won a Newbery Honor in 2001. That book became a Hollywood film. In 2004 DiCamillo's book, The Tale of Despereaux, received the coveted Newbery Medal.
But Kate DiCamillo's success did not happen overnight. For roughly a decade, before the public knew her name, DiCamillo worked odd jobs, submitted manuscripts, and collected nearly 400 rejection letters. "I decided a long time ago," DiCamillo says, "that I didn't have to be talented. I just had to be persistent."
Bio
Kate DiCamillo was born in Philadelphia in 1964. Because she had pneumonia for the first five winters of her life, the doctor suggested that she would do better in a warmer climate. So, in 1969, Kate, her brother, and her mother moved to sunny Florida. Kate's health improved and she quickly developed a fondness for the warmer South.
Kate DiCamillo attended the University of Florida and majored in English. That is when she first decided to become a writer. For the next decade she wrote mostly short stories for adults, submitted them, and collected hundreds of rejection letters. To pay the bills, DiCamillo worked a variety of jobs at places like Disney World, Circus World, campgrounds, and greenhouses.
After moving to Minneapolis, DiCamillo began working at a book wholesaler. That is when she started reading children's books and decided to try writing for a younger audience. During a long, cold Minnesota winter, DiCamillo felt homesick and wrote a story that took place in the warm South. That story, Because of Winn-Dixie, was not only accepted and published; it also received a prestigious Newbery Honor.
Eventually, DiCamillo left her job at the book wholesaler to become a full-time author. When The Tale of Despereaux won the Newbery Medal in 2004, Kate DiCamillo solidified her place as one of today's most popular authors for young people. More recently, DiCamillo has tried her hand at writing books for an even younger audience. After delighting young readers with her whimsical Mercy Watson easy-reader series, DiCamillo published her first picture book, Great Joy, in 2007.
Kate DiCamillo and her dog, Henry, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Selected Books
from Kate DiCamillo
Age Level: 9-12
Distinct stories which involve a mouse, a human princess, and a rat seamlessly come together to surprise and absorb readers as they see the struggle between light and dark in this Newbery-winning novel.
Age Level: 9-12
Soon after India Opal and her father, a preacher, move to a small Florida town, Opal meets an ugly stray mutt in the local grocery store, and names him after it. Opal and Winn Dixie build a unique family from an assortment of town residents for a poignant and very funny novel told from Opal's point of view.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Age Level: 9-12
Edward Tulane is a vain and selfish china rabbit whose memorable journey teaches him what love is as well as the pain it can cause. This sparsely told tale is evocative and comes full circle bringing Edward and his story to a satisfying resolution.
Age Level: Teen
After the loss of his mother, Rob and his dad moved to a small Florida town where his father manages a motel. Behind the motel is a caged tiger that fascinates Rob — and a new city girl he befriends. Ultimately, Rob realizes that he, too, has been caged just like the tiger.
