Kate DiCamilloPresented by: Christy Ostrowski, Lesley Sylvan,

& Reed Weeden

H-810G, November 18, 2008

Biography• Grew up with a single mom• Earned a BA in English• Got a job at a book warehouse on the children's floor• Her first book Because of Winn Dixie was published in 2000• Writes at least 2 pages a day, travels to meet her readers, and works in a used bookstore• Teaches Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University

Kate in a Nutshell

"I am short. And loud. I hate to cook and love to eat. I am single and childless, but I have lots of friends and I am an aunt to three lovely children (Luke, Roxanne, and Max) and one not so lovely dog (Henry). I think of myself as an enormously lucky person: I get to tell stories for a living.” (Kate’s website)

Inspiration

• The Tale of Despereaux: inspired by a friend's son who asked her to write a story about an unlikely hero

with "exceptionally large ears"

• Because of Winn-Dixie: inspired because she was cold in Minnesota, homesick for

Florida, and longing for a dog

Themes and Ideas

• Parental Abandonment

• Redemption

• Being Yourself

• “I get my ideas from listening and looking and eavesdropping and imagining. Stories are everywhere. All you have to do is pay attention.”

Because of Winn Dixie

• Ten-year old Opal is lonely after moving to small town in Florida with her father “the preacher”

• She adopts a dog, Winn Dixie, who leads her to make new friends and form a community

•Opal to her dog, “You are better at making friends than anyone I have ever known.” (pg. 57)

Picture Books, Early Chapter Books & Novels

• Novels:Because of Winn-Dixie (2000)The Tiger Rising (2001)The Tale of Despereaux (2004)The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006)

• Early Chapter Books: 5 “Mercy Watson” books (2005-2008)

• Picture Books:Great Joy (2007)Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken (2008)

Awards•Because of Winn-Dixie - 2001 Newbery Honor Book

•The Tiger Rising - 2001 National Book Award finalist

•The Tale of Despereaux - 2004 Newbery Medal

•The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - 2006 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction

•Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride - 2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor

Resources• Kate’s homepage: http://www.katedicamillo.com/• Interviews with Kate: http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp, http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp• Lesson plans, study guides, and teacher resources for Kate’s books: http://litplans.com/authors/Kate_DiCamillo.html• Excellent site for lessons plans, biography, web links: http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=678