Kate DiCamillo

1
Kate DiCamillo
Presented by Christy Ostrowski, Lesley Sylvan,
Reed Weeden H-810G, November 18, 2008
2
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

3
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. (Kates website)
4
Inspiration

• Because of Winn-Dixie inspired because she was
  cold in Minnesota, homesick for Florida, and
  longing for a dog

• 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"

5
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.

6
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)

7
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)

8
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

9
Resources

• Kates homepage http//www.katedicamillo.com/
• Interviews with Kate http//www.kidsreads.com/au
  thors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp, http//www.teenreads.
  com/authors/au-dicamillo-kate.asp
• Lesson plans, study guides, and teacher
  resources for Kates books http//litplans.com/au
  thors/Kate_DiCamillo.html
• Excellent site for lessons plans, biography, web
  links http//www.readwritethink.org/calendar/cale
  ndar_day.asp?id678