About Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo is a famous, award-winning author who has written such books as The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, and Because of Winn-Dixie.

These are some facts about Kate DiCamillo:

1. She is single.
2. She is an aunt to Luke, Roxanne, and Max.
3. She thinks she's lucky because she can tell stories for a living.
4. She won a Newbery Honor for Because of Winn-Dixie and a Newbery Medal for The Tale of Despereaux.
5. She gets ideas from everywhere. She listens, eavesdrops, and imagines.


Here are some writing tips from Kate DiCamillo:

1. Write
2. Rewrite
3. Read
4. Look at the world around you
5. Listen
6. Believe in yourself

We've recently read two books by Kate DiCamillo as a family. We've read The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The Tale of Despereaux is about a little mouse who loves a princess and tries to protect her. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is about a china rabbit doll who has a journey to many different places. Even though these books are different in many ways, they both tell beautiful stories about characters who learn to love.

These two books are alike in many ways. They both have lots of adventure and excitement. They both have two people that love each other. The main characters are both animals, one is real and one is not. Both main characters learn something from their adventures. In both books, as you're reading, you're not sure how the book will end or what will happen to the characters. The writing was amazing in both books.

These books also have some differences. One book is about a real mouse and one is about a china doll. Most of Despereaux's story takes place in a castle, but Edward's story happens in many different places. Despereaux is very lovable the whole time, whereas Edward grows on the reader over time. The author's writing was very different in each book. In The Tale of Despereaux, she presented her book in parts, yet in Edward Tulane she did not. Also, in the former book, she often breaks from the writing and talks to the reader, introducing words and ideas.

I like both of these books very much because it has lots of love. Mommy and Daddy cried when we read the end of Edward Tulane, because it was so sweet. Daddy likes the writing better in The Tale of Despereaux. Mommy likes the writing better, too, but likes the story of Edward Tulane better. Maxim likes both books. I like Edward Tulane best.

To learn more about these great books, click here. Also, The Tale of Despereaux is being made into a movie that comes out this winter! Some of the people doing voices for the movie include Emma Watson, the girl who plays Hermione in Harry Potter and Robbie Coltrane, the man who plays Hagrid. Another website that is really good that will make you want to read the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, is this one.