BIO

Kate DiCamillo is the author of the first three stories starring Mercy Watson. She is also the author of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, which won the Newbery Medal; BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, which received a Newbery Honor; THE TIGER RISING, a National Book Award Finalist; and THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, winner of a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. She lives in Minneapolis.

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AUTHOR TALK

March 2006

Kate DiCamillo --- creator of such soon-to-be classic characters as Winn- Dixie, Despereaux Tilling and Mercy Watson --- brings a new and unforgettable character to life in her latest tale, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE. In this interview she talks about the Christmas gift that inspired this story, the children's books that influenced her writing, and ways to motivate young people to read.

Question: Where did you get the idea for writing a book about a large china rabbit?

Kate DiCamillo: Edward is, in many ways, Pellegrina's creation, and because of that her expectations for him are huge. She perceives, quite clearly, that A friend gave me a very elegant rabbit "doll" (sorry, Edward) for Christmas a couple of years ago. Not long after receiving the rabbit, I had this very clear image of him underwater, on the bottom of the sea, minus all of his finery, lost and alone.

Q: Abilene's grandmother, Pellegrina, is not happy with Edward. "You disappoint me," she tells him. What does she expect of Edward?

KD: Edward is, in many ways, Pellegrina's creation, and because of that her expectations for him are huge. She perceives, quite clearly, that he has failed at the simple and impossible task he was created for: loving Abilene as she loves him.

Q: Are there any other books that inspired you in the writing of this one?

KD: I wasn't thinking particularly of other books when I was writing Edward, but looking back, I can see that I was influenced by some pretty powerful stories: THE MOUSE AND HIS CHILD, PINOCCHIO, WINNIE-THE-POOH, ALICE IN WONDERLAND. I can see the influence of all of those masterpieces in my small story.

Q: Did any of this book come from your own childhood?

KD: Everything that I write comes from my childhood in one way or another. I am forever drawing on the sense of mystery and wonder and possibility that pervaded that time of my life.

Q: What was a defining moment, good or bad, that shaped you as a child?

KD: My father leaving the family certainly shaped who I was and how I looked at the world. By the same token, my father telling me fairy tales that he had made up shaped me profoundly, too. As did my mother reading to me.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for engaging and motivating young readers? Do you have any advice for classroom teachers or parents?

KD: The best thing I know to tell parents and teachers about motivating young readers is that reading should not be presented to them as a chore, a duty. It should, instead, be offered as a gift: Look, I will help you unwrap this miraculous present. I will show you how to use it for your own satisfaction and education and deep, intense pleasure. It distresses me that parents insist that their children read or make them read. I think the best way for children to treasure reading is for them to see the adults in their lives reading for their own pleasure.

Copyright © 2006 by Kate DiCamillo. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.

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A Talk with Kate DiCamillo

Kids Reads: Where did the idea for BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE come from?

Kate DiCamillo: I think it came from longing: longing for home and longing for a dog. I wrote the story during the worst winter on record in Minnesota (brrrrr!) when I was missing Florida (where I grew up); also, my apartment building does not allow dogs. But imaginary dogs aren't against the rules. So I made one up to keep me (and Opal) company.

Kids Reads: When did you decide that you wanted to write/illustrate children's books?

Kate DiCamillo: I've always wanted to write and to tell stories; but I didn't start working on children's books until I got a job at a book warehouse on the children's floor. When I started reading some of the books, I was so impressed and moved that I decided I wanted to try it, too.

Kids Reads: Have you had formal writing training?

Kate DiCamillo: I have a Bachelor's of Art in English, which means I had a lot of formal training in READING. But all that reading has served me well as a writer, I think.

Kids Reads: How do you support yourself (are you writing full-time?)

Kate DiCamillo: I work full-time in a used bookstore.

Kids Reads: What's a typical day like for you?

Kate DiCamillo: I get up. I drink a cup of coffee. I think, ""the last thing I want to do is write,"" then I go to the computer and write. My goal is two pages a day, five days a week. I like that Dorothy Parker quote: ""I hate writing, I love having written."" I never want to write, but I'm always glad that I have done it. After I write, I go to work at the bookstore.
Kids Reads: And what would be your ideal arrangement?

Kate DiCamillo: Ideally, I'd like to work part time at the bookstore. That would give me more time to contend with all the ""office work"" of writing: answering mail, returning phone calls, submitting manuscripts, going to the post office, etc.

Kids Reads: Whose work has influenced you?

Kate DiCamillo: As an adult reading children's books, I have been deeply influenced by Katherine Paterson, Karen Hesse and Patricia MacLachlan.

Kids Reads: What was your favorite book(s) as a kid?

Kate DiCamillo: I read everything I could get my hands on when I was a kid. And I loved it all. Some favorites were: THE TWENTY-ONE BALLOONS, THE SECRET GARDEN, THE YEARLING, RIBSY and a strange little book called SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOES.

Kids Reads: Were there books you loved as a child that continue to be important to you as either models or inspiration for the work you do now?

Kate DiCamillo: Every well-written book is a light for me. When you write, you use other writers and their books as guides in the wilderness. I am deeply appreciative of all those writers who work hard to tell their stories right and true, thereby showing me the way to tell my own stories.

Kids Reads: What kind of attention have you received for your book (reviews, signings, newspaper articles, school visits, etc.)?

Kate DiCamillo: BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE has gotten a lot of (mostly good) reviews; and I have done quite a few signings at bookstores, libraries and conferences. The local newspaper did a feature article on the book (and me!). And I have received phone calls and letters from people (kids and adults) who liked the book and wanted to let me know.

Kids Reads: Has this changed your life in any way?

Kate DiCamillo: Yes! I am busier now than I ever imagined I would be; but I feel blessed in that I have found what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It's wonderful to tell stories and have people listen to them.

Kids Reads: What has been the biggest thrill about having your first children's book published?

Kate DiCamillo: Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, "I loved your book. Will you write me another one?"

Kids Reads: What are you working on now?

Kate DiCamillo: Right now, I am working on a collection of short stories for adults and a novel for young adults.

Kids Reads: Do you have any books scheduled for publication?

Kate DiCamillo: THE TIGER RISING, a young adult novel, is scheduled for publication by Candlewick Press in March of 2001.

Kids Reads: What are they about?

Kate DiCamillo: THE TIGER RISING is a book about a boy named Rob Horton who finds a tiger in a cage in the woods and who, on the same day he discovers the tiger, also meets a girl named Sistine Bailey. The story is about what happens when you share your heart with somebody else; and it is also about the danger of keeping things locked up.


    --- Shannon Maughan

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