Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo (born March 25, 1964) is an American author of
children's fiction
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
. She has published over 25 novels, including ''
Because of Winn-Dixie'' (2000), ''
The Tiger Rising'' (2001), ''
The Tale of Despereaux'' (2003), ''
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'' (2006), ''
The Magician's Elephant'' (2009), the
''Mercy Watson'' series (2005—2022), and ''
Flora & Ulysses'' (2013). Her books have sold around 37 million copies. Four have been developed into films and two have been adapted into musical settings. Her works have won various awards; ''The Tale of Despereaux'' and ''Flora & Ulysses'' won the
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
, making DiCamillo one of seven authors to have won
two Newbery Medals.
Born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, DiCamillo moved to
Clermont, Florida
Clermont is the most populous city in Lake County, Florida, Lake County, within the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 43,021 in 2020. It is about west of Orlando, Florida, Orlando and southeast of Leesburg, Florida, Leesburg. The cit ...
, as a child, where she grew up. She earned an English degree from the
University of Florida, Gainesville, and spent several years working
entry-level job
An entry-level job is a job that is normally designed or designated for recent graduates of a given discipline and typically does not require prior experience in the field or profession. These roles may require some on-site training. Many entr ...
s in Clermont before moving to
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, Minnesota, in 1994. In Minnesota, DiCamillo worked in a book warehouse and attempted to get a book published. Her first book to be accepted for publication was ''Because of Winn-Dixie'', which was critically and commercially successful. DiCamillo then left her job to become a full-time author.
From 2014 to 2015, DiCamillo was the American
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. She lives in Minneapolis and continues to write. Her latest book, ''The Hotel Balzaar'', was published on October 1, 2024.
Early life and education
Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo was born on March 25, 1964, in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Pennsylvania, to Betty Lee DiCamillo (), a teacher, and Adolph Louis DiCamillo, an orthodontist. DiCamillo is the sister of Curt DiCamillo, an architectural historian. She had
chronic pneumonia as a child and was often hospitalized.
In hopes of helping her sickness, the family moved to the warmer climate of
Clermont, Florida
Clermont is the most populous city in Lake County, Florida, Lake County, within the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 43,021 in 2020. It is about west of Orlando, Florida, Orlando and southeast of Leesburg, Florida, Leesburg. The cit ...
, when Kate was five. Her father remained in Philadelphia with his business, but visited on occasion. Although he originally planned to move with the family after selling his practice, this never happened.
DiCamillo was an avid reader as a child and often visited the local library.
She later credited her mother for sparking her love for books.
DiCamillo also often turned to reading when she was particularly sick with pneumonia and unable to do much else. She wanted to be a
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...
until she was around ten.
She was educated at public schools in the area beginning with Clermont Elementary, before entering
Rollins College
Rollins College is a Liberal arts college, private liberal arts college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several master's programs. Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institut ...
. DiCamillo left Rollins and worked for a time at
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
before briefly attending the
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...
.
She eventually entered the
University of Florida, Gainesville, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1987.
Early career
DiCamillo then worked various
entry-level job
An entry-level job is a job that is normally designed or designated for recent graduates of a given discipline and typically does not require prior experience in the field or profession. These roles may require some on-site training. Many entr ...
s in Clermont, including at
Circus World,
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
, a campground, and a greenhouse. She said of her life during this time that she thought she was a talented writer and expected it to be quickly recognized so she "sat around for the next seven or eight years". DiCamillo moved to
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
in 1994, following a close friend, and after several jobs was hired to work at The Bookman, a book warehouse and distributor, as a picker,
eventually in the children's book section,
a placement she was initially disappointed by.
While working in the department, DiCamillo discovered ''
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963'', a children's novel she greatly admired.
She began writing regularly while working at the warehouse, waking up before her shifts on weekdays to write. After four years in Minnesota, DiCamillo met the author
Louise Erdrich, who encouraged her.
DiCamillo submitted her books to several publishers. She received in return 473 rejection letters.
She was also encouraged by the author
Jane Resh Thomas. By the turn of the 21st century, despite her efforts, DiCamillo had published only several short stories aimed at adults.
Writing career and recognition
DiCamillo had published 25 books as of 2018.
As of 2021, almost 37 million copies of her books were in print. In 2019, ''Mpls St Paul Magazine'' called her "Minnesota's most successful writer".
In 2006, a
Candlewick Press representative called her books a "cornerstone" of the publisher's success.
DiCamillo's first book to be accepted for publication was ''
Because of Winn-Dixie'', a story about a girl who finds a stray dog and takes it home. A 1998 McKnight Fellowship grant allowed her to focus more on writing. She conceived the book's plot during the winter of her first year living in Minnesota, when she was missing her Florida home
and upset about her apartment's no-dog policy. DiCamillo gave her draft to a Candlewick sales agent who was at a Christmas party held by The Bookman. The draft was initially given to an editor who left the company on maternity leave, and it was lost in a pile of other manuscripts. It was rediscovered when the employee's office was cleaned out.
DiCamillo was offered a contract. After a rewrite, the book was published in 2000. Flo Davis, the wife of a founder of the
Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., is an American supermarket chain store, chain headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 1925, Winn-Dixie grocery stores and liquor stores serve communities throughout five southeastern states – Alabama, ...
supermarket chain, sponsored DiCamillo to visit various schools in Florida and widen the book's reach. It was a quick commercial and critical success. Afterward, DiCamillo left her job to focus on writing full-time. In 2004, she told the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' that she forced herself to write two pages every day, which took her on average 30 minutes to an hour.
In 2017, she estimated that she spent 12–15 hours a week writing and 35 to 40 reading, mainly adult fiction.
She often traveled to talk about her writing.
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, DiCamillo reported that she wrote every morning for 100 days.
''Because of Winn-Dixie'' success marked the beginning of DiCamillo's writing career. It won the 2000
Josette Frank Award and a
Newbery Honor
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
.
Her second book, ''
The Tiger Rising'', was published the next year. It was also well received by critics, who noted stylistic differences between it and ''Because of Winn-Dixie.'' DiCamillo won the
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
in 2004 for her third book, ''
The Tale of Despereaux.
'' She wrote it upon the request of the child of one of her friends for a story with "an unlikely hero".
DiCamillo said she was shocked by the news of the Newbery.
She said her 2006 book ''
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'', which is about a china rabbit, was very easy to write.
The Mercy Watson series, which features a pig as its main character, began with ''
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride'' (2006) and ended with ''Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes'' (2009). DiCamillo's 2010 novel ''
Bink & Gollie'', co-written with Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile, won the 2011
Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal.
[
]
Her 2013 novel ''
Flora & Ulysses'' was partially inspired by an injured squirrel she saw. It won the Newbery Medal in 2014, making her one of six writers to win two Newberys since the award was created in 1920.
In 2014, DiCamillo was named the fourth
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature,
a post she held from January 2014 to December 2015.
Upon taking that role, she used the theme "Stories Connect Us".
In the summers of 2015 and 2016, DiCamillo led the
Collaborative Summer Library Program
The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is a nonprofit, charitable organization that supports literacy, education and science through summer reading events in public libraries across the United States.
History
CSLP began in 1987 with te ...
's summer reading campaign as the summer reading champion.
Her 2016 book ''Raymie Nightingale'', about three young girls competing in a competition who end as friends, did not feel complete, and two years later DiCamillo wrote a sequel, ''Louisiana's Way Home''. In 2019 she published ''Beverly, Right Here'', completing a trilogy. In ''The New York Times'' the author
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley wrote that ''Beverly, Right Here'' "may be her finest
ookyet". In 2019 she received the
Regina Medal in recognition of her writing.
DiCamillo's 2019 picture book ''La La La'' uses just one word: "la". Minnesota Governor
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...
named March 29, 2020, Kate DiCamillo Day. DiCamillo's novel ''The Beatryce Prophecy'' was begun in 2009, rediscovered in 2018, and published in 2021.
Her next novel, ''Ferris'', was published on March 5, 2024. Her latest book, ''The Hotel Balzaar'', was published on October 1, 2024.
Awards
DiCamillo has received several awards for her books.
Adaptations
DiCamillo's books have been adapted into films and stage productions. ''Because of Winn-Dixie'' became
a 2005 film of the same name. ''The Tale of Despereaux'' was developed into a
2008 animated film. In 2020, Netflix began production on an animated
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
based on ''The Magician's Elephant''. In 2021, Walt Disney Pictures released the film ''
Flora & Ulysses'' as a streaming film on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. The film
''The Tiger Rising'' was released in 2022.
DiCamillo co-wrote the ''Winn-Dixie'' screenplay and did some early consulting on ''The Tale of Despereaux'', but was comparatively less involved. She has said that she enjoyed both adaptations.
She has a cameo in ''Flora & Ulysses''.
In 2017, the
Minnesota Opera announced that it was going to adapt ''The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'' into an opera. ''The Magician's Elephant'' was adapted into a
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
that premiered in
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
by the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
in 2021. The Minnesota Opera canceled its scheduled opening and had not rescheduled it as of September 2021 but the Royal Society Shakespeare Company scheduled a reopening for October 14.
Theatrical feature films
*
''Because of Winn-Dixie'' – February 18, 2005
*
''The Tale of Despereaux'' – December 19, 2008
*
''Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures'' – February 19, 2021
*
''The Tiger Rising'' – January 21, 2022
*
''The Magician's Elephant'' – March 17, 2023
Analysis
DiCamillo's style is often similar to children's literature from the
Victorian or
Edwardian
In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
eras. Homesickness and hope are frequent themes.
Many of the books follow someone who is alone and has to survive on their own, undergoing suffering and loneliness,
commonly the absence or loss of parents.
The author
Julie Schumacher said that "a sense of abandonment
..pervades everything she has written."
Other themes in DiCamillo's novels include love, salvation, emotional change, and "senseless cruelty", according to the ''New York Times''.
According to the ''
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry'', DiCamillo's works often begin with young protagonists who are "puzzled, wanting, and waiting" but conclude that they must handle matters on their own.
In a 2023 profile in ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' by
Casey Cep, DiCamillo first shared details of the physical and emotional abuse her father inflicted on the family before their move to Florida, where he never joined them. In the article, a friend who has known her since childhood suggests that DiCamillo's cumulative writing has been as therapeutic for her as her many years in counseling: "More and more of her shows up in what she writes, and I think it's the writing that saved her."
A ''New York Times'' article noted that she has written stories in many different genres.
She told the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
that her books were "the same story, over and over in many ways" with the same themes repeating. DiCamillo has said that she doesn't know how to "develop a character" but she discovers them "and follow
their story."
DiCamillo's fiction is influenced by her experiences growing up; for instance, many of her
realistic fiction novels take place in north and central Florida and include dialogue common to the Southern United States.
She told the ''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'' that she tries to leave room for the reader to
read between the lines, saying that she has tried to emulate
E. B. White: "He's using the same words we're all using. It must be that stripped-away quality, his heart is resting more on each word, and that's what I'm always trying to do." Her novels often include "distinct scenes that are lightly connected".
According to DiCamillo, ''The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'' wrote itself, while many of her other works go through eight to nine drafts. She usually only writes one book at a time,
but in 2015 she told ''
The Horn Book Magazine
''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietors of t ...
'' that she "juggled" various works, for instance writing a draft of a more serious book and then switching to a shorter, less serious one.
She has said that when writing books for children she tries to be direct and "not to condescend to them".
In a 2018 article in
''Time'', DiCamillo wrote that children's books should be "a little bit sad". She told another interviewer that "the kid in me has never gone away" and that when she writes for children rather than adults the main difference is that she is more hopeful. Many of her books have animals as main characters, something DiCamillo has called ironic, because as a child she avoided such books.
In 2020 the author
Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett (born December 2, 1963) is an American author. She received the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, for her novel ''Bel Canto (novel), Bel Canto''. Patchett's othe ...
published an essay in ''The New York Times'' describing reading DiCamillo's work as an adult and recommending that others read it too, calling her work as a whole "
sui generis
( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to.
Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
, each one extraordinary".
List of works
Novels
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Early Reader Chapter books
* Bink & Gollie series (Candlewick Press), text by DiCamillo and
Alison McGhee, illus.
Tony Fucile
** ''
Bink & Gollie'' (September 2010)
** ''Bink & Gollie: Two for One'' (June 2012)
** ''Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever'' (April 2013)
*
Mercy Watson series (Candlewick Press), text by DiCamillo, illus. Chris Van Dusen
**''Mercy Watson to the Rescue'' (August 2005)
** ''Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride'' (May 2006)
** ''Mercy Watson Fights Crime'' (August 2006)
** ''Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise'' (July 2007)
** ''Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig'' (July 2008)
** ''Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes'' (July 2009)
** ''A Very Mercy Christmas'' (September 2022)
*Tales from Deckawoo Drive series, text by DiCamillo, illus. Chris Van Dusen
** ''Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume One'' (August 2014)
** ''Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Two'' (August 2015)
** ''Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Three'' (August 2016)
** ''Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Four'' (October 2017)
** ''Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem, Volume Five'' (June 2020)
** ''Franklin Endicott and the Third Key, Volume Six'' (June 2021)
** ''Mercy Watson is Missing!, Volume Seven'' (December 2023)
*Orris and Timble series, text by DiCamillo, illus. Carmen Mok
** Orris and Timble: The Beginning (April 2024)
** Orris and Timble: Lost and Found (April 2025)
Picture books
*
*
*
Short stories
* "Your Question for Author Here", text by DiCamillo and
Jon Scieszka, ''Guys Read: Funny Business'' (HarperCollins, 2010)
* "The Third Floor Bedroom", in
Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and '' The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he al ...
, et al., ''The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales'' (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011)
* "The Castle of Rose Tellin", in ''The Best Short Stories 2024: The O. Henry Prize Winners'' (Vintage Books, September 2024)
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Kate DiCamillo papersat
University of Minnesota Libraries
Profile of Kate DiCamilloby Andrea Tompa, one of her editors
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dicamillo, Kate
1964 births
Living people
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers
American children's writers
American writers of Italian descent
Newbery Honor winners
Newbery Medal winners
Novelists from Florida
Novelists from Philadelphia
University of Florida alumni
People from Clermont, Florida
Writers from Minneapolis
American women children's writers
American women novelists
Novelists from Minnesota
American women science fiction and fantasy writers