Casale,+Alexandra

NOTES FOR AUTHOR RESEARCH PROJECT
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** KATE DICAMILLO **** By: Alex Casale **

Kate Dicamillo was born March 25, 1964 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of Italian descent. She was very sick as a child and suffered from chronic pneumonia. When she was 5, she moved to Clermont, Florida with her mom and brother. They did this for her health, because Kate needed to live in a warmer climate. Her mother was a teacher. Her father stayed back in Philadelphia to sell his orthodontic practice. He never joined the family back in Florida again. In 1987, Kate received an English degree at the University of Florida. She worked for many jobs after graduation. At 30, she moved to Minneapolis and began working at a book warehouse. This job is what gave her inspiration to write for children. This also allowed her to meet a sales representative from Candlewick Press. This is what led into of what would become, “//Because of Winn-Dixie.// ”

Before her first book came out, she had to receive about 500 rejection letters till she could even get it published! Because of Winn-Dixie is a story about a young girl named Opal who just moved with her dad to Florida. Her father was always working at the church, and she had made no friends. She was in need of love. One day she went to a super-market, Winn-Dixie. There was a stray dog running through the food aisle. Opal fell in love with this dog, and decided to bring it home. She named the dog after the store, Winn-Dixie. This dog is what brought her closer to her dad, and found her many true friends. This story she wrote was actually inspired by herself. She wrote a story about a young girl moving to a warmer climate which is exactly what she experienced as a young girl. Well, even though there was no super-market, church and crazy dog, she still was in search of love. Eventually, this book was made into a movie.

Kate has written many types of books, including novels, picture books, and series, some of which get outstanding. Novels that Kate has written include //Because of Winn-Dixie, Tale of Despereaux, Magician’s Elephant,// and //Tiger Rising.// Picture books she wrote include //Mercy Watson to the// // Rescue, Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Mercy Watson Goes for a // // Ride, Mercy Watson Fights Crime, Mercy Watson, and Princess in Disguise ////. //

Kate always hated how when she was young, people would talk to her like she was a little girl and could not understand wide vocabulary. So, she said she would never do this to her readers. For example, instead of saying a sneaky stare, she would say a reptilian stare. Instead of saying very talkative, she would say very loquacious. Kate has received various awards for her books. The Tiger Rising received the National book award. The “Tale of Despereaux” received the Newbery Medal Award. Also, one of her most famous books, Because of Winn-Dixie received the Newbery Honor Book Award, a Hedgie Award, and a Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book !

People believe that Kate won all of these awards because she has a

great talent for presenting some of life’s most very sensitive questions to young

readers. While her characters still go through a lot of trouble (ex.abandonment,

death in the family, making new friends and forgiveness) Kate still manages to

find a way to add a sense of humor and fun to the story. This is what carries her

audience beyond this struggle, and toward inspiration.