Kate DiCamillo was born on March 25, 1964, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Clermont, Florida, after moving there as a child. She obtained a degree in English from the University of Florida and eventually moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she got a job at a book warehouse. After a few years of trying to get published, her first novel, Because of Winn-Dixie (2000), debuted to massive acclaim, and she was able to become a full-time author. Today, she has published 13 novels, numerous early chapter books (including the beloved Mercy Watson series), and several picture books and short stories. She is a two-time Newbery Medal winner for The Tale of Despereaux and Flora and Ulysses and has received a number of other awards, including the Josette Frank Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (for Because of Winn Dixie), and the Parents’ Choice Award in 2006.

Some of DiCamillo’s books have been adapted for the stage and screen. Because of Winn Dixie was adapted into a movie in 2005 starring AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, Elle Fanning, and Eva Marie Saint. The Tale of Despereaux was released as an animated film in 2008 starring Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, and

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