Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo was born in Philadelphia in 1964. Because she had pneumonia for the first five winters of her life, the doctor suggested that she would do better in a warmer climate. So, in 1969, Kate, her brother, and her mother moved to sunny Florida. Kate's health improved and she quickly developed a fondness for the warmer South.

Kate DiCamillo attended the University of Florida and majored in English. That is when she first decided to become a writer. For the next decade she wrote mostly short stories for adults, submitted them, and collected hundreds of rejection letters. To pay the bills, DiCamillo worked a variety of jobs at places like Disney World, Circus World, campgrounds, and greenhouses.

After moving to Minneapolis, DiCamillo began working at a book wholesaler. That is when she started reading children's books and decided to try writing for a younger audience. During a long, cold Minnesota winter, DiCamillo felt homesick and wrote a story that took place in the warm South. That story, Because of Winn-Dixie, was not only accepted and published; it also received a prestigious Newbery Honor.

Eventually, DiCamillo left her job at the book wholesaler to become a full-time author. When The Tale of Despereaux won the Newbery Medal in 2004, Kate DiCamillo solidified her place as one of today's most popular authors for young people. More recently, DiCamillo has tried her hand at writing books for an even younger audience. After delighting young readers with her whimsical Mercy Watson easy-reader series, DiCamillo published her first picture book, Great Joy, in 2007.

Kate DiCamillo and her dog, Henry, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Books by This Author

Because of Winn-Dixie

By: Kate DiCamillo
Age Level: Middle Grade
Soon after India Opal and her father, a preacher, move to a small Florida town, Opal meets an ugly stray mutt in the local grocery store, and names him after it. Opal and Winn Dixie build a unique family from an assortment of town residents for a poignant and very funny novel told from Opal's point of view.

Bink & Gollie

By: Kate DiCamillo Allison McGhee
Age Level: 6-9
Bink and Gollie are as different as possible in appearance, likes, and styles. In spite of their dissimilar approaches, the girls remain the best of friends in what may be the first of a fresh new series.

Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever

By: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Alison McGhee
Age Level: 6-9
Friends Bink and Gollie are very different but they have fun together — even when one of them behaves peculiarly. In three vignettes, Gollie assumes a royal role, Bink tries to get taller, and together they start a memorable collection. Comic illustrations add to the fun of the short text.

Bink & Gollie: Two for One

By: Kate DiCamillo Allison McGhee
Illustrated by: Tony Fucile
Age Level: 6-9
Best friends don't have to be alike, just look at tall Gollie and short Bink! They share a day at the state fair playing Whack-a-Duck, a talent show, and a visit to Madame Prunely. The line drawings capture the humor, the fun of a fair and the solid friendship of this appealing duo first introduced in Bink & Golly.

Mercy Watson Fights Crime

By: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Chris Van Dusen
Age Level: 6-9
Mercy loves buttered toast, so she assumes someone is making it when she hears the noise in the kitchen. What she finds, however, is a thief trying to steal the toaster! What follows is funny, fast, and very much in keeping for Mercy Watson.

Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig

By: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Chris Van Dusen
Age Level: 6-9
When Mercy Watson, the Watson's beloved pet pig, eats the neighbors' flowers Animal Control Officer Francine Poulet is called in to capture the culprit. In order to do so, Officer Poulet finds she must think like a pig! Humor abounds in this easy novel with a very satisfying conclusion for all.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

By: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Chris Van Dusen
Age Level: 6-9
This is the first of the series of entertaining and engaging books about Mercy Watson, a charming pig adopted by a human couple. Here Mercy inadvertently saves the day, or at least her humans, amid a humorous series of events.