Books by Kate DiCamillo

Book SynopsisAs featured on The Today Show’s Read with Jenna Jr. Book ClubRevisiting once again the world of Raymie Nightingale, two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo turns her focus to the tough-talking, inescapably tenderhearted Beverly.Beverly put her foot down on the gas. They went faster still.This was what Beverly wanted — what she always wanted. To get away. To get away as fast as she could. To stay away.Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it’s not running away. It’s leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mom, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn’t want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn’t

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Book SynopsisAs featured on The Today Show’s Read with Jenna Jr. Book ClubNewbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots in this 2016 National Book Award Finalist — a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable friendship.Raymie Clarke has a plan. If she can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton, but she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. As the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

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Book SynopsisHoly unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by a master storyteller.It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw it coming the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You! so she is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry. And Flora will be changed too as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences, plus full-page illustrations, alTrade ReviewOriginal, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl. * Kirkus reviews *Flora & Ulysses is a truly unique book. DiCamillo's narrative is gentle yet engaging and intelligent. Her characters, though oddballs, are immediately loveable and relatable. Campbell's vivid, hilarious illustrations and comic strip inserts give this book an added dimension that does not come across at all gimicky, rather enriching the narrative, in particular the chapters that focus on Ulysses' point of view. Both warm and laugh out loud funny, it is a treat from start to finish for children and adults alike. It comes as no surprise that this has won the 2014 Newbery Medal, and well deserved it is too. Flora and Ulysses are sure to become favourite characters in many households and their story one to be revisited time and again. * We Love This Book *Flora and Ulysses is a lovely middle grade book; it's charming, kooky and features a very clever squirrel who I quickly fell in love with. It's fantastically illustrated by K.G. Campbell and is an absolute joy to look at * Wondrous Reads *Unruly adventures that are refreshingly zany * Guardian Review *Unique in style, this fabulous story combines traditional storytelling with huge illustrations and comic strips to create an exciting and heart-warming adventure * The Publisher’s Association’s Best New Children’s Books Summer 2014, The Guardian *This book is Hilarious with a capital H!!!! * Guardian Reader Review *You should read it, share it and read it again! Original, touching, unique, quirky are all words that sum up this book but to really do it justice make sure to read it for yourself. * Armadillo *“This book is an absolute treasure!” * Fallen Star Stories *

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Book SynopsisIn this timeless fable, New York Times bestselling author, twice winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal and US National Ambassador for Children''s Literature Kate DiCamillo evokes the largest of themes hope and belonging, desire and compassion with the lightness of a magician's touch.Another classic in the making by Kate DiCamillo, New York Times bestselling author and twice winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal. What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortune-teller''s tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he must ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortune-teller''s mysterious answer (An elephant! An elephant will lead you there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it is true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tTrade ReviewElegant, timeless and utterly heartbreaking. * The Independent on Sunday *Full of charm this is also a heroic story of how goodness and courage can outsmart dark forces * The Guardian *Beautiful…stunningly illustrated * The Irish Times *Beautiful illustrations. -- 12-year-old Gracie * Anorak *The Magician's Elephant is a timeless fable evoking the largest of themes - hope and belonging, desire and compassion. * The Bookseller Children's Buyer's Guide *

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Book SynopsisA nearly wordless story following a little girl in search of someone who understands...Kim has created sumptuous images. DiCamillo's text leaves room for children to fill in the silences with their own boundless imaginations New York TimesLa la la... A little girl stands alone and sings, but hears no response. Gathering her courage and her curiosity, she skips further out into the world, singing away to the trees and the pond and the reeds but no song comes back to her. Day passes into night, and the girl dares to venture into the darkness towards the light of the moon, climbing as high as she can... Now, will she be heard?With an enchanting palette and captivating expressiveness, Jaime Kim brings to life Kate DiCamillo''s endearing character in a transcendent landscape that invites readers along on an emotionally satisfying journey.Trade ReviewVirtually wordless, this eloquent symphony of sound, light and colour offers an inspiring message of determination and hope. The whole thing unfolds like a silent movie with the little girl’s body language saying so much about her emotions. * Red Reading Hub *This beautiful picture book delivers an extraordinary message of hope in a one syllable text.[…] There’s no need for extra words to tell this story, children will understand exactly the girl’s need to be heard, seen and answered; impeccably told, it’s a story that speak to us all. * Andrea Reece, LoveReading *“[…] glorious book […] This superb dramatic sequence unfolds as a slowly building ode to hope, determination and friendship thanks to a duet between author and illustrator that is as felicitous as that between the girl and the moon.” * Books for Keeps, 5 stars *“A poignant tale of how, with hope and perseverance, loneliness can be transformed into joy and companionship. The limited use of text creates an atmosphere where the reader experiences the vast silence alongside the little girl. It is a perfect book to share with children to prompt discussion about emotions, friendship and the need to be heard, and is also ideal to inspire creative writing, artwork, music or drama.” * BookTrust *

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Book SynopsisRevisiting the world of Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana''s Way Home, twice winner of the Newbery Medal Kate DiCamillo turns her focus to the tough-talking, inescapably tenderhearted Beverly Tapinski.Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it's not running away ... it's leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mum, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn't want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn't want anyone to depend on her. But despite her best efforts, she can't help forming connections with the people around her and gradually she learns to see herself through their eyes. In a touching, funny and fearless conclusion to her sequence of novels about the beloved ThrTrade ReviewKate DiCamillo is a writer of unusual kindness, wit and thoughtfulness. Her books are bittersweet and beautiful, and reminders of the insistent beauties of the world and the people in it, even in the toughest of circumstances. * Anna James, author of Pages & Co. *DiCamillo makes it looks so easy; it’s not. This accomplished storyteller, who has twice won America’s prestigious prize for children’s books, the Newbery Medal, makes every line work so hard each paragraph positively glows. * The Times (Saturday Review), Children’s Book of the Week *This book is a real page tuner… All ages will enjoy this very heart-warming story which celebrates the victory of hope over adversity. * The School Librarian *

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Book SynopsisRevisiting once again the world of Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana''s Way Home, No.1 New York Timesbestselling author Kate DiCamillo turns her focus to the tough-talking, inescapably tenderhearted Beverly Tapinski.Beverly put her foot down on the gas. They went faster still.This was what Beverly wanted what she always wanted. To get away. To get away as fast as she could. To stay away.Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it's not running away ... it's leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mum, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn't want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn't want anyone to depend on her. But dTrade ReviewDiCamillo shows that life's underlying sadnesses can also be studded with hope and humor, and does it in a way so true that children will understand it in their bones. And that's why she's called Kate the Great. * Booklist *DiCamillo makes it looks so easy; it’s not. This accomplished storyteller, who has twice won America’s prestigious prize for children’s books, the Newbery Medal, makes every line work so hard each paragraph positively glows. * The Times (Saturday Review), Children’s Book of the Week *This book is a real page tuner… All ages will enjoy this very heart-warming story which celebrates the victory of hope over adversity. * The School Librarian *A good choice for a book group, this novel takes in themes of grief, love, abandonment, perception, bullying and kindness. * Children's Books Ireland - Mind Yourself *

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Book SynopsisA magical medieval tale from two masters, Newbery Medal-winning Kate DiCamillo and Caldecott Medal-winning Sophie Blackall – a fantastical meditation on fate, love and the power of words to spell the world.We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the recalcitrant goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret – one that imperils them all.And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories must venture into a dark wood in search of the castle of a king who wishes her dead. But should she lose her way, Beatryce knows that those who love her – a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword and a goat with a head as hard as stone – will never give up searching for her. And to know this is to know everything.Trade ReviewAbsolutely extraordinary. Every time I read a Kate DiCamillo book I'm blown away! Little Beatryce stole my heart […] It lifted me out of lockdown and reignited a childlike wonder in the power of stories (and love) to change the world. It's a beauty of a book. * Abi Elphinstone *Everything she writes glitters with ideas […] The Beatryce Prophecy, (is) a highly original tale […] In the course of the story, written in a distinctive, compulsive style that sucks you in like a literary vacuum cleaner, DiCamillo, based in Minneapolis, raises big questions about the education of girls, the sort of world we want to inhabit, how we should live in it and what sort of qualities one should have to lead it. […] DiCamillo has an inbuilt lightness of touch and a way with plot as Beatryce endeavours to return a sword to the king, free her mother from his tower and teach Jack how to read. * The Times *I fervently hope it reaches as wide a young audience as it deserves, to live as long inside them. * The Big Issue *Featured in The Bookseller's May Previews 2022. * The Bookseller *everything [Kate Di Camillo] writes glitters with ideas * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Mercy Watson, old and new, comes a joyful crescendo of favourite characters in a picture-book celebration of the quiet miracles Christmastime brings.When Stella gets the sudden idea to go caroling, she has a little trouble getting someone to join her. Her brother, Frank, is not good at spontaneity. The Watsons are very involved in a precarious fruitcake attempt (but happy to send their pig, Mercy, out for the occasion). Eugenia Lincoln declines, a bit rudely, to accompany on her accordion, and Horace Broom is too busy studying planetary movement. Will Stella need to sing by herself – with enthusiastic contributions from the pig, the cat, and the horse she picks up on the way? Or does the evening hold a miracle Stella hadn’t expected? With tender affection for Mercy Watson and all her Deckawoo Drive friends, Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen offer a picture-book homage to the season that is perfectly suited for family sharing – perhaps with some cups of hot chocolate and a stack of well-buttered toast.Trade ReviewFeatured in the Bookseller's November children's previews * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisFrom master storyteller Kate DiCamillo comes an original fairy tale, enchantingly illustrated, in which five puppets confront circumstances beyond their control with patience, cunning and high spirits.Once, there was a king. And a wolf. And a girl with a shepherd's crook. And a boy with a bow and arrow. And also, there was an owl... They were puppets, and they were waiting for a story to begin.In this new work of short fiction by twice winner of the Newbery Medal Kate DiCamillo, exquisitely illustrated in black and white by Governor General Literary Award Finalist Julie Morstad, five puppets who find themselves together in an abandoned trunk are carried off into the adventure of a lifetime.

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Book SynopsisIn a wise and magical follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Puppets of Spelhorst, Kate DiCamillo revisits the land of Norendy, where tales swirl within tales and where every moment is a story in the making.At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform and instructs her to roam as she will ... but quietly invisibly like a mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel's wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all while dreaming of the return of her soldier father. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story in fact, seven stories in all. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father's disappearance lie in the countess's tales?

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Book SynopsisThe masterful Kate DiCamillo, twice winner of the Newbery Medal, has outdone herself with a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother and growing up. It's the summer she turns 10, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium. Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris's mother's chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world. And Charisse, Ferris's grandmother, has started seeing a ghost in the doorway to her room which seems like an alarming omen given that she is feeling unwell. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans wild, impractical, illuminating plans. How can Ferris satisfy a spectre with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons?

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Book SynopsisThe classic heartwarming tale from Kate DiCamillo—now with an afterword from the beloved author, reflecting on twenty years in printOne summer’s day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries—and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie. This updated edition of Kate DiCamillo’s classic novel invites readers to make themselves at home—whether they’re experiencing the book for the first time or returning to an old favorite.

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