The Early Years

Kate DiCamillo entered the world on March 25, 1964, in the quaint town of Merion, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of five, her family journeyed southward to the sun-drenched landscapes of Florida, prompted by doctors who believed the balmy weather might banish her persistent pneumonia. There, amidst the swaying palms, young DiCamillo was swept away by tales such as A Cricket in Times Square, The Twenty-One Balloons, The Secret Garden, The Yearling, Ribsy, Somebody Else's Shoes, and the entire collection penned by Louisa May Alcott. She holds in high esteem the literary giants Carson McCullers and Harper Lee, whom she regards as her guiding lights.

Journey of a Wordsmith

DiCamillo pursued higher education at the University of Florida, earning a bachelor of arts in English. Her path then led her northward to the bustling city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she immersed herself in the world of words, working full-time in a charming used bookstore. In 1998, her literary prowess earned her the prestigious McKnight Artist Fellowship for Writers. It was during one bone-chilling Minnesota winter that DiCamillo found herself yearning for the warmth of Florida and the companionship of a pet, as her dogless apartment building left her bereft for the first time in her life.

The Birth of a Story

"I was suffering from a serious case of 'dog withdrawal,'" she confesses. One quiet night, as she drifted towards sleep, a Southern drawl filled her mind: "I have a dog named Winn-Dixie." The next morning, the voice lingered, and she began to transcribe the tales that India Opal Buloni was eager to share.

From the whispers of Opal, DiCamillo wove her own experiences into the fabric of the story. Her father's departure during her childhood resonated deeply with Opal's sorrow over her absent mother. DiCamillo infused her narrative with the essence of small-town Florida, where community ties weave everyone together in a tapestry of shared lives.

Dedication and Success

With unwavering discipline, DiCamillo greeted the dawn at four o'clock each morning, carving out time to write before her workday began. Her relentless commitment bore fruit when Candlewick Press embraced Because of Winn-Dixie, propelling it into the world where it won accolades and climbed onto the New York Times bestseller list. Hailed as a "hymn of praise to dogs, friendship, and the South," the novel garnered a Parent's Choice Gold Award, along with "Best Book" honors from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Offspring Magazine. In 2001, it was celebrated as an honor book for the Newbery Award.

A Continuing Story

In March 2001, Candlewick Press unveiled DiCamillo's The Tiger Rising. Though she no longer spends her days at the used bookstore, DiCamillo remains steadfast in her writing routine, producing two pages daily, five days a week. Reflecting on the whirlwind success of Because of Winn-Dixie in an interview on Kidsreads.com, she shared:

"I am busier now than I ever imagined I would be; but I feel blessed in that I have found what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It's wonderful to tell stories and have people listen to them. Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, 'I loved your book. Will you write me another one?'"