Kate DiCamillo

Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo (born March 25, 1964) is an American author of children's fiction. She has published over 25 novels, including Because of Winn-Dixie (2000), The Tiger Rising (2001), The Tale of Despereaux (2003), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006), The Magician's Elephant (2009), the Mercy Watson series (2005–2022), and Flora & Ulysses (2013). Her books have sold around 37 million copies. Four have been developed into films and two have been adapted into musical settings. The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses won the Newbery Medal, making DiCamillo one of seven authors to have won two Newbery Medals. Born in Philadelphia, DiCamillo moved to Clermont, Florida, as a child, where she grew up. She earned an English degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and spent several years working entry-level jobs in Clermont before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1994. In Minnesota, DiCamillo worked in a book warehouse and attempted to get a book published. Her first book to be accepted for publication was Because of Winn-Dixie, which was critically and commercially successful. DiCamillo then left her job to become a full-time author. From 2014 to 2015, DiCamillo was the American National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. She lives in Minneapolis and continues to write. Her newest book, Orris and Timble: Star Stories (the final book in the Orris and Timble early-reader trilogy), was published on April 7, 2026. Her next book, Love & Mercy, is to be published on December 8, 2026.