Summer Reading Author Exclusive: Kate DiCamillo

It's hard to believe that Kate DiCamillo's first book, the one she started 10 years after deciding to pursue writing by purchasing some black turtlenecks (watch the video below and you'll understand), was the Newbery Honor winner, Because of Winn-Dixie. It was an auspicious start to her career as an author and in the 18 years since, DiCamillo has written many more beloved books for early readers and middle graders, including The Tale of Despereaux which took home the Newbery Medal. 

Kate DiCamillo is our featured author this week and though she may have abandoned the black turtlenecks she still writes two pages a day, the same as when her writing career really began. In the exclusive video below, created just for Summer Reading, DiCamillo answers questions we gathered from our Facebook fans, and talks about some of her favorite books to recommend for summer.  Do you have a favorite Kate DiCamillo book on your summer reading list? 

Kate DiCamillo Recommends:

• Stuart Little by E.B. White
• The Ralph Mouse Collection (The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Runaway Ralph / Ralph S. Mouse) by Beverly Cleary
• Abel's Island by William Steig
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis