Kate DiCamillo writes books for kids and young adults that also just happen to break open grownup’s hearts. Moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire her to write Because of Winn-Dixie(https://amzn.to/39I3Vee), her first published novel, which became a runaway bestseller and earned her a Newbery Honor. Since then, Kate’s written for a wide range of ages, earning a devoted audience and heaps of accolades.Her #1 New York Times bestseller The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was a deeply moving reflection o life, meaning and legacy, through the eyes of a toy china rabbit. The Tale of Despereaux, her Newbery Medal-winning novel, later inspired an animated adventure from Universal Pictures and Kate was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015.She’s fiercely honest, always tells the truth, but also always leads you to a place of awakening and hope, especially in circumstances that seem destined for the opposite. And right now, we could all use a bit more of that. The theme of hope and belief amid tough circumstances is a common thread in much of Kate’s writing, in no small part because that was her story, too.You can find Kate DiCamillo at:Website : http://www.katedicamillostoriesconnectus.com/Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CandlewickPressBooks/-------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.