September 10, 2001

CLERMONT -- Award-winning children's book author Kate DiCamillo will be "home" today.

DiCamillo, the author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tiger Rising, will be in town to speak at a local elementary school today and then sign copies of her books from 5-6:30 p.m. at Shannon's Books & Things, 791 W. Montrose St.

Now a resident of Minnesota, DiCamillo, 36, was born in Philadelphia, but moved to Florida when she was 5. She grew up in Clermont with her mother and brother.

Always a lover of books, she received her bachelor of arts in English from the University of Florida and served for a time on the library board for Cooper Memorial Library.

She recently answered questions from the Lake Sentinel:

Sentinel: Your first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, has been selected as a 2001 Newbery Honor Book by the American Library Association, named a 2000 Notable Book by the New York Times and a Best Children's Book 2000 by Publisher's Weekly.

Of all the recognition you have received, which honor makes your heart smile the most?

DiCamillo: I got this fantastic letter from a little girl in Illinois. She told me that she keeps Because of Winn-Dixie by her bed and when she can't sleep, or when she is worried or afraid, she reads from the book and then she believes that everything might be OK. She said, "Winn-Dixie soothes my heart."

Her letter is taped to my desk. It is the best award I've ever received."

Sentinel: In both Because of Winn-Dixie, and The Tiger Rising, your main characters, India Opal Buloni and Rob Horton, are lonely children suffering from the unresolved loss of a parent. They both learn lessons about friendship, tolerance and love in these two bittersweet tales.

What parts of your own past influenced the development of your characters and story lines?

DiCamillo: My father left us when I was 5 years old. I think I bring that loss to bear on every story I tell.

At the same time, I have been blessed with wonderful, true friends. I have found, in my own life, that sorrow and loss seem to be counter-balanced with joy and love. I think that "emotional equation," is always present in my mind when I am writing.

Sentinel: You grew up in Clermont where your mother still lives. Yet both of your books, which are set in Florida, were written after you relocated to Minnesota. Do you think you would have written these books had you not moved away from Florida?

DiCamillo: Absolutely not. Both books are the great, good gift of my move to Minnesota. Living far away from where I grew up gave me the much-needed emotional and geographical distance to write about "home," as I never would have been able to if I had stayed.

Sentinel: What was your own life like as a child and young adult growing up in south Lake County?

DiCamillo: I grew up on a dead-end street with a wonderful neighborhood made up of kids and older people. I spent most of the year in my bare feet. I swam all the time. I had a wonderful dog named Nanette. The Cooper Memorial Library kept me in books. My mother read to me. I felt safe and loved. It was, in many respects, a wonderful childhood.

Sentinel: The main character of your second book, The Tiger Rising, felt drawn to explore the woods behind the motel where he and his father were living. What were some of your favorite places to go exploring, seek refuge or spend time alone when you were growing up?

DiCamillo: I loved the Cooper Memorial Library and spent a good deal of time there. Also, we had a wonderful tree fort in the rain tree in our backyard. I spent a lot of time up there reading and thinking.

Sentinel: How many years have you been away from Clermont?

DiCamillo: It's been seven years now.

Sentinel: When you come back to your hometown now, what is your impression of the area?

DiCamillo: When I was growing up, Clermont was mostly orange groves. So now, when I come into town on Highway 50, and see all that development, well, I cannot tell a lie, it breaks my heart.

Sentinel: What do you like to do when you are back in the Clermont area?

DiCamillo: I like to go and see the ocean. I enjoy spending time with my mother and I still have quite a few friends in the area that I like to see when I'm in town.

Sentinel: What writing projects are you working on now?

DiCamillo: I'm working on a third novel for children. And I'm working on a collection of short stories for adults.

Sentinel: Is there anything special that you would like to say to your readers?

DiCamillo: Thank you. Thank you to everybody who has opened their hearts to Winn-Dixie and Opal and Rob and Sistine.

Copyright © 2001, Orlando Sentinel