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Chatterbox: Blab About Books
Kate Dicamillo!
I know a...
I know a few people here are KD fans, and so here's a page to talk about her awesome books!
What is your favorite book/story and why?
Who is your favorite character and why?
What is the funniest bit in her writing?
My favorites are probably Because of Winn-Dixie and Flora and Ulysses, though I really really love The Tale of Desperaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane too. BoW-D is really sad and F&U is so hilariously funny and magical, but she writes both stories with such mastery.
However, she wrote a short story for the Chronicles of Harris Burdick, "The Third-Story Window," and I think that's her best piece of writing. It's written in letter format, from a young girl to her brother in the army (it's set in the 1940s), and Kate's voice is remarkably witty and poignant.
My favorite character is probably William Spiver, from F&U. Besides his huge vocabulary and black glasses, he's the only one who seems wacky enough to be friends with someone like Flora! I really love Desperaux, too, and his classic line: "I honor you."
F&U is probably her funniest book on the whole, with all her larger-than-life characters (I would love a great-aunt like Tootie Tickham!), and all the mention of the "Terrible Things Can Happen To You" comics. :) But in the short story, there was this passage about a doctor who whistled through his nose and I couldn't stop laughing for EVER! If you're a fan of hers, you have to read that short-story; if a short story could win a Newbery, that one should!
submitted by Everinne, age 14, Kingdom of Dor
(April 20, 2014 - 4:19 pm)
(April 20, 2014 - 4:19 pm)
1. I can't decide between The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and F&U. TMoET is sooo sad (I recently reread it, and tears were spilling down my cheeks), but it is a beautiful saga of love and all the characters became dear to my heart. F&U was hilarious, and so clever! So yeah, I just really cannot decide.
2. I have no answer, but William Spiver was pretty flippin' awesome.
3. All of F&U.
The Tale of Desperaux was also very lovely. 'I honor you.' Oh Eve, let's just stay here and fangirl forever and always!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
(April 20, 2014 - 8:18 pm)
I love Edward Tulane! He's such an awesomely arrogant character. And the part when Bryce's sister (I forgot her name) dies is just so heartbreaking. And the 100-year-old doll is so funny ("Shall I push you?") and profound. Someone asked Kate if she was going to write a spin-off book about Bryce's adventures in the city, and of course she didn't say yes, but she did admit it was an interesting idea.
Choca, you're hilarious: "Let's stay here and fangirl forever and always!" That's fine with me! I love to fangirl! :)
(April 21, 2014 - 6:50 pm)
Everinne, you're a dear! I think all the blood in my entire body just rushed to my cheeks I was blushing so badly when I saw that you used the word hilarious pertaining to me.
(April 21, 2014 - 7:45 pm)
Really? I always think you're hilarious! Thank you for the compliment, anyway. :)
(April 23, 2014 - 5:27 pm)
YOU'RE SO KIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, by the way, have you ever heard of Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series? It's for young children, but it's witty and sweet, like all Kate's books. My little brother found the series at the library, so I feel silly reading them, but the characters beg to be read about! You should look for the books next time you go to library. Spammy says eeet. What are you hungry for, Spammy?
(April 24, 2014 - 9:18 am)
Yeah, I didn't think I'd enjoy Mercy Watson since I am almost 15 and should have given up reading kids books long ago, but I love Kate's writing, so I'll definitely look for them!
Have you read the short story yet? It doesn't entirely fit the rest of the collection, but her writing is so genius. Sorry to harp on it, but I have never fangirled over any short story before I read that one, and then I couldn't stop!
(April 24, 2014 - 8:54 pm)
Yeah, that was weird of me to recommend a kid's book to a fourteen-year-old...
Anyways, that short story sounded hilarious! I will definitely check it it out!
(April 25, 2014 - 6:29 pm)
Hey everybody!
As you probably know because I'm writing this... I am a HUGE fan of Kate Dicamillo's work! She is one of my all time favorite authors. So a few months ago, I wrote a letter to her basically saying how much I admire her and what I loved about her books, and guess what.... SHE WROTE BACK!!!!!! I was- and am- SO happy that she replied! If you really like her books, I highly recommend writing her, because I think she replies to a lot (if not all) of her fan mail.
1) I think my favorite book by Kate is Because of Winn-Dixie, although The Tiger Rising, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Magician's Elephant are really fabulous too. I like Because of Winn-Dixie because I've always loved the idea of living in a small town, being able to do whatever I want like riding my bike to the grocery store. Doesn't that sound like so much fun? I also love Opal's character: her need for love, her ability to be friends with lonely people, etc. There is just SO much to love!
2) My favorite character, like I've said, is Opal. Look above for reasons why.
3) I'm not sure what part of her book I find the funniest. Because of Winnn-Dixie has alot of funny moments. Such as Miss Franny's story about the bear that came into her library, or when Opal first meets Winn-Dixie. I have yet to read F&U, but it sound really funny.
I can't wait to read the short story, also
-Livv
(April 29, 2014 - 2:38 pm)
@ Livv:
How on earth can you write to her? I would so love to and just tell her how much I adore her books!
What character do you think you are most like, from all her stories? I was thinking I'm probably most like Flora Belle Buckman--"Do not hope, merely observe" kind of thing, even though she ends up hoping like crazy by the climax--with a William Spiver proclivity for florid speech. :)
(April 29, 2014 - 6:14 pm)
I, too, LOVE Kate's works. I think my favorite book is Edward Tulane- its such a moving story. I love how every feeling is captured, every word has two meanings. And it has a happy ending. After a pretty sad book, that earns is A++++. What's not to love?
CHaracter wise, Edward is not my favorite. I really like the Magicians ELephant characters- all the people who come together because of an elephant. How many times does that happen in life?
I'd say one of the funniest scenes shes written is the one in Edward Tulane where he gets dressed up as 'Nellie'. I laugh every time I read that- the imaging of this stuck-up rabbit in a frilly clothes?? It kills me:)
No offense to any one, but I found FLora and Ulysses very...eh. A good book, but after reading Magicians Elephant, and the other, I found it lacking the same charm. Still there were parts I enjoyed (Everinne, I also LOVE Tootie!!).
(May 1, 2014 - 8:21 am)
@ Chocabookaholic:
Side note: Your name is so complicated whenever I have to "@" you!
I read some of the Mercy Watson books, and they are pretty funny. Certainly wonky in the extreme! The illustrations of Mercy are so adorable!
(May 3, 2014 - 6:51 pm)
@Everinne: feel free, of course, to call me by my nickname, Choca. I'm glad you enjoyed Mercy! I haven't been able to read that that short story yet, since my family has not had time to go to the library.
(May 4, 2014 - 8:53 am)
I'm not all that familiar with Kate DiCamillo outside of The Tale of Desperaux, but I did read Because of Winn-Dixie and every single librarian on the planet has recommended Flora and Ulysses, and since I'm trying (and failing) to read all of the Newbery Winners, I'll probably read that soon.
1. The Tale of Desperaux. I like how it has a fantasy element, but isn't so DRAGONS ELVES HOOPLA about it. It made me feel all of the things. Also, I like soup.
2. Desperaux, because he is so honest and sincere. All of the characters, they are really layered and you understand them because you know what happened to them before. Even the villain you end up loving.
3. Opal finding Winn-Dixie.
If you really like Kate DiCamillo, particularly Because of Winn-Dixie, Grounded by Kate Klise has a similar writing style and is really good.
(May 4, 2014 - 9:37 am)
OMG! I love KD. I sent her a letter once and got a postcard from her. I love Because of Winn-Dixie, Flora and Ulessyes, and The Tale of Desperaux as my faves. I also loved The Miraculous Tale of Edward Tulane.
(July 6, 2014 - 2:40 pm)