Because of Winn-Dixie

It’s a pipe dream of many an aspiring author: publish your debut novel, claim a spot on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list, and rack up an astonishing array of awards, including a Newbery Honor. For Kate DiCamillo it was a dream-come true – and nobody could have been more surprised than she was. “After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls. Literally,” she says. “I was stunned. And very, very happy.” And it gets better: just three years later, Kate DiCamillo would receive another, even more stunning call from the Newbery committee.