The Minnesota Opera production premieres in March. The new year will bring something entirely new: an opera called 'Edward Tulane' based on her 2006 book about a china rabbit. And that 20-year anniversary will make me think 'lucky me!'' I have to stop saying that because here I am. 'I'll say sometimes there's a part of me that still can't believe that I got published. She's in for a busy next few months touring to 20 cities with 'Beverly, Right Here.' And 2020 is also the twentieth anniversary of the publication of her bestselling debut novel 'Because of Winn-Dixie.' At DiCamillo’s readings, she regularly meets parents who read her books as children, who are now reading those same books to their own youngsters. For reference, Raymie Nightingale was published in 2016. I didn’t even know about these books until Louisiana’s Way Home released last year (2018). There are now legions of fans, spanning at least two generations. This is the first book in Kate DiCamillo’s much revered set of companion novels and I understand the hype now. 'So yes, OK, even though I feel like I am moving so slowly, I have to say OK, I guess that's prolific, that's a lot of books, so I am not going to argue with you.' 'I don't know, I am at 27 books and more that I am working on,' she said.

When pressed, she grudgingly admits she has produced a lot of books over the years: picture books for young readers, and novels for older readers, including a lot of adults. That honest humanity is what draws in her readers, young and old.

'And the people she puts her trust in are very very worthy of her trust.'ĭiCamillo writes engagingly about recognizably flawed characters surviving in an imperfect world. 'And to me the most daring thing that she does is trust people,' she said. But DiCamillo says for all that Beverly has good instincts, and she is brave.

Raymie nightingale by kate dicamillo