A Date with Kate

ALA, Washington DC, June 2019

Ann Patchett wrote this essay in yesterday's NYT.


An adult with no kids, she had never read Kate DiCamillo.  Then she picked up The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and "it changed [her] life." After that, she read all of them. "It was incredibly calming," she writes which is why she recommends reading them now. "...read these books together as a family...Don't miss out."

Kate is an incredible storyteller.  I wish I had a fraction of her creativity. She can make you laugh and cry and crave to do whatever-the-opposite-of-social-distancing-is with her characters.

I'm going to mention a few of my favorites but there are so many. So...don't stall.  Be like Ann. Open up your Sora or Libby app, go to your favorite Indie bookstore and starting requesting.

Bink and Gollie meet Mercy Watson

Oh do I love Bink and Gollie by Kate, Allison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile .  The banter back and forth between these two and the little adventures they have together make for books you will want to read (or watch) over and over again.  Read them with a side of pancakes and some funky socks on your feet. This is the book trailer with Kate and Alison as the voices. One is a Geisel winner but they all deserve a place on your emerging reader's shelf.

Mercy Watson is another fun early chapter book series by Kate and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.  The pig also has her own website.  Here's an excerpt from the audiobook:

Book Recording | Mercy Watson to the Rescue on TeachingBooks

YOU are in luck! Every Bink and Gollie and I believe every Mercy Watson story is on Tumblebooks! We have a CES subscription and so does the public library.  It's easiest to just go here to login:  TUMBLEBOOKS  If that link doesn't work, please email me.  These characters should provide you with hours of meaningful entertainment on this truly stay-inside-day. 🌧

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

I identify each Maple Hill High School graduating class by the Newbery winner the year they were in fifth grade.  The class of 2021 is Flora and Ulysses. "Did you read the one about the squirrel?" my mom texted me the night it won. "Yes. Yes, we did."  We had a book group and even Skyped with the illustrator, K.G. Campbell. No, I didn't attempt Kate. We liked Keith! Someone asked him what he would do if he won the Newbery and I still remember him chuckling and saying, "Well, Kate would get the award but it would be pretty cool." I also remember him telling us (and this was WAY before I ever watched Modern Family) that he modeled Flora after Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter).  You can definitely see the resemblance!

So this is random--(Mrs. Warland, a reliable reader of this blog, says sometimes I go on tangents.  Warning, this is one of them.)--A 5 minute video on the whole 2014 Newbery project with my then fifth graders; now MHHS juniors.  Can you spy the Floras?  The Skype picture of KG "Keith" Campbell? The cheers for Flora? Wow.  For anyone who knows these kids, a stroll down memory lane for sure. Watching it makes me miss those kids and my own students so much.

The Three Rancheros

I can't write about Kate without mentioning Raymie, Louisiana and Beverly.  I love this trilogy and I thought it just kept getting better with each book.  Read them all and let me know what you think.  I know Mrs. Dingman liked Lousiana better than Beverly. Personally, I liked Beverly better but they are all so good. 

What I'm reading constantly carries over into my life. I had a dentist appointment shortly after I read Raymie and was able to convince my dental hygienist to take a photo with me.  She didn't know what was going on but I appreciated it and you will, too, when you read the book.

Check out my resource page for way more activities to pair with Raymie.  Here's a fun crossword to whet your appetite. Thanks to Candlewick, there's a lot more where that came from. 

Hollywood

Don't forget that Kate wrote Because of Winn Dixie and The Tale of Desperaux, Newbery honor and medal winning books that were made into movies.  Read the book.  Pop the popcorn. Watch the movie. Compare. Repeat.

One last thing...

This fall, Kate was in Saratoga, just after Beverly was released.  A bunch of us went, thanks to Northshire Bookstore.  Not only did we get a still picture BUT a leaping one! It wasn't my first time leaping with Kate and I hope it isn't my last...Until then, I wish you the best staying inside as you tackle Kate DiCamillo's canyon. xo