1. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 6, 1964. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended Catholic school.
2. DiCamillo began writing stories in elementary school. She would make up stories to tell her classmates during recess.
3. After graduating from college, DiCamillo worked as a book editor in New York City. She edited children's books for several different publishing companies.
4. DiCamillo's first published book was *Because of Winn-Dixie*, which was published in 2000. The book was a huge success and won many awards, including the Newbery Medal.
5. DiCamillo has written many other award-winning books for children, including *The Tale of Despereaux*, *Flora & Ulysses*, and *Raymie Nightingale*. She has also written two books for adults, *The Tiger Rising* and *Louisiana's Way Home*.