Description

Raymie Nightingale

  Paperbackboys Pick

 Includes an excerpt from LOUISIANA’S WAY HOME

“Three Girls…forge an indelible friendship…Newbery winner DiCamillo at her best.”—Peoples Magazine

Raymie Clarke has come to the profound realization that her fate, and indeed the fate of everything around her, hinges entirely on her own actions. With a determined spirit, she devises a strategy: if she can secure victory in the Little Miss Central Florida Tire pageant, her estranged father, who departed just two days prior with a dental hygienist, might catch sight of her photograph in the newspaper and potentially return home.

To achieve this goal, Raymie must not only engage in acts of kindness and master the art of baton twirling, but she must also navigate the challenges posed by Louisiana Elefante, a delicate girl prone to fainting spells and possessing a background in show business, as well as the fierce and headstrong Beverly Tapinski, who is resolutely intent on undermining the competition.

As the pageant draws near, the weight of loneliness, the pain of loss, and a myriad of unanswered questions forge an unexpected bond among the three girls, compelling them to support one another in ways they never anticipated.

Reviews

“Modest” and “tour de force” don’t usually go together, but they perfectly describe this quirky but melancholy coming-of-age novel.
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Raymie Nightingale” is striking for its portrait of 10-year-old Raymie Clarke, who hopes to win the contest and push her father, who has abandoned the family, to come home.
—Orlando Sentinel

While Raymie Nightingale is written for a middle-grade audience, it is a moving novel that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
—Providence Journal

It is an expertly layered and beautifully crafted story with not a wasted word or moment. The characters are living, breathing humans in whose struggles the reader becomes invested. And it’s a novel that shimmers with hope at its close, even if that absent father never actually pulls through.
—Kirkus Reviews (blog)

Readers will once again be treated with a novel that is rich and important on multiple levels by the exceptional writer Kate DiCamillo.
—Books to Borrow…Books to Buy (Kendal A. Rautzhan column)

Everyone should read Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. It’s a classic tale of friendship, which we can all relate to.
—On Our Minds (Scholastic blog)

Kate Dicamillo

Kate DiCamillo, who has recently been appointed as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for the years 2014 to 2015, eloquently expresses her views on the power of storytelling by stating, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world.

Together, we see one another.” Originally hailing from Philadelphia, DiCamillo currently resides in Minneapolis, where she adheres to a disciplined writing routine, producing two pages each day, five days a week. This commitment to her craft underscores her dedication to creating literature that resonates with young readers.

DiCamillo’s personal narrative is one that embodies the realization of a lifelong aspiration. After relocating to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, she faced the challenges of homesickness and the harshness of winter, which ultimately inspired her debut novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.

This work not only achieved remarkable commercial success but also garnered a Newbery Honor, marking a significant milestone in her career. Reflecting on the moment she received the Newbery committee’s call, she recalls, “I spent the whole day walking into walls,” a testament to her astonishment and overwhelming joy at the recognition.

Following the success of her first novel, DiCamillo’s second work, The Tiger Rising, earned her a place as a National Book Award Finalist. Her literary contributions have since expanded to encompass a diverse audience, including two humorous early-chapter-book series:

Mercy Watson, featuring a pig with a penchant for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which highlights the delightful dynamics of a tall and short friendship. Additionally, she has authored a beautifully illustrated holiday picture book titled Great Joy. Her most recent novel, Flora & Ulysses:

The Illuminated Adventures, was awarded the 2014 Newbery Medal and received widespread acclaim upon its release in fall 2013, including five starred reviews and recognition as a New York Times bestseller. This innovative work combines traditional narrative with comic-style illustrations by K. G. Campbell, further enriching the reading experience for children and earning accolades from various prestigious organizations.