Kate DiCamillo: The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Kate DiCamillo will be the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in 2014 and 2015, the Library of Congress announced Thursday. DiCamillo will take up the duties of the position officially after being sworn in on Jan. 10.
The ambassadorship was launched in 2008 to raise awareness about the importance of reading at a young age. Each author is appointed to a two-year term; previous ambassadors have been Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson and Walter Dean Myers.
DiCamillo’s most recent book is the acclaimed, illustrated young adult novel “Flora and Ulysses,” about a 10-year old girl and a squirrel surprisingly endowed with superpowers, which is a bestseller. She is a winner of the Newbery Award, a National Book Award finalist and numerous other awards. She has written books for children of all ages.
The National Ambassador for Young People’s literature traditionally has a platform; DiCamillo’s is: Stories connect us. “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see each other,” she says on the Library of Congress’ website.
DiCamillo will be the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature through 2015.
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