The Joy in the Journey

While waiting out the January thaw I have more indoor time to read. I just finished reading one of Kate Di Camillo's latest children's book The Magician's Elephant. The book says for ages 8-13, but this label should not keep adults from discovering an extraordinary magical fable. So much is written in the child's world that needs to make its way into the adult world. J.K. Rowling with her Harry Potter series has shown us that it is possible to capture adults as well as children with young adult books. The Magician's Elephant has descriptive language that is multi-layered in meaning and thought provoking. In the book a small boy believes in his dream and sets out on a journey to find the truth. Kate Di Camillo, a local author, has been quite successful with her writing starting with her first book Winn Dixie. But her book The Journey of Edward Tulane will always remain one of my most favorite children's books. The emotional endings in Kate Di Camillo's books always bring on a bit of tears.

In a recent book interview on October 11, 2009, Kate Di Camillo told Jody Seaborn that the advice she would give to people who want to be a writer is to "Read, you need to immerse yourself in the language and write a little bit each day."

When asked by Jody Seaborn how do you come up with your ideas she said, "I listen and look real carefully. And I always have a notebook with me. And if you keep your eyes open and your ears open you realize you're never going to run out of stories. There is so much going on in the world."

Her words seem like good advice to me. I wish you joy in your journey of reading!