Do you like adventure? Do you like stories about unlikely heroes? If so, you might like to read The Tale of Despereaux.

The story is about the adventures of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling. He is on a quest to rescue a human princess from mean rats. The story involves a bowl of soup and a spool of thread. But you’ll have to read it to learn more!

The author of this book is Kate DiCamillo. She was the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in 2014-15. She lives in Minnesota.

Kate says that she thinks of herself as a storyteller. She describes herself as short and loud. She says that she hates to cook but loves to eat. Maybe she loves soup, like Queen Rosemary does in the book.

Sometimes people ask Kate to give them advice about writing. She says that you should write, rewrite, and read. She also says that you should look, listen, and believe in yourself.

The last three pieces of advice are true about writing. But they could also be true about having adventures. If you want to be brave, like Despereaux, you need to believe in yourself. And if you keep your eyes and ears open, you might find a great adventure waiting just for you!