Hoping that if she wins a local beauty pageant her father will come home, Raymie practices twirling a baton and performing good deeds while outmaneuvering a drama queen and a saboteur who become her unlikely friends and allies during a painful challenge. By the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Tale of Despereaux. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

A 2016 National Book Award Finalist!

Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship.

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who's determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship ' and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. - (Random House, Inc.)

A 2016 National Book Award Finalist!

As featured on The Today Show’s Read with Jenna Jr. Book Club

Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship.

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. - (Random House, Inc.)

Kate DiCamillo is one of America’s most beloved storytellers. She is the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week. - (Random House, Inc.)

Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* As 10-year-old Raymie tells it, the only way to bring back her father, who has run away with a dental hygienist, is to become 1975's Little Miss Central Florida Tire. Surely when he sees her photo in the newspaper, he will come home. But first Raymie must learn to twirl a baton, which is how she comes to be at a twirling lesson flanked by world-weary, subversive Beverly Tapinski and fabulist Louisiana Elefante, a girl stronger than her penchant for fainting would make her seem. DiCamillo's terse third-person narrative chronicles the everyday agonies of her characters, which include testy old women, a comforting insurance clerk, a swim coach with the secret of life, and two indomitable animals: one dog, one cat. Leaving behind the more fantastical surroundings she brought to The Tale of Despereaux (2003) and The Magician's Elephant (2009), DiCamillo returns to her southern roots and, in some ways, to her own story (albeit a perhaps more adventurous version), as the girls somehow figure out how to save the world—or at least their own. As in her previous award-winning books, DiCamillo once again shows that life's underlying sadnesses can also be studded with hope and humor, and she does it in a way so true that children will understand it in their bones. And that's why she is Kate the Great. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Books by the two-time Newbery medalist and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature are always publishing events, and this will be no exception. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

When ten-year-old Raymie Clarke's father runs away, Raymie vows to win the (1975) Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest and astonish him. In baton lessons, she meets two other girls with whom she has a beautifully layered set of adventures. The limited third-person narration and spot-on pre-adolescent perspective gives Raymie her distinctive voice. Here DiCamillo returns--triumphantly--to her Winn-Dixie roots.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

So, remembering the advice of last summer's life-saving class instructor, Raymie vows to become a problem solver rather than a problem causer. She will enter the (1975) Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest, win, get her name in the paper, and astonish her father, who will hurry home filled with pride. Lacking any marketable talent, she enrolls in baton lessons and there meets two other girls with their eyes on the same prize. Orphaned and fragile, Louisiana Elefante desperately needs the winner's money; hard-as-nails Beverly Tapinski wants to sabotage the contest and, consequently, her overbearing mother. The girls don't form an immediate bond, but their initial association of convenience eventually turns into a friendship of understanding and fierce loyalty. After christening the trio the Three Rancheros, Louisiana delivers these prescient words: "We'll rescue each other." And in a beautifully layered set of adventures, they do. The limited third-person narration gives Raymie her distinctive voice and spot-on pre-adolescent perspective of a young girl trying to make sense of the world around her. Here DiCamillo returns—triumphantly—to her Winn-Dixie roots. betty carter

Kirkus Reviews

Ten-year-old Raymie Clarke of Lister, Florida, has a plan to get her father to come back home. Raymie feels "alone, lost, cast adrift." Her father has run off with a dental hygienist. She is determined to learn how to twirl a baton, win the title of Miss Central Florida Tire 1975, and get her photograph in the newspaper. Her father will see it and be so proud that he'll return home to be with her. Raymie and her quirky new friends, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, have all lost parents and seek ways to move on with their lives and to protect one another along the way. DiCamillo's third-person narrative is written in simple words, few exceeding three syllables, yet somehow such modest prose carries the weight of deep meditations on life, death, the soul, friendship, and the meaning of life without ever seeming heavy, and there's even a miracle to boot. Readers will approach the tense and dramatic conclusion and realize how much each word matters. Raymie may not find an swers to why the world exists or how the world works, but she can hold onto friends and begin to see more clearly the world as it is. Raymie's small town is populated by quirky, largely white residents, many of them elderly, all distinct characters in their own rights. Once again, DiCamillo demonstrates the power of simple words in a beautiful and wise tale. (Historical fiction. 9-14) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Set in 1975, this tender novel shows how even when life seems out of one's control—people die, parents disappoint—persistence and belief pay off. The story is told from the perspective of Raymie Clarke, whose father has just run off with a dental hygienist. Raymie, however, has a plan to bring him back: she will win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest, get her picture in the paper, and her father will come running home. The plan inspires her to take a baton-twirling class, where she meets Beverly Tapinski—a girl with a chip on her shoulder, who vows to sabotage the contest—and ingenuous Louisiana Elefante, an orphan who claims to be the daughter of the famous Flying Elefantes. With extraordinary skill, two-time Newbery Medalist DiCamillo traces the girls' growing trust in each other while using understated confessionals and subtly expressed yearnings to show how tragedies have affected each of them. The book culminates with a daring cat-rescue mission: fraught with adventure, danger, and a miracle or two, the escapade reveals how love and compassion can overcome even the highest hurdles. Ages 10–up. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–7—Raymie Clarke has a plan. Her father has run off with a dental hygienist without a word, but Raymie is certain that if she wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, her father will see her picture in the newspaper and return. To this end, she begins baton-twirling classes with two other girls, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski. Both girls have their own reasons for entering the competition: Louisiana needs the prize money, and Beverly wants to sabotage the event. While they never actually learn to twirl, the classes are nevertheless invaluable because of the unlikely friendship the girls form. All three have lost people close to them, and each girl deals with her loss in different ways. With each small adventure, whether it's finding a lost book or rescuing a beloved pet, their friendship grows into an undeniable bond. In short, precisely crafted chapters, DiCamillo once again demonstrates her ability to create unique characters that touch readers' hearts. Raymie, in particular, is observant, thoughtful, and sensitive as she struggles to make sense of the world around her. Her story unfolds in uncomplicated prose, even as the themes explored are complex. Surrounded by the fully realized Louisiana and Beverly, not to mention the adults in her town, Raymie searches for meaning, a search that will resonate with readers. VERDICT Poignant, insightful, and ultimately uplifting.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 4–7—Hoping to attract the attention of her father, who has left home, and her mother, a young girl takes up twirling. While the baton lessons go south immediately, Raymie befriends two similarly vulnerable, lonely kids confronting their own family issues and who, like her, are trying to make sense of a sometimes bewildering world. Filled with heart and hope, DiCamillo's latest masterpiece is populated with characters whom readers won't soon forget.. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.