♪ ♪ >> ERIC: AUTHOR KATE DICAMILLO IS WRAPPING UP SEPTEMBER IN A BIG WAY.

SHE’S RELEASING "LOST EVANGELINE," THE FINAL PART OF "THE NORENDY TALES" TRILOGY, AND AN ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF HER BREAKOUT HIT "BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE."

THIS YEAR MARKED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER NEWBERY AWARD-WINNING DEBUT.

WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO SIT DOWN WITH KATE DICAMILLO FOR ALMOST AS LONG.

WELCOME BACK.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> HOW MANY YEARS IS IT?

24?

I HINK, YEAH.

>> BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLAY ANY OLD VIDEO.

>> I LOVE THE VIDEO.

IT JUST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT YOU SHOULD PLAY THE VIDEO IS BECAUSE IT SILENCES ME.

WHEN I SEE MYSELF.

YEAH, OKAY, DON'T LET ME GET IN THE WAY.

>> Eric: "LOST EVANGELINE."

SHOE MAKER FINDS A TINY GIRL IN A SHOE.

SHE SIFNGS.

ENDEDUP A BIRD CAGE IN A TRAVELING CURIOSITY SHOW WITH IS A PIERCES BY A TALKING CAT, A TALKING SPARROW, A TALKING MOUSE AND THE CREW ENDS UP ABOARD A SHIP.

[ Laughter ] >> Cathy: YOUR IMAGINATION IS WONDERFULLY FERTILE.

>> OU ALWAYS MANAGE TO MAKE ME SOUND STRANGE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

I GUESS I AM.

YOU KNOW?

AND THAT'S TRUE.

EVERYTHING THAT HE SAID IS TRUE.

>> Eric: SHOWS I READ THE BOOK.

>> YEAH, I KNOW, YOU DID.

>> Cathy: IMAGINATION IS WONDERFULLY FERTILE.

THIS IS WHAT I SAY.

>> ALTHOUGH THAT I THOUGHT THAT THE EASY HIT FOR ERIC WOULD BE THAT TINY LITTLE PERSON WRITING ABOUT A TINY LITTLE PERSON.

[ Laughter ] >> Eric: THAT'S GOOD.

>> YEAH, YEAH, I THOUGHT THAT'S THE ANGLE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE.

>> Eric: YOU'VE GOT 44 MILLION COPIES OF YOUR WORK CIRCULATING.

YOU'VE GOT TWO NEWBERY PRIZES.

DO YOUNGER WRITERS EVER COME UP TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, DICAMILLO, TAKE A BREAK.

LET US GET A TASTE.

DOES THAT EVER HAPPEN?

>> NO, WHAT THE YOUNGER WRITERS COME UP TO ME AND SAY IS, I READ YOU WHEN I WAS A KID.

SO THAT IS -- YEAH, WHO CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT?

IT MAKES ME FEEL ODE, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THE LUCKIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.

>> Cathy: LIKE PEOPLE COMING UP AND SAYING, WE USED TO WATCH YOU WHEN WE WERE KIDS.

[ Laughter ] WHICH IS -- >> AND THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED OUR CONVERSATION BEHIND CENES WAS THAT WE'RE OLD.

>> Cathy: WE'RE GETTING OLD HERE.

SINCE SO MANY KIDS DO SAY THAT THEY GREW UP WITH YOU, THINGS ARE CHANGING OBVIOUSLY.

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT KIDS AND SCREEN TIME INSTEAD OF GETTING THEMSELF INTO BOOKS?

>> YOU KNOW, I GET THIS QUESTION A LOT, AND I -- I TAKE SO MUCH HEART FROM WHEN I'M OUT THERE WITH THE KIDS TALKING WITH THE KIDS, AND THIS IS NOT JUST WHEN I'M DOING EVENTS.

IT IS WHEN I'M IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES AND SOMETIMES I'LL BE COMING UP, AND TWO KIDS WILL BE STANDING THERE TALKING ABOUT, OH, NO, NO, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS ONE.

AND I SEE A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS ON THE GROUND THAT MAKES ME THINK THAT BOOKS ND KIDS ARE GOING TO BE OKAY.

AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COMFORT AND LIGHT THAT KIDS ARE FINDING IN BOOKS.

>> Eric: I ETECTED A NEW THING YOU DID.

IN THIS BOOK.

>> I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR IT.

>> Eric: IT'S THE LYRICS TO SONGS.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT?

I HAVE TO SAY, WISE YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS A THING THAT HAS JUST TARTED TO POP UP IN MY WORK, AND I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF IT, YEAH.

>> Eric: HOW DID YOU DO THE RHYMING AND ALL THAT.

>> WHEN YOU'RE WRITING TWO PAGES A DAY AND YOU GET TO WRITE A SONG, IT GETS YOU THROUGH THOSE TWO PAGES A LOT MORE QUICKLY.

OH, WAIT, I'M GOING TO DO MORE OF THIS.

SOMEBODY ASKED ME IF I AVE TUNES IN MY HEAD.

I DON'T.

BUT IT IS AWFULLY FUN TO WRITE THE SONGS.

CAN YOU WRITE MUSIC?

>> Eric: I PROBABLY CAN PLAY A LITTLE BIT.

BUT IF YOU PUT THESE LYRICS TO MUSIC, THIS IS THE PERFECT ENTREE TO A MOVIE OR THEATER MUSICAL.

>> Cathy: YOU NEED TO DO ANOTHER MUSICAL.

>> Eric: GET A MELODIST.

>> NO, I OULD LOVE THAT.

ARE YOU SIGNING UP?

>> Eric: NO, I'M NOT.

AND I LOVE THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE BOOK.

>> THAT'S SOPHIE BLACKEL WHO IS JUST DIVINE.

>> Eric: WHAT CAN WE PLUG FOR ME?

>> WHAT CAN YOU PLUG FOR HER?

>> Eric: YOU.

>> ME?

JUST MY MERE EXISTENCE HERE DOES ME A LOT OF FAVORS.

>> Eric: CLEVER, CORNSOUS AND KIND.

KATE DICAMILLO.

COURAGEOUS AND KIND.

>> NOW YOU'VE REALLY THROWN ME OFF MY GAME BECAUSE ALL YOU'VE DONE IS COMPLIMENT ME.

>> Eric: WHEN YOU GOT STUFF TO PLUG, COME BACK.

>> YEAH, THANKS FOR TALKING TO ME.

>> Eric: ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

>> IT'S