In her first Newbery Medal winner, from 2003—the inspiration for the animated film of the same name—Kate DiCamillo tells of Despereaux Tilling, a large-eared mouse in love with music, with stories, and with the human Princess Pea. Also here is a rat named Roscuro—doomed to hide in the shadows of the dungeon, but whose bitter old heart covets the light of the castle—and the serving girl Miggery Sow. With frequent asides to readers 6 to 10 and younger listeners, DiCamillo spins a wonderful tale of what happens when their destinies become entwined, while Timothy Basil Ering provides hilarious black and white art within the chapters.