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 slow-witted 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.