The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
by Kate DiCamillo and Timothy Basil Ering
57 Total Resources 5 Awards 19 State Lists Book Resume View Text Complexity Discover Like Books
- Grade
- 1-6
- Genre
- Fairy Tales / Folklore
Year Published 2003
Word Count 32,375
- Text Complexity
- Lexile Level: 670L
- ATOS Reading Level: 4.7
- AR Quiz Numbers
- Quiz 70401, 5 AR Points
- OverDrive Digital Book Details Explore on Marketplace
- Curricular Area
- English Language Arts
- Lists With This Book
- Listen to this! Audio Books
- Mentor Texts: Metaphors
- Sample: StudyForge
- Our Favorite Audiobooks
Our Original Resources 9
Meet-the-Author Movie with Kate DiCamillo
Created by TeachingBooks
Kate DiCamillo reads from The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Created by TeachingBooks
Audio Name Pronunciation with Kate DiCamillo
Created by TeachingBooks
Story Map Multi-Leveled Lesson
Created by TeachingBooks
Fairy Tales / Folklore Multi-Leveled Lesson
Created by TeachingBooks
Vocabulary Graphic Organizers
Created by TeachingBooks
Comprehension Graphic Organizers
Created by TeachingBooks
View Comprehensive Text Complexity Measures
Created by TeachingBooks
Submit Qualitative Text Complexity Rubric
Created by TeachingBooks
About the Authors 3
Author Interviews 28
Meet-the-Author Movie with Kate DiCamillo
Created by TeachingBooks
Kate DiCamillo reads from The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Created by TeachingBooks
2004 Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech given by Kate DiCamillo
Created by Association for Library Service to Children - ALSC
Interview with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by AdLit
On re-imagining Despereaux in color with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by AdLit
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by Candlewick Press
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by PBS NewsHour
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by All the Wonders
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by PBS NewsHour
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature inauguration of Kate DiCamillo
Created by Library of Congress
2014 National Book Festival speech by Kate DiCamillo
Created by Library of Congress
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by Candlewick Press Presents Podcast
On being an outsider with Kate DiCamillo
Created by AdLit
On persistence with Kate DiCamillo
Created by AdLit
On having a love-hate relationship with writing with Kate DiCamillo
Created by AdLit
On reading aloud and modeling with Kate DiCamillo
Created by AdLit
Advice on writing with Kate DiCamillo
Created by AdLit
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by First Draft Podcast
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by NSW Department of Education, Arts Unit
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by Concord NHTV
Interview with Kate DiCamillo
Created by MPR News
Interview on inspiration with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by Candlewick Press
Interview on artistic process with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by Candlewick Press
On becoming a children’s book illustrator with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by AdLit
On painting loose with Timothy Basil Ering
Created by AdLit
Book Guides, Activities & Lessons 9
Story Map Multi-Leveled Lesson
Created by TeachingBooks
Fairy Tales / Folklore Multi-Leveled Lesson
Created by TeachingBooks
Comprehension Graphic Organizers
Created by TeachingBooks
Comprehension Questions from Rise to Reading
Created by Rise to Reading
Discussion Guide from Scholastic
Created by Scholastic
Teacher's Guide from Candlewick Press
Created by Candlewick Press
Activity Sheets from LibrarySparks
Created by LibrarySparks
Activity Guide from Walker Books Ltd.
Created by Walker Books Ltd.
Reading Guide Questions from Book Browse
Created by Book Browse
Book Readings 2
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Graeme Malcolm
Created by Books On Tape® / Listening Library
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Kate DiCamillo
Created by Candlewick Press
Book Trailers 1
Movie Trailer from Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Created by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Vocabulary Resources 2
Vocabulary Graphic Organizers
Created by TeachingBooks
Word lists, definitions, and example sentences
Created by Vocabulary.com
Awards & Distinctions 5
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 1995-2026
Commended, 2004
John Newbery Medal, 1922-2026
Winner, 2004
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 1997-2025
Selection, 2004
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, 1971-2025
Finalist, 2004
CCBC Choices
Selection, 2004
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