DiCamillo to appear at school fund-raiser

Minneapolis children's author Kate DiCamillo will be the inaugural guest of the Washburn Artists Series, created to raise money for scholarships, grants for teachers and supplemental funds for arts and athletics.

DiCamillo, author of "Because of Winn-Dixie," "The Tale of Desperaux" and co-author of this year's lively "Bink and Gollie," will be interviewed by students, parents and members of the community. Minnesota Public Radio reporter Dan Olson will host the event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Washburn High School auditorium, 201 W. 49th St., Minneapolis. A book signing follows at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for $5 at the Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Av., St. Paul, or by contacting the Washburn High School Foundation at 612-668-3483 or at info@washburnconnections.org

Also ...

•Derek Anderson of Minneapolis returns to his Iowa roots with his latest picture book, "Story County: Here We Come!," to be published in January by Orchard Books (Scholastic Press). Anderson grew up in the real Story County, and in the book he writes about a pig, a chicken, a dog, a cow and a farmer who work together to create a farm. (Not surprisingly, the dog is in charge.)

•"North of the Color Line: Migration and Black Resistance in Canada, 1870-1955," by Sarah-Jane Mathieu, has been published by the University of North Carolina Press. Mathieu is assistant professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Minnesota.

•"For Love of Country," a novel by William C. Hammond of Minneapolis, has been published by the Naval Institute Press. It is a sequel to "A Matter of Honor." He'll sign books at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bookcase, 607 E. Lake St., Wayzata.

•"Woman in the Wilderness: Letters of Harriet Wood Wheeler," edited by Nancy Bunge, has been published by Michigan State University Press. Wheeler was a missionary wife in 19th-century Wisconsin; the letters span 1832 to 1892.

•The third segment of ArtReach St. Croix's writers series will feature Stillwater resident Chuck Logan, author of "Hunter's Moon" and other thrillers. Logan will discuss his latest projects as well as his experiences in the world of publishing beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday at ArtReach St. Croix, 224 N. 4th St., Stillwater. It's free and open to the public.