Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Loved this book; the combination of the writing and the illustrations were superb. This is one of those unique books where the main character is a precocious outsider, but a believable kid. It's one of those books that it hard to explain (a squirrel that gets superhuman strength from a super-sucking vacuum cleaner, leading to a series of adventures and illuminations.) I loved it and I think that most kids would find this readable and interesting.

Funny and original, with a cast of clever characters. Who wouldn't fall in love with a flying squirrel who can type? But overall this book is too self-consciously precious and a bit cloying. What is the theme? I don't need to be hit over the head with a moral, but this book doesn't have a unifying idea. Lots of cute antics that don't add up to a plot or even a point. William Spiver's dialogue and musings will be way over the head of most middle-graders (although I found him endearing).

I loved Because of Winn-Dixie, probably one of my all time favorites, and a few of Ms. DiCamillo's other books. This one-not so much.

I got it for my 10 year old daughter, based on all the rave reviews. Unfortunately, she thought it was strange and lost interest. She has a great imagination, and loves Rick Riordan's series, so I thought this book would a good fit. Nope.

I never thought that one of the perks of being a grandmother would be the ability to read children's books, alone in my room, without anyone blinking an eye. I may not be in the target age range of 8-12, but I'm glad that I had a chance to read Flora and Ulysses because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt I could relate as an adult, when I read "Considering the human beings she was surrounded by, believing in a squirrel seemed like an increasingly reasonable plan of action." If only I had a squirrel in my life.

I never imagined that a story about a squirrel could be so entertaining, especially since there are 68 chapters! They are short chapters, which makes it an easy read for kids of all ages. However, it also enticed me to read 'just one more' until the book was finished.

I loved it! When my granddaughter was finally able to pry it from my hands, she fell just as deep into Flora's world and loved it as much as I did.

Kate DiCamillo is a wonderful writer, and she does a good job in this book of illustrating the power of words and of self-expression. But unfortunately that is outweighed by what I feel are very disturbing and potentially harmful messages in the book. ***SPOILERS ALERT*** Flora's mother is clearly mentally ill with a capacity for emotional abuse and violence, yet Flora's father (who seems to have some mental health issues himself) leaves Flora alone with the mother while she's in the middle of a nervous collapse; when Flora wants to go with him, he tells her that her mother needs her. So the message is that it's the child's job to take care of the unstable and potentially dangerous parent. Later in the book, after the mother tries unsuccessfully to kill Ulysses, she discovers that she really does love her daughter (!), and this is supposed to be a happy ending. So the message is that as long as a parent says "I love you" to a child, the parent's previous behavior doesn't matter and everything will be okay. Then there's William Spiver, who has been so traumatized by his mother's remarriage that he destroys his stepfather's truck, and as a result is shipped off to his great aunt Tootie's; he believes the trauma has temporarily blinded him. Clearly he needs the help of a caring adult who takes his pain seriously. But Tootie's response to him is to roll her eyes and keep telling him that he's not blind. Then she takes him and Flora on a scatterbrained search for Ulysses in the middle of the night that ends with the car running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. And Tootie is supposed to be one of the grown-up heroes of the story? I shudder to think of a troubled child or the child of an abusive or negligent parent reading this book, or of anyone who's trying to help such a child using it as a guide (except for what NOT to do), which is why I felt compelled to write this review.

I think it was the worst ever
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Flora Belle Buckman knows all is not right in her world. Her parents are divorced, her mom writes romance novels even though there is no romance in her life, and she misses the time she spent reading about a superhero, the Amazing Incandesto. But life for Flora begins to change when she rescues a squirrel accidentally vacuumed up by a neighbor. Suddenly she’s caught up in an adventure with a squirrel superhero, his arch nemesis, a boy in need of a friend, her reliable dad, a philosopher, and a helpful neighbor.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is a tender, sweet story about a girl and the amazing squirrel that helps her sort out the important things in life. Little bits of wisdom come from those all around her, and Flora ponders those as well as observations she reads in the books about Incandesto. She borrows from it all to solve her problems and expand the community of people she cares about.

Young readers aged 9 to 12 will fall in love with Ulysses, a squirrel who types poems and dreams of eating a giant doughnut, who is totally devoted to Flora. A few graphic novel-like sequences help readers feel as though they know all the quirky characters in this lovable story. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs to talk about issues of friendship, family dynamics, reaching out to others in time of loneliness, and more.

Kate DiCamillo is a very prolific writer of young fiction. She has written many books, and encorporates animals into the story masterfully. She has even written two book series that are quite popular. Kate also has the distinction of being one of only six authors to have won the Newbery Medal twice(2004 and 2014 for this book).

With all that said, Flora and Ulysses just didn't do it for me. Here's why?
*The Characters were interesting but not very deep: Each of the human characters from Flora to the neighbors and even her parents are all.....wierd. very weird. Which doesn't make the story bad, but it does make you want to know more about them, and that's something the author doesn't do. You learn very little about their past to help you understand why they are the way they are.

I should say though that Ulysses, was wonderful. I really enjoyed him and found him to be the best part of the book

*I didn't like the illustrations. That's just a personal presence. The illustrator is very talented and is well respected, it's just not my taste.

*The story is leaves a lot of loose ends. Without giving away the plot, lets just say the mother does a lot of odd things that are just mentioned and then we move on like it's not a big thing in the story.

In short: I thought the book was ok. I've read better, but I've also read a lot worse. The reality is that it's a forgettable Newbery Medal that will be lost in the list soon enough.

A former teacher from one of the schools where I taught told me that I needed to read this book, and I'm glad he did!

It was a Newberry award winner, and involves a cynical young girl whose parents are divorced and her adventures with a squirrel who gains super powers after being sucked into a vacuum that ran amok outside.

It is a delightful story with quirky characters and good lessons. There is William Spiver, who is temporarily blind, Dr. Meescham, who has interesting stories of life in Blundermeecen, and an assortment of neighbors and townspeople who interact with Flora and Ulysses.

One particular comment that I felt was poignant was when Dr. Meescham told Flora that when she herself was a girl, saying good-bye to someone was uncertain. You never knew if you would see them again. Instead of good-bye, they began saying "I promise to always turn back to you." I liked the sentiment (someone else did, too, as they had marked it in the library book - I did not mark the book, in case it should come up in conversation).

If you need a break from your normal fare, I suggest to give this a read.

"Holy bagumba!"

I was recommended this book by a group of 3rd-5th graders who were absolutely in love with the title. And I'm glad they did. I had somehow completely missed this book's rise to fame, so when I found that it was a book about a superhero squirrel while dealing with the subject of divorce (the book, not the squirrel...although I suppose the squirrel does in his own way), my interest was definitely piqued.
The book is lighthearted, although there is some heavy emotions being flung around. You can't help but smile as you read through the text, while at the same time feel this pang of sadness in the back of your mind as you recognize the issues the girl is going through in her life that can apparently only be solved by a squirrel who can fly AND write poetry.
Flora and Ulysses is this perfect juxtaposition of goofy situations with serious subject matter, but not in that corny sit-com way. It's a serious tale, wrapped up in what more serious readers might recognize as being a girl's very grand imagination.
I'm not sure this book will help any kid deal with the issues of divorce, but it might help others know what their friends who are coping with it are going through.
But in the end, every kid should enjoy the adventures of Ulysses the super-hero squirrel, and his side-kick Flora, the cynic.
And everyone will be quoting George Buckman for weeks, I'm certain of it.

I like a bit of subtlety with my "meaning". What I mean by that is that when I pick up a book for kids, it's tough on me, as a reader, to go through something saturated and imbued with the weight and splendor of meaning on every page. It bogs me down. And, to be frank, this is what makes it so hard for kids to read some of those old classics like Paula Fox's The Slave Dancer or Johnny Tremain. Meaning, for me, should be a slight subtle thing that is all the more powerful when it comes seemingly out of nowhere. Now if I have learned anything over the years, it's that DiCamillo has no difficulty retaining child readers. Her fans are legion. And what has always been the most difficult for me about her books is how remarkably meaningful they are (though clearly kids have no difficulty cutting through it like a hot knife through butter). I've always much preferred her lighter fare, like the Mercy Watson series or the remarkable Bink & Gollie books. Those titles were for younger readers, of course, so maybe it's just that I have the retention of an eight-year-old child. But then we come to the lovely Flora and Ulysses. It's written for the 9-12 year-olds of the world but is much sillier and sweeter than much of what she's done before. Helped in no small part by K.C. Campbell's perfectly placed illustrations, Flora and Ulysses does precisely what I always want in a book. It lures you in with the ridiculous and then when you least expect it gets you in the gut with a bolt of pure, uncut, unadulterated meaning. Rare fare.

It all began with a vacuum cleaner. Not just any vacuum cleaner, mind you, but a Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X. One minute Mrs. Tickham is being dragged through her yard by a piece of cleaning equipment that clearly has a mind of its own, and the next she's vacuumed up a live squirrel. Flora, child cynic and lover of all this comic book related, witnesses the event and when she runs to the squirrel finds that not only is it all right, it is imbued with superpowers. The squirrel, now dubbed Ulysses, is truly an extraordinary creature. It can leap tall buildings with a single bound (and fly!). It has super strength. And best of all, it can write poetry. Flora is convinced that Ulysses is a superhero, and it's up to her to help him fulfill his destiny and protect him from his nemesis. Trouble is, how do you tell who a true nemesis is? And what if it turns out to be someone close to home?

So the writing is what floats or sinks any children's book. With that in mind, it was interesting to me to see where this particular book fell on the writing spectrum. To my mind, there is a fine line between the charming and the precious/precocious. There is a whole genre of preternaturally intelligent children in children's literature (E.L. Konigsburg typified the genre). The trick is figuring out how to balance intelligence with precociousness while remaining something a child would actually want to read. In this book DiCamillo straddles this line with the dexterity of a showman. Her characters may use words like "malfeasance", "unremitting", and "capacious" but you don't resent them for it. Then there are the moments where the words ask more of the reader than your standard middle grade fare. Sentences like, "What good does it do you to read the words of a lie?" Add in the first mention of Rilke I've ever seen in a children's book and you could, potentially, have something intolerable. Instead, the book ends up mighty fine. On beyond merely, tolerable. It's a delight.

Much of this has to do with the wordplay, of course. Individual sentences can be remarkably funny. Example: "George... we have a problem. Your daughter has become emotionally attached to a diseased squirrel." Later: "... the torturing of dogs was the one reliable pleasure of a squirrel's existence." Full credit must be paid to any book that is actually funny. This book is, and that can be a rare thing in a given year. DiCamillo also appears to be aware of the fact that if you add the word "squirrel" to any sentence, it is instantly funnier. Substitute any other animal (even "dodo") and the humor is gone. Maybe this is because squirrels are simultaneously ubiquitous and forgotten.

One way of looking at this book is to consider it a paean to comic book lovers everywhere. You wonder then if, at first, DiCamillo felt any inclination to go whole hog and to turn the whole book into a comic. For all that I will defend them unto the high hills, there is something limiting to the form if you're coming at them from a novelist perspective. I think it was Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics who put it best when he pointed out (and here I'm paraphrasing heavily) that while we consider great literature high art and we consider visual art high art, for some reason putting the two together creates something supposedly lesser. Comics are their own unique beastie, and anytime you meld image with text you are creating a new style of visual learning. As it currently stands, Flora and Ulysses is a creature that would have had more difficulty seeing the light of day in anything but the 21st century. Only in this new publishing era where the stigma of comics has abated if not disappeared altogether

Is it an insult to Mr. Campbell to call him Sophie Blackall-esque? Dunno. I'm not sure what the ethics are in such a case. Whatever he is, Mr. Campbell is a true find. It's a risk to begin any DiCamillo novel with such a heavy concentration on a book's art. Yet Campbell is up to the challenge. His Flora is nicely cynical. His Ulysses is absolutely adorable, in spite of his mostly bald state. The comic panels contain the book's most ridiculous moments while safely couched in a superhero format familiar to so many. Altogether, his contributions make the book more accessible and adorable than it has any right to be.

Separately, DiCamillo and Campbell have created strong works of literature. Together? There's something undeniably sweet (and not in a saccharine way) at the core. In a way, it all comes down to Ulysses. I can say with certainty that though pigeons have their children's book mascot in Mo Willems's ubiquitous character, there has never been a proper squirrel spokescritter. Scaredy Squirrel comes the closest but even he turns out to be a flying squirrel and not your common everyday park denizen. Ulysses may fly but that's just part of his superhero physique. What both DiCamillo and Campbell have accomplished is an ability to turn your average squirrel's desires (which, to be frank, are mostly food-based) into something loftier and more touching. Ulysses may crave giant sprinkles, but he also craves poetry and wordplay and affection. If you've never wanted to hug a squirrel before, consider those days long gone.

Oh, there will be those that don't love this book as I do. Who yearn for the deep underlying context of a Tulane or a Despereaux. To them I offer a respectful and heartfelt "Phhhhhhttttttt". You can have your weighty subject matter all you like. Me? I like a little silliness with my fictional fare. I like my superpowered squirrels and giant donuts and interstitial comic book moments. And I like those moments when depressed dads find happiness and little bald squirrels burrow themselves into the arms of the girls that love them dearly. That, to me, is worth reading. To me, it's exceptional stuff.

For ages 9-12.

Holy Bagumba! Kate DiCamillo does it again! As I was reading this I got about half-way through the book and started to wonder if she had lost her touch or if she actually knew where she was taking this story; I kept asking myself how in the world this book could have won the Newberry medal. Once Flora's father laughed and came out of his shell I knew DiCamillo hadn't lost her magic, and I quickly understood how this book won the Newberry medal. It's a wonderful story with an ambiguous ending, but that's perfectly fine because there's hope where for the longest time there had been none. It's a book that warms the heart, inspires the soul, and brings people together in a lonely world. DiCamillo's character development is bar-none! She knows how to setup a character and then place something into his or her life that forces them to grow, to change, and to become human again! A touching tale worthy of those who love superheroes, underdogs, and poetry. Dr. Meescham is one of the most likable characters I've come across in a long time--such awesome wisdom and such a big heart from a lonely widow. A highly recommended read! This is one of those rare books that really deserves 5 stars.

Set in contemporary but unspecified America this Newbery winner will instantly appeal to kids—kids whose parents are divorced, who are lonely because they have no siblings or friends, who feel and look like social misfits. Which describes Flora Belle Buckman at 11--a girl who proudly claims to be a cynic, while immersing herself in comics about superheroes and books with advice for junior detectives. A fantasy world, wherein she is mostly ignored by her miserable, cigarette-smoking hack of a mother. Until she happens to witness a most extraordinary occurrence in the back yard.

The lady next door, Tootie, receives a new Vacuum cleaner which has a mind of its own and prodigious suction power: hence its name, ULYSSES. After charging into the backyard it accidentally (or was it maliciously)? gobbles up a small squirrel, who is subsequently rescued and resuscitated by Flora Belle—suddenly a concerned neighbor. After being revived (born again into the light) the animal instantly bonds with the girl. Flora realizes that this is no longer an ordinary creature. As a result of his near-death experience Inside, he has developed super powers: But what could they be? Can he fight off evil like Flora’s literary hero--Incandesto? She must observe carefully, hope and catalogue theamazing skills of the unsuspecting world’s newest superhero rodent.

Narrated in short chapters, interspersed with many b/w comic strips, this hilarious tale reads swiftly. Although Ulysses himself does not verbally speak, he can understand English and nod in recognition. Oh yes--of course he can type poetry. Or something. So he does mange to communicate. And learn to fly (without a cape or a letter sewn on his chest)! Observing the Unity of Time (more suitable for Greek tragedy) the author condenses the never-ending action into a mere 48 hours. But Crime sleeps for no man (or kid or squirrel) so the adventure rumbles on.

Ulysses learns the importance of opening the Right Door—or in his case—of flying into the right window. Helping Flora and Ulysses defeat the nefarious schemes of the Arch Nemesis of girl and squirrel are a delightfully whacky cast of characters: her mild father, the neighbor lady and her visiting great nephew, and a kindly (non medical) Doctor. But what roles will be played by a porcelain shepherdess lamp and a fat, misanthropic cat? Flora Belle learns the value of love and acceptance, of friendship and trust. And how to say goodbye in Blundermeecen. Despite the open-ended ending this story proves Great stuff for kids of all ages!

My nine and a half year old loved reading this book and wrote a lovely review for her school. Here it is:

What would you do if you encountered a squirrel that was sucked up by your neighbor’s vacuum cleaner, and that came out with super powers? In Flora and Ulysses, by Kate Dicamillo, Flora, a ten year old girl, rescues the squirrel and names him Ulysses. She soon finds out that Ulysses can fly, type poetry, understand humans, and is super strong.

With the help of Ulysses, Flora has to deal with divorced parents and a mother who would rather have a shepherdess lamp named Mary Ann than her. When Flora finds out her mother’s evil plot to get rid of Ulysses, they have to turn to her neighbor, Tootie Tickham, Tootie’s nephew William Spivey, who is temporarily blind from trauma, and her dad, who eventually regains his confidence and happiness over their adventures.

Flora and Ulysses is a funny and exciting book. This wonderful novel is also the 2014 Newberry Award winner. Throughout the story, Flora learns what love and friendship is. I liked how the most exciting parts of the story are told in comics. My favorite part is when Ulysses flew down the hallway to save Flora’s mother from an attacking cat. I loved this book, and I hope you will to.

Have you ever wanted to read a book with a twist? I have the perfect book for you! It is called Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo.

All Flora wanted to do was to be alone reading her comics.But then all of the sudden she heard a few screams and then Flora looked out her window and saw her neighbors outside with a vacuum cleaner chasing a squirrel. So she ran to help and she got the squirrel to safety and named him Ulysses. Then Flora and Ulysses found out some very important things about each other, their families,and the people around them.

In my opinion this book was a great read. I say this because there is a lot of heart, humor,and its a great book to read by the fire. I think this because it’s about a girl and her best friend/pet squirrel. Also it has a lot of humor because the book starts with a squirrel getting vacuumed. Lastly, I think it’s a good read buy the fire because when I read Flora & Ulysses I read it for 90 minutes in the first day I got it!

So in the end, I think this book deserves a 5 star rating because of its humor,heart, and its a perfect book to read by the fire. And who knows maybe one day you could have your best friend be a squirrel.

Kate DiCamillo always writes the most charming books imaginable, and this one is no different. I will admit that even though the cover is so cute, and the synopsis sounds interesting, I hesitated to read this book once I realized it involved a talking squirrel. I kind of thought I had left talking animals behind back when I was 13, but perhaps not, as I found this story to be all the more enjoyable because of it.

Flora is a cute little girl who spends lots of time reading comic books and being cynical. Ulysses is your usual annoying squirrel that inhabits your yard, and eats the acorns that fall from your tree. But one small mistake made by a neighbor changes all of that in an instant. And thus: the squirrel acquires a name and a friend, and Flora is taken on a grand adventure she never would have imagined in her wildest dreams.

This book is a wonderful story for young readers who are looking for a little more substance than the easier "readers" they may be used to. It might also interest parents who are looking for a little bit of magic in the everyday, or a break from their typical fiction tome.
[...]

I bumped up FLORA & ULYSSES: The Illuminated Adventures on my reading list when it was long-listed for the National Book Award. The shortlist has since been announced and FLORA & ULYSSES is not on it, but it is worth reading.

I've loved Kate DiCamillo's work since her breakout hit, BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE. She's a tremendous author, with beautiful but accessible prose. I liked that FLORA & ULYSSES used a graphic novel format for the illustrations instead of just static images. It gives the novel a chance to play with point of view, and can also be used to entice readers to try a graphic novel or to try a prose novel.

However, I don't think the story is DiCamillo's best. I'm quite fond of the central characters. Flora is the sort of child to believe in strange things when they happen and a huge comic book fan. When she sees Ulysses the squirrel gain superpowers by being sucked into a vacuum, she's ready to take him in and be friends. I also liked her neighbors, the "temporarily blind" William Spiver, who is Flora's age and quite verbose, and his aunt Tootie, who takes a little while longer than the children to warm up to a poetry-writing squirrel.

But the story fell apart around Flora's parents. Her relationship with her mother could be powerful, but her mother spends too long acting like a cartoon villain. Meanwhile, her father compulsively introduces himself for no apparent reason. I kept waiting for someone to mention it within the story, but no one ever did. To top it off, the plot is a little thin. FLORA & ULYSSES feels like an origin story. Although it would be a wonderful series, I think it is a standalone.

I thought FLORA & ULYSSES was wonderfully written and that the story was playful and exciting. But it's not DiCamillo's best. And to be fair to FLORA & ULYSSES, I have high expectations of her work. I must add, however, that Ulysses' poetry is a highlight. It's beautiful without being esoteric.

Kate DiCamillo's "Flora & Ulysses" is a cute and comical story about a cynical girl and her seemingly superhero squirrel. While the reading age level states that this book is best for kids 8-12 years old, I found that it was a good book to read at bedtime for my 4 & 5 year old kids. The chapters are short - most not being more than five pages long (two front and back) and some being as short as one page long. The book really helps build vocabulary with words such as "cynic", '"illuminated", "redolent", and "malfeasance" - even the husband and I used a dictionary at times to help explain the words to the kids!

The story is fairly fast paced, amusing to read, and held everyone's attention. The artwork in the book is whimsical, and also features short comics that goes hand in hand with the story - these are welcome shorts that are peppered throughout the book...the kids loved them. They also enjoyed the sections of text within the book that overemphasized statements some of the characters made, particularly "TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU"...I just hope the kids' Kindy teacher don't think I'm raising a paranoid drama king/queen! This would be a good book for any kid's bookshelf. Recommended.

I have read all of Dicamillo’s books and really enjoyed them all. So when I saw she had released another book I was excited to read it. This book was a departure from Dicamillo’s usual deep and beautiful writing, it was pretty darn hilarious but touches on some deep topics all the same. I ended up really really loving it.

Flora is suffering through her parents divorce, her mother is a romance novelist and her father lives apart from them by himself. Flora and her dad always used to read a comic book entitled The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto and Flora is obsessed with this comic. She draws a lot of her lifes lessons from this source. Everything changes when her neighbor accidentally sucks up a squirrel in a vacuum cleaner, Flora saves the squirrel, and then they all discover that the squirrel has superhero-like powers.

Everything about this book is quirky and weird...and somewhat hilarious. The first portion of the book is especially funny, I laughed out loud a number of times at the crazy outrageousness of the whole situation.

Flora has decided that she is a cynic and will never feel or care about anything at all. Really she is mostly lonely and unhappy living with her mother. Her mother pushes Flora to be as normal as possible, but Flora would like to be herself. It doesn’t help that Flora got along much better with her father anyway.

Things get even crazier when Flora finds out that her mom has a plan to kill Ulysses, the squirrel with the superhero powers, and her mom wants her dad to help with the plot. What follows is a crazy series of events in which the squirrel flies, writes poetry, and brings a smile back to Flora’s dad’s face.

Flora meets another quirky kid named William. William believes he is blind and talks just as quirkily as Flora does. William also has some large emotional issues he is dealing with at home. Both William and Flora are dealing with their different family problems in different ways and the friendship they form helps them both.

Another character that was very intriguing is Dr. Meescham. She seems to have a pretty upbeat and positive view on life, she obviously lived through the Holocaust and bases a lot of her life philosophies on the kindnesses she saw in that horrible situation. She is kind of the wise old sage of this story.

The format is intriguing and is something I have seen a lot more of lately. It is a mesh between graphic novel and traditional novel format. The graphic novel portions are hilarious and incredibly well done. I also enjoyed the chapters where we hear from the squirrel’s POV.

This story does have a fantasy element, but most of the story is about family and allowing kids to be themselves. The whole thing is a bit quirky and downright hilarious because it is Ulysses the squirrel and his poetry that kind of end up bringing everyone together.

Overall this was a fabulously entertaining book. It is much more fun and lighthearted than Dicamillo’s other books, but no less inspiring. I really enjoyed reading it and enjoyed all of the quirky characters. I also enjoyed the message about letting everyone be who they want to be and loving them for their quirks.

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format—a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K.G. Campbell.

LOVE IT!!! These adventures are adorable. We have a squirrel thing in our house so I couldn't help myself. The pictures are outstanding. "Bootsie Boots" -- Gets me every time. You just must check out these books. I don't have young kids, my youngest being 12, but my girls are 15 and 16 and they still loved them. I will add them to our bookshelves anyway!!!

I like the book Flora and Ulysses, because it is one of a kind. It is an exciting, thrill-seeking book about a young girl named Flora. Flora's mother acts like she doesn't love her; Flora's mother also calls Flora a cynic. Cynics don't love things or get excited about things because they think they will get disappointed. Flora doesn't argue with her mother because she knows she is a cynic.
One day flora found a squirrel that her neighbor accidentally vacuumed up. She decided to keep the squirrel and she named it Ulysses. Flora keeps telling herself not to love Ulysses, but she can't help herself. She finds herself loving Ulysses. They go on a lot of adventures including hair, waitresses, flying, grumpy cats, gigantic donuts, and a blind boy. What will Flora do when Ulysses goes missing? You will just have to read and find out.!
One of my favorite parts of this book is the creativity. It is very well written and has a lot of details. I rate Flora and Ulysses four stars. I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.

Kids that like to laugh will be over the moon with this book. Flora rescues Ulysses (a squirrel) from a vacuum cleaner, gives him CPR, and takes him home. The experience of being vacuumed has changed Ulysses, however. He is now a superhero squirrel (or something). He can fly, write poetry, and vanquish mean cats. Flora is an odd girl, but her cynical personality is perfect for the story. The boy that lives next door is a temporarily blind philosopher and drives Flora crazy.

I loved Ulysses poetry. I also loved the way we got his point of view sometimes. He was obsessed with eating. He would have grandiose thoughts and ambitions, and then it always came back to food.

The illustrations are fantastic. They add to the personality of the book and are very entertaining. I especially liked the comic strip sections where Ulysses slipped into superhero mode.

Flora and Ulysses is full of friendship, love, and laugh out loud moments. I loved it.

Content: clean

(Written by Donald's daughter)

I like books (well, it's more like LOVE them). And I like animals well enough too, but books about animals have never really been my thing. Except for Kate DiCamillo's. It's probably because even though her books center around at least one animal and almost always feature said animal in the title, they're really stories about people. Flora and Ulysses is no exception.

I tend to scorn graphic novels. I feel like they're cheating, trying to coax people into reading with the promise of more pictures than words. So when my mom gave me this book, I gave her this "Seriously?" look. But I realized that not only is Ulysses a very comic-book like squirrel with mysterious superpowers, Flora and her father often read superhero comics together, and it's one of the things that helps them bond throughout the book. There are also some cute side references to a comic strip meant to teach kids about the "real" problems they can encounter and Flora's constant comparing of its advice to her life. So it made a lot of sense for this book to have some illustrations- and it's just SOME, by the way. The book's mostly words.

I adored almost every character. Flora is called a cynic by her mother, yes, but that's more of an image projected onto her. She has a lot of hopes and dreams that she keeps quiet, thinking they aren't realistic. Ulysses, with his very animal trust and his very human flights of fancy, puts more fun and imagination into her life. I loved William Spiver, the boy next door: he's ridiculously speculative and annoyingly melodramatic, but a more loyal friend you'll never find.

There was just one minor problem, but it continued to bother me: one of the characters in this book does a 180 at the speed of light. Seriously. He/she (don't want to ruin it for you all) goes from one extreme to the other in a matter of what seems like paragraphs. DiCamillo is usually pretty good at humanizing her characters, but this just wasn't believable to me. The story also took a bit to take off, meandering around for a while until it got its bearings. But it was great and wonderfully wacky once it got going. Gotta love unanticipated occurrences.

I simply can't get over how good this book is. I have read tons of books with my 7 year old over the years, encompassing many different styles. This book was thoughtful and quirky and fun and touching all at the same time. What starts as an odd story of a superhero squirrel turns into a story of modern family dynamics and re-discovering the beauty in the world. The main characters have alternating introspection and delve into their feelings -- or lack of understanding their feelings. The story is occasionally mixed with comic sections, which are consistent with the story background. These were cute and kept my son interested in the story, though he liked the story without the pictures also.

I really liked how the content was for kids, but the vocabulary was significantly expanded and it didn't shy away from themes of split family dynamics. There were some really philosophical and sweet moments that further solidified the depth of this story.

I see a number of mixed reviews, so this doesn't clearly click with everyone. But for me and my son, this was one of the best books we've read.

Actually my 10 year old loves it. I haven't read it. If your kid is like mine and she is reading the Divergent and Hunger Games series, she might turn her nose up at the book believing it to be too kiddy for her (one tries not to roll one's eyes) but kids her age apparently like hard cover books too so she gave it a go because of it. Reading it, she absolutely loved it. Not embarrassed to be seen with it. Loved the humour, the pace of the story and didn't want it to end. Its hard to buy books for kids this age where they want to be cool, reading the books with the movie tie-ins but as a parent, you want them to not miss out on some of these great books so you buy it in hard cover, leave it around strategically and let them find it on their own. For her to take it to school, want to share it with her friends, take time out of her Divergent reading, want to read it every night and then tell you that she really loved it. 5-stars worthy and more.

You can't go wrong with a book by Kate DiCamillo and I read this with my son recently, as well as on my own. When I end up grilling my husband about the parts I missed while he read with the kids, I know I need to add the book to my list. The story of Flora and the miraculous squirrel named Ulysses is full of heart, humor, beautiful nuance, a lovable cast of quirky characters and lilting poetry. Yes, the squirrel writes poetry. It's one you can't explain and just have to read. Additionally, it would also be a perfect read for kids who have experienced divorce.

Author Kate DiCamillo is a favorite author of mine. One of my top five all-time favorite books, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TOULANE by DiCamillo, should be required reading for all. In FLORA AND ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES, DiCamillo has given readers yet another magical tale. With wonderful illustrations by K. G. Campbell, FLORA AND ULYSSES will capture the heart of readers of all ages even though it is aimed at 8 to 12 year olds.

With comic-style illustrations and black and white full pages of drawings, FLORA AND ULYSSES takes on an interesting look and adds to the wonderful story. The character development is spot on with Flora being a 10 year-old girl who is rather cynical and precocious. Flora's unlikely friendship with a squirrel, Ulysses, who acquires super-like powers, is the theme that the story is built around. I particularly enjoyed the personification of Mary Ann, the lamp, as it was so cleverly used. Along with several more delightful characters, the story is built around Flora and how Ulysses helps her to learn to understand and appreciate love and friendship. Don't miss this one and if you haven't read the rest of Kate DiCamillo's books, catch up...you won't be sorry!

Summary:
Flora is a self-proclaimed cynic. She retreats into her comic books and happily stays away from her mother, who doesn't seem to have much time for her anyways. Everything seems to be rather normal, until Tootie (the nosy neighbor) vacuum's up a squirrel. Through this one incident, the squirrel survives and gains super powers. The squirrel, Ulysses becomes Flora's best friend. Along with William Spivey, Tootie's temporarily blind nephew, Flora is pulled out of her shell and forced out into the world and away from her safety net of comic books.

My thoughts:
First, I have enjoyed everything that Kate DiCamillo has written. She is descriptive and usually very humorous. This is no different. Each character is fully developed with their own quirks. There are so many funny parts in the novel that it's hard to stop laughing, but there are some touching parts as well. Flora's mother definitely leaves much to be desired. The novel itself is easy to understand and will fit with most of DiCamillo's general audience, but the vocabulary is pretty tough. Who said that comic books couldn't increase your vocabulary development? Flora learned what malfeasance meant from reading comics.

In "Flora and Ulysses," Kate DiCamillo cleverly uses a hybrid format. She adds in some graphic, comic book type scenes by K.G. Campbell, because Flora is enamored with a comic book superhero, "Incandesto." The story is told from both Ulysses (a squirrel) and Flora's perspectives. That's the beauty of using multiple POVs—you can get into more than one character's "head" and see their thoughts and feelings more clearly.

I loved "Flora and Ulysses" simple for its laugh out loud humor and great good fun. There is the pain and trials of normal day-to-day life. And there are wonderful uplifting scenes that satisfy our human need for love and hope and cheering up. But what was totally captivating was her deft use of humor to lighten parts of the story that hurt and to see the world in its craziness as a world of possibility, love, and rightness. This is a great middle grade read that is enjoyable and satisfying.

I simply can't get over how good this book is. I have read tons of books with my 7 year old over the years, encompassing many different styles. This book was thoughtful and quirky and fun and touching all at the same time. What starts as an odd story of a superhero squirrel turns into a story of modern family dynamics and re-discovering the beauty in the world. The main characters have alternating introspection and delve into their feelings -- or lack of understanding their feelings. The story is occasionally mixed with comic sections, which are consistent with the story background. These were cute and kept my son interested in the story, though he liked the story without the pictures also.

I really liked how the content was for kids, but the vocabulary was significantly expanded and it didn't shy away from themes of split family dynamics. There were some really philosophical and sweet moments that further solidified the depth of this story.

I see a number of mixed reviews, so this doesn't clearly click with everyone. But for me and my son, this was one of the best books we've read.

Actually my 10 year old loves it. I haven't read it. If your kid is like mine and she is reading the Divergent and Hunger Games series, she might turn her nose up at the book believing it to be too kiddy for her (one tries not to roll one's eyes) but kids her age apparently like hard cover books too so she gave it a go because of it. Reading it, she absolutely loved it. Not embarrassed to be seen with it. Loved the humour, the pace of the story and didn't want it to end. Its hard to buy books for kids this age where they want to be cool, reading the books with the movie tie-ins but as a parent, you want them to not miss out on some of these great books so you buy it in hard cover, leave it around strategically and let them find it on their own. For her to take it to school, want to share it with her friends, take time out of her Divergent reading, want to read it every night and then tell you that she really loved it. 5-stars worthy and more.

You can't go wrong with a book by Kate DiCamillo and I read this with my son recently, as well as on my own. When I end up grilling my husband about the parts I missed while he read with the kids, I know I need to add the book to my list. The story of Flora and the miraculous squirrel named Ulysses is full of heart, humor, beautiful nuance, a lovable cast of quirky characters and lilting poetry. Yes, the squirrel writes poetry. It's one you can't explain and just have to read. Additionally, it would also be a perfect read for kids who have experienced divorce.

Author Kate DiCamillo is a favorite author of mine. One of my top five all-time favorite books, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TOULANE by DiCamillo, should be required reading for all. In FLORA AND ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES, DiCamillo has given readers yet another magical tale. With wonderful illustrations by K. G. Campbell, FLORA AND ULYSSES will capture the heart of readers of all ages even though it is aimed at 8 to 12 year olds.

With comic-style illustrations and black and white full pages of drawings, FLORA AND ULYSSES takes on an interesting look and adds to the wonderful story. The character development is spot on with Flora being a 10 year-old girl who is rather cynical and precocious. Flora's unlikely friendship with a squirrel, Ulysses, who acquires super-like powers, is the theme that the story is built around. I particularly enjoyed the personification of Mary Ann, the lamp, as it was so cleverly used. Along with several more delightful characters, the story is built around Flora and how Ulysses helps her to learn to understand and appreciate love and friendship. Don't miss this one and if you haven't read the rest of Kate DiCamillo's books, catch up...you won't be sorry!

Summary:
Flora is a self-proclaimed cynic. She retreats into her comic books and happily stays away from her mother, who doesn't seem to have much time for her anyways. Everything seems to be rather normal, until Tootie (the nosy neighbor) vacuum's up a squirrel. Through this one incident, the squirrel survives and gains super powers. The squirrel, Ulysses becomes Flora's best friend. Along with William Spivey, Tootie's temporarily blind nephew, Flora is pulled out of her shell and forced out into the world and away from her safety net of comic books.

My thoughts:
First, I have enjoyed everything that Kate DiCamillo has written. She is descriptive and usually very humorous. This is no different. Each character is fully developed with their own quirks. There are so many funny parts in the novel that it's hard to stop laughing, but there are some touching parts as well. Flora's mother definitely leaves much to be desired. The novel itself is easy to understand and will fit with most of DiCamillo's general audience, but the vocabulary is pretty tough. Who said that comic books couldn't increase your vocabulary development? Flora learned what malfeasance meant from reading comics.

In "Flora and Ulysses," Kate DiCamillo cleverly uses a hybrid format. She adds in some graphic, comic book type scenes by K.G. Campbell, because Flora is enamored with a comic book superhero, "Incandesto." The story is told from both Ulysses (a squirrel) and Flora's perspectives. That's the beauty of using multiple POVs—you can get into more than one character's "head" and see their thoughts and feelings more clearly.

I loved "Flora and Ulysses" simple for its laugh out loud humor and great good fun. There is the pain and trials of normal day-to-day life. And there are wonderful uplifting scenes that satisfy our human need for love and hope and cheering up. But what was totally captivating was her deft use of humor to lighten parts of the story that hurt and to see the world in its craziness as a world of possibility, love, and rightness. This is a great middle grade read that is enjoyable and satisfying.

Flora and Ulysses by by Kate DiCamillo and K.G. Campbell
Suggested grade levels: 3-7
Lexile: 520L
240 pages

Ten year old superhero comic book fan Flora lives with her self absorbed romance-writer mom; the story begins when their neighbor inadvertently gives a squirrel the ability to type, reason, and understand English when he’s accidentally sucked up by their new super-powered vacuum cleaner. Flora and the squirrel, named Ulysses after the vacuum cleaner, quickly bond and short adventures ensue revolving around Flora’s divorced mother and father and a temporarily blind boy, all of whom suffer from some sort of unhappiness. Problems with the book include characters whose speaking vocabulary is above those of most adults, unnatural sentence diction, and perhaps most disturbing, a mentally ill mother whose unaddressed cruel actions are portrayed as reasonable and glossed over with the book’s happy ending. However, upper elementary students reading this book may miss the more troublesome issues; if they are not turned off by the challenging vocabulary they may might find this 2014 Newberry Medal Winner enjoyable. Although a lover of animal stories and misfits, this author found the book tedious and unsettling.

This is the 2014 Newbery Winner, and it is a delightful, imaginative, brilliant read! Children and adults alike will enjoy the story of self-proclaimed cynic Flora and her wonder-squirrel Ulysses. Flora and Ulysses first meet when she watches as her neighbor tests out her new vacuum cleaner, the Ulysses 2000, and it goes berserk. The vacuum ends up sucking up the poor squirrel, who was doing nothing but minding his own business. Flora runs to his rescue and discovers that his trauma has resulted in super strength, and she names him after the machine that nearly killed him. As Flora gets to know Ulysses, she discovers that he understands her words, can communicate through typing, and has a penchant for poetry. Does this amaze Flora? Not really. She is a comic book fan and knows all about the way seemingly ordinary beings can develop extraordinary abilities. What she doesn't suspect is how much she'll learn about her parents, the new boy next door, and a somewhat mystical grandmotherly character who lives in her father's building (Flora the cynic is a bit cynical because her parents have separated). I love Kate DiCamillo's ability to capture the magic of childhood within the pages of her stories, and Flora and Ulysses proves she is still on her game.

Although this is not, in my opinion, DiCamillo's best work, it is an enjoyable book to read. As a former teacher and middle school counselor, I would recommend it for children younger than the range posted with the book's description. A competent reader in second grade would probably enjoy the story, and a twelve-year-old middle schooler would almost certainly think it was written for younger children. A character in the book does use advanced vocabulary that might make this a good book to read aloud to younger children. The heroine struggles with a sense of personal isolation and distance from her caricature mother, as well as her parents' divorce. Fortunately, she befriends a squirrel and is befriended by several characters who are more fully developed than Flora's mother. The ending is fairly predictable, but touching at the same time. I was surprised that this book seems derivative of Brian Selznick's original work in The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck. The artwork here is more often like that found in a comic book, but does move the story along satisfactorily.

I. LOVE. This. Book. I am stunned that it did not affect everyone the same way. I do understand, yes, that this is a departure for the author, but like every other new thing she has tried, this is a blazing success, unqualified, no apologies. If you yourself have never been through what the trauma of family stress does to a child, at least believe that it DOES traumatize, and maybe even open your eyes and look around you. You won't have to look very far to see that children are suffering, and not just the poor, hungry, war-torn ones, either. Ms. DiCamillo deals with that BRILLIANTLY, and of course, I expected no less. The squirrel-transformation is a vehicle, People, to get the story across to the reader. Then there is the character development: The philosopher who is also extremely pragmatic, all the while discoursing on trolls and knitting; the father who seems like a dummy but most definitely is NOT, and who, perhaps, could be Parental Love Personified; the arch-nemeses who really aren't; the needy, nerdy new friend who turns out to be such a gift. Kate DiCamillo, I salute you, I honor you for knowing what children need, and I pray you always, ALWAYS, listen to whatever-it-is that prompts you to write the books you write. YOU SO ROCK CHILDREN'S LITERATURE!

Truly a beautiful and wonderful book for all ages, especially for young girls.

>Flora is a 10 year cynic who isn't quite normal--at least not by the standards of her mother. But Flora could care less. She reads comic books about superheroes and that makes her one happy cynic. Flora's story takes flight when 'holy unanticipated circumstances!' occur in her front yard, forever changing her life. It all involves a squirrel and a vacuum. Flora puts the vast knowledge learned from reading comics to good use.

This book includes: heroes (super and not), zany characters, and random bits of helpful information.

There is so much that I love about Flora and Ulysses. I love the cover, humor, the tone, illustrations, comic book style, whimsical characters, story, poetry, and interesting words (a few of which I had to look up).

Flora and Ulysses is a very cute story that I didn't want to end. I'd like to see more.

Flora & Ulysses is the story of an extraordinary squirrel (Ulysses), a youthful cynic (Flora), and their comic book-inspired adventures. A rather extraordinary chain of events transformed an average squirrel into a flying, poetry-typing, super-strong wonder. Even Flora, who looks for cracks in logic and is always prepared for the worst, believes that Ulysses is special. But every superhero has an arch-nemesis, and Flora and Ulysses must navigate obstacles, relationships, and anti-squirrel elements to eventually save the day. K.G. Campbell's illustrations make this hilarious and clever story come to life, and its sly humor will make readers of all ages smile.

Recommended for: young (and old!) fans of comics and superheros, those who have loved Kate DiCamillo's previous books, and readers interested in magnificent squirrels, delicious words and wonderful surprises.

(review originally posted at: [...]

I really enjoyed escaping into this book. DiCamillo does it again with another animal story, following Because of Winn-Dixie and Tale of Despereaux. This doesn't come close to Despereaux - which I absolutely loved - but it was still a fun read.

Flora is a complex little girl who is emboldened by the fantastical arrival of Ulysses, a squirrel who is strong and compassionate and poetic. Her family and the lives of her neighbors are changed as a result.

The book is rife with imperfections as well, though. Flora's parents are immature, selfish, and disturbing to me as a mother. William Spiver's mother, step-father, and aunt are similarly distant, warped, and perplexing. Additionally, the story seemed to only be partially resolved and felt incomplete.

Overall, I hope for a fun tale I could wrap myself in, and this delivered. Not perfectly, but still enjoyably.

I purchased this for my 6yr old daughter, thinking it would keep her settled in a long car ride to the doctor. It did just that and more! Flora and Ulysses had the whole family smiling and laughing threw the whole book. My daughter was taken into the story so much, she only moved to laugh!! She has since insisted to listen to Flora and Ulysses for a total of 5 times already. All of her friends and cousins has also taken part in this magical story. The moral of the story was age appropriate and spot on. The narrator kept it interesting by using voices for each character, which, was probably my daughter's favorite part besides the run away vacuum. I'd recommend this book to any parents who wants to take their child on an adventure. This book is filled with laughter and is a great bonding experience for everyone.

Interesting book on many levels. The story appears light with short chapters and illustrated pages. Flora loves comic books; her mother wants her to read “true literature.” Flora’s vocabulary is extensively better than her mothers. Her emotional range and problem-solving abilities are also superior. Flora wants to find solutions to problems; her mother wants to kill the problem.

Who would have thought a squirrel blessed with the super powers of flying and poetry writing would be so effective in teaching young people to cope with the stressful world of divorce and the restructuring of the nuclear family?

I really liked The Illuminated Adventures of Flora & Ulysses. I especially enjoyed the cartoon segments, which were very well done. As for story line, "the unlikely hero" is a time-honored trope, and it doesn't get any more unlikely than a squirrel. Flora is an interesting girl, a self-proclaimed "cynic," most likely due to her parents' divorce.

The down sides include a rather choppy story line, with extremely short chapters -- which is actually a good thing if you're reading it to your child at bedtime, I'm sure. Also, there are a number of unexplained elements, such as the mother’s animosity and the peculiar Dr. Meescham with her very weird childhood. And while it did address a few deeper issues to be found in dysfunctional families, it was nevertheless fun, which I think is the most important element in children's literature. I enjoyed it.

What would you do if your parents were not together, you were stuck living with your mother who spent all day writing romance novels (blech) and valued an ugly lamp more than you? But then one day, you saw a squirrel get run over by a vacuum. You bravely gave the squirrel CPR, and then...well...he changed. Can a squirrel be a superhero? What exactly *is* the definition of superhero?

DiCamillo's recent book is a cute story with lovely illustrations done in cartoon format. The book is appropriate for all ages, but probably best for grades 3-6 or so. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it is probably best for girls, though there may be some boys that will appreciate it.

Editing to add: So, you'll have to use your best judgement about the reading age. My 12-year-old son surprised me and really enjoyed it. He loved the antics of Ulysses, and I think it was the comic strips that drew him in. Who knew?

A squirrel sucked up in a vacuum cleaner lives to become a superhero.... Sounds like one of those creative writing exercises where you draw four slips of paper and make a story of it. I don't mean that as a criticism--DiCamillo pulls it off. The absurdity is half or maybe even most of the fun. The chapters are brief, which keeps the pace at a fast clip. DiCamillo mixes comic book graphics with poetry with prose and her protagonist Flora has a sarcastic streak, yet the book never stoops to Wimpy Kid drivel. There is a nice dose of advanced vocabulary, and I love that Flora's mother is a writer who is NOT put on a pedestal for once. There is something so deliciously circular about an annoying mom author character who writes romance novels busting up the "romance" of being an author found in most books.

After getting stuck in a vacuum cleaner, Ulysses the squirrel gains tremendous super powers. Comic book enthusiast Flora is overjoyed to have him as a companion, but not everyone has love for the mighty squirrel. Flora's mother, a romance writer who's cold in real life, wants to nix this relationship. This leads to adventures as Flora attempts to save Ulysses, but maybe he doesn't need too much saving. Their relationship is precious and all the characters, good and bad, are fascinating and well-written.

I, like Flora's mother am not a huge fan of comic books. My kids love them but I have never caught that fever. I find them generally difficult to read and not worth the effort. Until now.

Frankly it would be hard to imagine a more perfect kids book. Flora and her super squirrel, Ulysses are unique and interesting. Ulysses may have my favorite origin story ever. With Mom as the antagonist the story is endlessly entertaining. It was a lovely reminder of the differences between an adult and a child's views and experience. DiCamillo does a fantastic job of making the story and language accessible without dumbing it down. This would make a brilliant gift for a reluctant reader.

Three of my kids have read this now and they all three loved it. Hopefully we will see more Ulysses soon.

I love Kate DiCamillo. I have yet to read something by her that I didn't love. So, of course, I came to Flora and Ulysses with very high hopes. And as usual, Ms. DiCamillo did not let me down. Flora is one of the most loveable characters I have read in a long time. To be honest, she kind of reminded me of my own daughter. She's funny, cynical and pretty wise beyond her years. Kate DiCamillo does a great job of putting her readers in the mind of children, their voice really shines through, bringing you back to your own childhood. I will definitely be purchasing this book for the elementary library at out school. And I know it's going to go flying off the shelf!

Flora and Ulysses should be sub-titled "A Best Friend Can Make Things Better". It is a funny sweet beautifully written story of a lonely girl whose fantasy of a superhero best friend comes true when a squirrel gets sucked up by a super-vacuum, is rescued by Flora, and emerges alive with new powers. Middle grade children will love Flora and Ulysses and will be engaged in the debacles that follow the two. They will connect with Flora as her cynicism melts into affection and optimism. They will laugh at the squirrel who worries more about getting doughnuts than he does about the perils that follow him. They will learn many very advanced vocabulary words from Flora's love of important word choices.

Just finished this book with my 5 and 9 year-old and I have to say we loved our trip to the world of Flora and Ulysses. Yes, this book is about kids with messed-up families (surprise!) and yes, it is strange. But as the book says, Is that bad? It is not too often you find a children's book that quotes Rilke so I think you get pretty quickly that this book is going to be different. The story involves the bond between 10-year old cynic, super-hero and true crime fan, Flora, and a squirrel that comes back to life after a run in with a vacuum cleaner, only to find that he can write poetry ("it's squirrel poetry but it's good) and fly. Adventures follow: Flora's mom is threatened by the squirrel, Flora is threatened by her mother's strange obsession with a shepherdess lamp, Flora's estranged father is regularly attacked by the cat, Mr. Klaus, and the neighbor's nephew, William Spiver, may suffer from traumatic blindness brought on by his stepfather attempting to re-name him "Billy." Wonderful pace and characters ( loved Dr. Meerscham) with wonderful messages: take action, hope, be yourself, be resourceful, love, and break ugly lamps. There were just enough comic book inserts to keep the kiddos happy and I was relieved that my son wanted to hear about something other than Plants vs. Zombies for a brief, happy moment. Ulysses is not the only one who comes back to life in the story. Flora makes friends and her family rediscovers love on many levels. We found ourselves coming away from this story uplifted and ready to take on anything! Holy Bagumba!

Flora is a young girl whose mother accidentally sucks up a squirrel with a vacuum cleaner. The squirrel gains super powers as a result, yet the rodent seems to cause havoc with others. He's afterall a rodent! The story is laden with bizarre people who seem to have it for Ulysses the squirrel. All the humans in the story have flaws, which makes this all the more interesting and real.

The story is a fast read but there are a few words used throughout that are above the reading level of the elemenatary school student. There are plenty of well-drawn illustrations throughout the story that will make young readers read on.

I ended up caring very much about Flora and Ulysses. The main character is Flora, her comics, and um 'advice' books, and her too distant relationship with her mom and having her dad move out after a divorce.

Enter a remarkable squirrel whose brain is transformed by an encouter with a vaccum. Suddenly evrything about the world is amazing and wonderful to him. Through Ulysses Flora, a self termed cynic finds there is more to life and Flora's family all find they need and love one another. Clever and light hearted read especially for a comic loving youngster. Charming illustrations add to the pleasure. Recommended.

If you're like me, you may be familiar with some of the other fabulous books by Kate DiCamillo, like The Tale of Despereaux or Because of Winn Dixie. She is a master storyteller for young audiences and does not fail to deliver with her clever and original super-hero story about an awkward girl, and even more awkward squirrel and their adventures saving the world, one illustrated frame at a time.

Flora and Ulysses do not live in an idealized world - it is nothing close to perfect. However, they develop an unlikely friendship and learn all about love, hope and understanding along the way.

I'll admit, I read the negative reviews of this book before reading it myself so I could tell myself what to watch for.

I thought the book was absolutely delightful. I laughed as hard as the students did while I was reading it to them and they loved it. Yes, we would have to occasionally stop so that I could explain some words to them, but I didn't mind because that is all a part of the reading process. New words, figuring things out from the context of the sentences, etc. Is that so bad? Yes, there was a certain level of absurdity to the whole thing, but once again that is what makes reading fun since you know no one would ever really give CPR to a squirrel. Right?

Others have explained the plot so I don't need to, but after reading some of the other Newbery Honor books, I think that the committee really nailed it on this one.

Seriously. This book is fantastic. i read it twice in a row to my daughter she loves it and gets the humor. it is not straight forward, it has a unique voice and we all think it is great. you should buy this and read it. The characters are so unlike the typical children's books. The characters jump off the page, it shows how kids really think and doesn't make them one-dimensional. most of us come from divorced families and single moms and single dads - so I found this book to be refreshing. the poem at the end made me tear up.

A broken family, two unhappy children, some delightfully wacky characters and a happy ending. What more could readers of all ages want. Kate DiCamillo uses all of them to deal with real problems experienced by real people but too often kept a secret. This book can reach around children and hold them tight while they struggle to make sense of their too often terrifying worlds. And it can do the same for parents. Read it to children but also, adults, read it for yourself. And do this many times.

I loved it - Kate DiCamillo has written two of my favorites The Tale of Despereaux, which was awarded the Newbery Medal and "Because of Winn-Dixie", a Newbery Honor book.

My 8 year old read it and then read it to my 6 year old, and my 3 & 4 year who loved the mad cap story. My 12 year old was too old to enjoy it but even he flipped through the comic book like graphics.

Ten year old Flora is a terrific character, with alot to deal with, mostly her parents recent divorce:

her mother Phyllis is trying to make a go of it as a published author
Her neighbor, Tootie Tickham
Ulys­ses the Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X vacuum who delivers the poet squirrel, so named by Flora, 'Ulysses'
William Spiver, Tootie's blind nephew
George, Flora's Dad who should have full custody, in my opinion, after Phyllis orders them to use a shovel to dispose of Ulysses - boo hiss!

one thought - Phyllis' electric typewriter (um they still exist?)

First off: the characters
Flora:A cynic. Saves Ulysses, a squirrel, after he got sucked up by a Ulysses2000X(A super, high-quality, multi-terrain vacuum cleaner). And in the beginning she is cynic-ish, but for the rest of the book her heart is capatious. She is actually a pretty cute character when illustrated in the comics. And I love the short hair and, as Ulysses would say, "her big round head".
Ulysses: A squrrel that gets taken in by Flora after he gets sucked up by a Ulysses2000X. And despite his almost-baldness, he's super cute. And the comic's think-bubbles are cute and silly. He is a squirrel and he loves poetry. And Flora. And the world. And giant doughnuts.(?!)
Mrs. Buckman:I think she loves her romance novels and that stupid lamp named Mary Anne more than she loves Flora. And she quit smoking, and then she restarted and started chain smoking?!?! And she hates Ulysses and instructs Flora's dad to kill him. Man, that woman has serious issues. But every story needs a good villain. And she does the role perfectly.
Mr. Buckman:Flora's dad. He loves her, but he might have trouble. He and Flora go out together every Saturday. He also likes Incandesto and plays along with Flora. The one thing I wonder is, why does he live in Bixen Arms?
Setting is mostly Flora's house.
Love the comic-style chapters.
Great book. Deserved to win the Newbery.
Also great vocabulary. Love the big words.
Highly recommend to everyone.
Note:I'm 11 and I definitely would call this a children's book.

I liked but didn't love this book. My wife and daughter had an even less favorable opinion. That has a lot to do with the fact that we were holding it up against other books by none other than Kate DiCamillo who holds a place of honor in our household. Since this was her latest to win the big prize we figured it would be loved just as much as Winn Dixie and Despereaux. Alas, this was not to be. I don't want to discourage others from reading it though. Kate DiCamillo on her worst day is superior to most other children's book writers on their best. So pick this one up and you may like or even love it, particularly if you're a big fan of quirky, and/or of squirrels. But in my house Flora and Ulysses needs to move towards the end of the line behind other DiCamillo classics.

This is a copy/paste from my Goodreads review.
Not until after I finished this book did I realize it was written by the same author who gave us Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux which I remember reading then promptly forgetting, at least until the movie versions came out. I won't be forgetting this whimsical fantasy so quickly but, once again, this author has failed to convert me to her writing. There will be a movie made from this story of course and it'll be cute and fun but Flora and Ulysses fails as quality well-written literature for children. Here's why:
No natural plot, no important decisions made by any character that shape or bring conflict to the story. Flora's mom makes a valiant effort but we must have sympathetic villains today or children might get the wrong ideas about good and evil. A chance encounter turns an ordinary squirrel into something that can only be defined as heroic. Ulysses likes to eat, fly around the room, attack cats, then eat some more. He doesn't shell walnuts or make friends with a moose but he can write kick-ass poetry and that's it. That's the whole story with its unresolved ending.
No character development. The squirrel is the only three dimensional character in the story. Even Flora, the main heroine, from whose POV the story is told, remains static throughout the narrative never changing, growing or learning. The squirrel gets all the glory while the humans are zombies, interrelating with each other only because the author put them all in the same room. DiCamillo's narration feels forced with too many word echoes and it just tries too hard in all the wrong places.
If DiCamillo's only purpose for writing this story was to entertain, then she is to be commended. Kids will get a kick out of this book that wants to be a graphic novel when it grows up but will have to settle for the Hollywood movie royalties instead. A safe, fun and squeaky clean read that everyone can enjoy. Just don't take it too seriously.

What a wonderful and peculiar book. I enjoyed Flora s a character and the superhero squirrel, Ulysses. The story, on the surface, was fun and entertaining. Those who can read more into it, will. It shows a lot of heart and depth.

There were parts that were hard for my 10 year old to grasp; the relationship between her mother and father. The mother's unflattering portrayal (rightfully so) and the confrontation she has with Flora at the end. I think my daughter was a bit heartbroken but enjoyed the book overall.

I'm a pediatrician, Reach Out and Read medical director, and mother to a 9, 7, and 4 year old. I read this out loud to my 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter who loved this book. It was well beyond my 4 year olds understanding. The kids did need help with some of the vocabulary... which is rich well beyond their years. But they understood the humor and my sensitive 9 year old felt Flora's pain acutely where appropriate. The graphic novel portions interspersed kept them especially engaged in the story. We found the characters quirky and endearing. I loved this book and found pockets of truth in the book that I see in many of my pediatric patients who live in homes with separated parents and blended families.

I read this one-of-a-kind tale about a poetry-writing squirrel and a girl who reads comic books again-and-again aloud to my eight-year-old, parts of it twice. The language is spectacular, delicious, unpredictable. Everything about this story from the structure to the illustrations to the poignant and poetic ending endeared it to me. I'm not a gusher but, oh, what a special book. An homage to the love of words, of stories, of human (and animal) connectedness. To me, this is not a children's book. It is an everyone's book. I surely enjoyed it as much as (if not more than) my grade-school son. Newbery well deserved!

Book #32 Read in 2014
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

This was a cute book about Flora, a somewhat odd child, and Ulysses, a flying squirrel who is thought of by Flora as being a superhero after he survives being vacuumed. Flora is connected in Ulysses and strides to save him from her mother, who wants to kill Ulysses. This book has cute illustrations in it and would be a good read aloud. There was a lot of humor in this book.

[...]

My favorite Kate Dicamillo book is the reality based BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE and despite its very sad ending I also enjoyed THE TIGER RISING. I was underwhelmed by DiCamillo's fantasy/fable the TALE OF DESPEREAUX though I know it was well received by most. I have not read any of her later published books that seem to be more in the Despereaux vein however I still decided to try her newest FLORA AND ULYSSES.

This story of a superhero squirrel (he gets that way after being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner) named Ulysses is quirky and surreal to say the least. I can,though, see kids in grades third - fifth or so finding the book a funny easy read. Flora 's life circumstances and the cynical way she views her world would resonate with many kids in that age bracket. And the comic book style is very reminiscent of THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID books that are so popular with upper grade schoolers right now though the art in FLORA AND ULYSSES is not just stick figures like in the "Wimpy" books. Actually I like the WIMPY KIDS series a lot as those books though satiric are based in reality. FLORA AND ULYSSES is just a little too out there for me to fully endorse.

First off: the characters
Flora:A cynic. Saves Ulysses, a squirrel, after he got sucked up by a Ulysses2000X(A super, high-quality, multi-terrain vacuum cleaner). And in the beginning she is cynic-ish, but for the rest of the book her heart is capatious. She is actually a pretty cute character when illustrated in the comics. And I love the short hair and, as Ulysses would say, "her big round head".
Ulysses: A squrrel that gets taken in by Flora after he gets sucked up by a Ulysses2000X. And despite his almost-baldness, he's super cute. And the comic's think-bubbles are cute and silly. He is a squirrel and he loves poetry. And Flora. And the world. And giant doughnuts.(?!)
Mrs. Buckman:I think she loves her romance novels and that stupid lamp named Mary Anne more than she loves Flora. And she quit smoking, and then she restarted and started chain smoking?!?! And she hates Ulysses and instructs Flora's dad to kill him. Man, that woman has serious issues. But every story needs a good villain. And she does the role perfectly.
Mr. Buckman:Flora's dad. He loves her, but he might have trouble. He and Flora go out together every Saturday. He also likes Incandesto and plays along with Flora. The one thing I wonder is, why does he live in Bixen Arms?
Setting is mostly Flora's house.
Love the comic-style chapters.
Great book. Deserved to win the Newbery.
Also great vocabulary. Love the big words.
Highly recommend to everyone.
Note:I'm 11 and I definitely would call this a children's book.

I liked but didn't love this book. My wife and daughter had an even less favorable opinion. That has a lot to do with the fact that we were holding it up against other books by none other than Kate DiCamillo who holds a place of honor in our household. Since this was her latest to win the big prize we figured it would be loved just as much as Winn Dixie and Despereaux. Alas, this was not to be. I don't want to discourage others from reading it though. Kate DiCamillo on her worst day is superior to most other children's book writers on their best. So pick this one up and you may like or even love it, particularly if you're a big fan of quirky, and/or of squirrels. But in my house Flora and Ulysses needs to move towards the end of the line behind other DiCamillo classics.

This is a copy/paste from my Goodreads review.
Not until after I finished this book did I realize it was written by the same author who gave us Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux which I remember reading then promptly forgetting, at least until the movie versions came out. I won't be forgetting this whimsical fantasy so quickly but, once again, this author has failed to convert me to her writing. There will be a movie made from this story of course and it'll be cute and fun but Flora and Ulysses fails as quality well-written literature for children. Here's why:
No natural plot, no important decisions made by any character that shape or bring conflict to the story. Flora's mom makes a valiant effort but we must have sympathetic villains today or children might get the wrong ideas about good and evil. A chance encounter turns an ordinary squirrel into something that can only be defined as heroic. Ulysses likes to eat, fly around the room, attack cats, then eat some more. He doesn't shell walnuts or make friends with a moose but he can write kick-ass poetry and that's it. That's the whole story with its unresolved ending.
No character development. The squirrel is the only three dimensional character in the story. Even Flora, the main heroine, from whose POV the story is told, remains static throughout the narrative never changing, growing or learning. The squirrel gets all the glory while the humans are zombies, interrelating with each other only because the author put them all in the same room. DiCamillo's narration feels forced with too many word echoes and it just tries too hard in all the wrong places.
If DiCamillo's only purpose for writing this story was to entertain, then she is to be commended. Kids will get a kick out of this book that wants to be a graphic novel when it grows up but will have to settle for the Hollywood movie royalties instead. A safe, fun and squeaky clean read that everyone can enjoy. Just don't take it too seriously.

What a wonderful and peculiar book. I enjoyed Flora s a character and the superhero squirrel, Ulysses. The story, on the surface, was fun and entertaining. Those who can read more into it, will. It shows a lot of heart and depth.

There were parts that were hard for my 10 year old to grasp; the relationship between her mother and father. The mother's unflattering portrayal (rightfully so) and the confrontation she has with Flora at the end. I think my daughter was a bit heartbroken but enjoyed the book overall.

I'm a pediatrician, Reach Out and Read medical director, and mother to a 9, 7, and 4 year old. I read this out loud to my 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter who loved this book. It was well beyond my 4 year olds understanding. The kids did need help with some of the vocabulary... which is rich well beyond their years. But they understood the humor and my sensitive 9 year old felt Flora's pain acutely where appropriate. The graphic novel portions interspersed kept them especially engaged in the story. We found the characters quirky and endearing. I loved this book and found pockets of truth in the book that I see in many of my pediatric patients who live in homes with separated parents and blended families.

I read this one-of-a-kind tale about a poetry-writing squirrel and a girl who reads comic books again-and-again aloud to my eight-year-old, parts of it twice. The language is spectacular, delicious, unpredictable. Everything about this story from the structure to the illustrations to the poignant and poetic ending endeared it to me. I'm not a gusher but, oh, what a special book. An homage to the love of words, of stories, of human (and animal) connectedness. To me, this is not a children's book. It is an everyone's book. I surely enjoyed it as much as (if not more than) my grade-school son. Newbery well deserved!

Book #32 Read in 2014
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

This was a cute book about Flora, a somewhat odd child, and Ulysses, a flying squirrel who is thought of by Flora as being a superhero after he survives being vacuumed. Flora is connected in Ulysses and strides to save him from her mother, who wants to kill Ulysses. This book has cute illustrations in it and would be a good read aloud. There was a lot of humor in this book.

[...]

My favorite Kate Dicamillo book is the reality based BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE and despite its very sad ending I also enjoyed THE TIGER RISING. I was underwhelmed by DiCamillo's fantasy/fable the TALE OF DESPEREAUX though I know it was well received by most. I have not read any of her later published books that seem to be more in the Despereaux vein however I still decided to try her newest FLORA AND ULYSSES.

This story of a superhero squirrel (he gets that way after being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner) named Ulysses is quirky and surreal to say the least. I can,though, see kids in grades third - fifth or so finding the book a funny easy read. Flora 's life circumstances and the cynical way she views her world would resonate with many kids in that age bracket. And the comic book style is very reminiscent of THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID books that are so popular with upper grade schoolers right now though the art in FLORA AND ULYSSES is not just stick figures like in the "Wimpy" books. Actually I like the WIMPY KIDS series a lot as those books though satiric are based in reality. FLORA AND ULYSSES is just a little too out there for me to fully endorse.

"Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures"
Written by Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by K.G. Campbell
(Candlewick, 2013)
. . .

This is a funny, absurdist romp from author Kate DiCamillo, who tries her hand -- to a limited extent -- at the comicbook/graphic novel format. Multi-panel illustrations are mixed in with regular prose and more standard, full-page illustrations. While the narrative flows nicely, I would have to say that it seems DiCamillo isn't entirely comfortable with the comicbook format -- she uses it well, but there are very few comicbook pages overall.

The story is fun -- about a squirrel who gains superpowers after a bizarre household accident -- and even though there's an undercurrent of Snickety-esque cynicism, this is nowhere near as dark as (the magnificent) "Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane", and closer in tone perhaps to her Mercy Watson series, though pitched for an older age group. A very enjoyable story, though it works best as a read-alone book, rather than a readaloud story that parents can share with kids. Recommended!

I would give this book three stars because sometimes in a chapter they would be at there house then in the next chapter they would be at William Spiver's. One thing I like about this book is the creativity. I recommend this book to ages 8-10.

Flora & Ulysses is about a squirrel and a girl that have adventurers together. Ulysses appears to be a superhero. When he flies in front of other people, their secret spreads.

Kids would like this book because it’s funny and suspenseful. Readers and movie goers alike have enjoyed Kate DiCamillo’s prize winning books and movies, such as The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie. Her fans will love this new book, too!

My favorite part was when the father was acting confused by a very simple but mean command. It made me smile when Flora ends her sentences with," Or something."

I listened to this on audiobook. The reader, Tara Sands, did a great job.

Review by Madeleine L., age 8, Nebraska/Western Iowa Mensa

Ulysses is a Vaccume cleaner..bought for one of Flora's neighbor's birthday..that is the beginning of this incredible story about a girl and her pet! Flora thinks she is cynical, because of her mother. As events unfold Flora learns about love and relationships and her unusual pet seems to bring all of her family and friends together!

After scanning recent medal winning books for a new book to read with my 7 year-old daughter, I came across this one. I passed on this book a few times, for others, and then decided to give it a try. The book frays traditional female character traits, venturing into superhero comic book bylines, it explores the developing father-daughter relationship as a sub-text to a fantastic story. Worth the read,although it's optimal for 4th grade to 5th grade readers.

As an adult reading through this book I found it very difficult to maintain an interest in this story. I think the author's attempt at what could have been a fun story is lost with too many quirky characters, vocabulary an adult would have trouble with and just an uneven story overall. The comic-book style drawings and bits that are interjected to the story only lead to distract me from the story, not really add to it -- though I will say they are charming. Young readers might get a kick out of the story of a squirrel gaining super powers but be sure they have a dictionary to help them along. I know there are so many fans of DiCamillo out there but I haven't been able to really get sucked into any of her books so I think there is just something about her writing that just doesn't appeal to me in general though I can't quite place my finger on it. Fans of her books certainly appear to be enjoying this book and you definitely don't need to read any of her other books to enjoy this one.

This book has all the earmarks of becoming a classic in a way similar to "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The world is not a black and white place, and sometimes grown ups are not to be trusted-- even the ones who live with you; after all, they are only human, too. These are feelings we all experience as we grow to be young adults and then adults. DiCamillo wraps up these serious thoughts in an exuberant, optimistic, mad cap adventure. I love the intelligent language--- read it out loud to your child if you don't think they have the vocabulary to get through it themselves. It's a pleasure to have the kooky story unfold; but underneath, there's real thoughtfulness that goes into each character and how they view their world. It will make each one of us think about how we navigate the "random, chaotic Universe" and how we battle for good and fight the forces of evil...to paraphrase from the book.

My 2nd grade daughter was given this book from her reading teacher. After the first few chapters she asked for help with a few words. When I sat down and started reading with her I was very upset by the content. The way that Flora speaks to and about her parents is disturbing. In addition, she uses words like idiot, hate and stupid far to often. I do not allow my child to speak that way and by her reading a book assigned by a teacher makes it seem okay to speak this way. I wish I could give it no stars.

I read this to my boys ages 4, 6 and 8. We didn't love it like other books that they beg me to keep reading. I think because it was a little slow at some points in the story. But overall a good read, I think we enjoyed other kate dicamillo books more.

Ok, so I read a ton of YA and intermediate fiction, partially because I love it and partially because I'm always trying to find books to recommend to my young readers. This one was difficult for me. I loved the concept in the beginning and I think I was able to put together where it was going and the point to the book but I find it difficult to rave about. Maybe because it is so far from what I normally read. I'm trying to be open minded and see this book from a young persons perspective. I think maybe the craziness of the books adults is the result of behavior that doesn't make sense to a child caught up in the middle of stressful and crazy situations. I might just be too literal and maybe I'm not able to just let go and live in the story. I did enjoy the quirky squirrel and the comics, the use of language and how it all came together in the end....I just might need to stew about the rest for a while.

I am in a children's literature class and had to read this book for class. It is a cute story about a squirrel (Ulysses) who become a superhero after getting vacuumed up. Flora is in need of a friend, and through Ulysses she is able to meet many people and become a happier child than she was before Ulysses came around.

if you like comics, read this book!!! fun and pretty easy to read. did i mention the characters??? a superhero squirrel, a cynic girl, and the occasional computer or typewriter DEFINITELY make the book more interesting. one concluding word: READ IT!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

My 5 year old zipped through this this morning and told me it was great! Talked about the squirrel for awhile. We both like that the squirrel wrote poetry. I slept later while he read so, many thanks to the author!

Both my eight-year old avid reader and I loved this book. We could not wait to read it together each night. Interesting characters, great pace and adventures. A terrific blend - touching, humorous and weaves in surprises around every corner. Lovely use of language. We were torn between wanting to race through the book and wanting it to last forever.

Each summer I read all the Bluebonnet nominees. This book is by FAR the best of the bunch this summer. Sweet story in the easy-to-read stye of Kate DiCamillo, who has a way of making flawed characters loveable. This one will be a classic. Look for it to be a movie soon.

I love Kate DiCamillo stories; I have read all of her titles. This wasn't my favorite read of hers but as always, a cute, heart warming and adventurous story of an unlikely kind. I love the tender spirit she instills in her characters and the affectionate bonds her characters share.

You have to love a kid who raised herself reading comic books called Terrible things can happen to you and The criminal element. Add to this a poetry writing super squirrel and an amazing vocabulary and you have yourself a pretty funny book.

The humans are a bit caricatured, but the animals are delightful in this tale of magical realism for lower middle schoolers. Print is teeny tiny in this book, which made it difficult to read at night to my child. The illustrations are also very delicate and require careful focused viewing from an interested child.
I wouldn't recommend this for the fidgety or easily distracted. The themes are sophisticated so this will appeal best to a child who has the patience and propensity to ponder the big philosophical questions of life.

Flora, a ten year old girl trying to understand herself, never mind her divorced parents, winds up saving a squirrel after he is accidentally vacuumed by a neighbor. This squirrel instead, saves her, with his wit and plucky attitude (this is no normal, ordinary squirrel after all, but a squirrel with superpowers). At times, the storyline mimics some comics Flora enjoys, especially any with a superhero element. With funny commentary regularly interspersed throughout the book, the reader is not drawn into a saga of a girl torn between two parents and instead is able to appreciate what she feels and how she chooses to handle a variety of bad situations.

Ultimately, this is a love story between a number of characters who are all interconnected to Flora. She is easily the main character and is likable as well as smart. Readers will appreciate how she chooses to respond to different situations, as well as how she feels and thinks about her parents. Their divorce confuses her and these feelings contribute greatly to the plot. The love story then is not mushy or have any inappropriate aspects; rather, it is presented in a way that allows the characters to grow and rediscover their priorities.

This book is ideal for any child of divorce, as well as those in elementary school. I gave it to my 5th grader who could not get into it at all, finding the storyline of the 'superhero squirrel' just too silly. Add in the drawings, and it will likely appeal to a slightly younger crowd of 3rd and 4th graders. I think it would best be read aloud, between a parent and a child, to discuss the feelings raised in the story, as each character is carefully represented to help Flora cope with the divorce. Though not my favorite of hers, the story is well conceived, and I liked the messages delivered throughout the book.

Lorene's grand daughter---

I was assigned this book for summer reading and the only reason I finished it was for that reason. The characters were unrealistic and shallow and the names of the comic books were mentioned WAY too many times. Generally, I like Kate DiCamillo, but this time I think she tried so hard to make it appealing to kids that it was a little too young (I'm 11). Most of my friends agreed with me. Kate DiCamillo should probably stick to books more like "Because of Winn Dixie." "Flora..." would be good for second graders and possibly third graders, if the vocabulary wasn't so complicated that 5th graders had trouble with it. But maybe really smart parents could read it with younger kids who'd possible enjoy it more.

Each summer I read all the Bluebonnet nominees. This book is by FAR the best of the bunch this summer. Sweet story in the easy-to-read stye of Kate DiCamillo, who has a way of making flawed characters loveable. This one will be a classic. Look for it to be a movie soon.

I love Kate DiCamillo stories; I have read all of her titles. This wasn't my favorite read of hers but as always, a cute, heart warming and adventurous story of an unlikely kind. I love the tender spirit she instills in her characters and the affectionate bonds her characters share.

You have to love a kid who raised herself reading comic books called Terrible things can happen to you and The criminal element. Add to this a poetry writing super squirrel and an amazing vocabulary and you have yourself a pretty funny book.

The humans are a bit caricatured, but the animals are delightful in this tale of magical realism for lower middle schoolers. Print is teeny tiny in this book, which made it difficult to read at night to my child. The illustrations are also very delicate and require careful focused viewing from an interested child.
I wouldn't recommend this for the fidgety or easily distracted. The themes are sophisticated so this will appeal best to a child who has the patience and propensity to ponder the big philosophical questions of life.

Flora, a ten year old girl trying to understand herself, never mind her divorced parents, winds up saving a squirrel after he is accidentally vacuumed by a neighbor. This squirrel instead, saves her, with his wit and plucky attitude (this is no normal, ordinary squirrel after all, but a squirrel with superpowers). At times, the storyline mimics some comics Flora enjoys, especially any with a superhero element. With funny commentary regularly interspersed throughout the book, the reader is not drawn into a saga of a girl torn between two parents and instead is able to appreciate what she feels and how she chooses to handle a variety of bad situations.

Ultimately, this is a love story between a number of characters who are all interconnected to Flora. She is easily the main character and is likable as well as smart. Readers will appreciate how she chooses to respond to different situations, as well as how she feels and thinks about her parents. Their divorce confuses her and these feelings contribute greatly to the plot. The love story then is not mushy or have any inappropriate aspects; rather, it is presented in a way that allows the characters to grow and rediscover their priorities.

This book is ideal for any child of divorce, as well as those in elementary school. I gave it to my 5th grader who could not get into it at all, finding the storyline of the 'superhero squirrel' just too silly. Add in the drawings, and it will likely appeal to a slightly younger crowd of 3rd and 4th graders. I think it would best be read aloud, between a parent and a child, to discuss the feelings raised in the story, as each character is carefully represented to help Flora cope with the divorce. Though not my favorite of hers, the story is well conceived, and I liked the messages delivered throughout the book.

Lorene's grand daughter---

I was assigned this book for summer reading and the only reason I finished it was for that reason. The characters were unrealistic and shallow and the names of the comic books were mentioned WAY too many times. Generally, I like Kate DiCamillo, but this time I think she tried so hard to make it appealing to kids that it was a little too young (I'm 11). Most of my friends agreed with me. Kate DiCamillo should probably stick to books more like "Because of Winn Dixie." "Flora..." would be good for second graders and possibly third graders, if the vocabulary wasn't so complicated that 5th graders had trouble with it. But maybe really smart parents could read it with younger kids who'd possible enjoy it more.

Loved the illustrations mixed in with the story but didn't really love the voice that much. Came across as trying to hard to make the main character quirky and precocious. But I did love Ulysses' voice and his poems (especially the last one).

Make no mistake about it, this wonderful little book has a universe of important things to say. A wonderful story to read out loud to the whole family. There are gems of wisdom for parents as well as their children to be gleaned from this story.

Our family cannot get enough of kate DiCamillo (especially the fantasy stuff like Despereaux and Edward Tulane) This book seems to target more of a Tween audience, complete with lots of graphics and awesome illustrations. The character development is compelling and the plot is relatively simple but requires a good dose of suspension of disbelief.

My daughter says this: I like this book because it has a morale -- no matter if you're a cynic or not, you still have some love in this world. And because I thought it was very funny and interesting at the same time. The family and friends are very odd.

Father says: it kept her interest as I read it. I can't think of any story that is similar, so the story keeps you guessing. The book mainly focuses on development of quirky characters over plot. My daughter lived reading the cartoon sections, which made for fun interactive reading

This book was delightful, loved the comic style illustrations and happy ending. The writing is very good, it has a great story arc but they used cynic so many times I began to question if I knew what it meant.

This book is enjoyable for all ages- the characters are lovable and the story is both heartwarming and funny. Well-written and interestingly formatted with the pictures and way it mimicked a comic book at times.

Her character are quirky, and her themes of hope always come through. It's hard to say what age to recommend her books, because they always touch on some heavy themes (abandonment, inability to show love/ unconditional love) in the midst of a fantastic tale - in this case, a comic book hero. The book didn't seem finished with William Spivers story.

How does someone use the consciousness of a super-squirrel to penetrate the difficulties of parental-child love? This is worthy of EB White's work, with some of the wryness, all of the playfulness, and a transcendent quality all to itself.

I read this to my 4-year-old, my 7-year-old, and my husband over the course of several car trips. We all loved it. The characters are charming and quirky, and the ending was sweet without being syrupy or predictable. Plus I got to say "Holy bagumba!" a lot.

I brought this on vacation to read with my 7 & 9 year old daughters. We are very big readers, and big fans of Kate DiCamillo, but none of us were even slightly interested in this book. Maybe we'll try again in a few months, but it is probably going to the donation pile.

I was really excited to read another book by Kate DiCamillo, but this one disappointed me. It was very weird, with Ulysess the flying squirrel and the blind William Spiver. I really didn't understand much of the story, and please. Tootie Tickham? What kind of name is that for a married woman? Really, I didn't like this book. I don't recommend it.

Flora 's own self-description is that of a synic. She is an only child of divorced parents that seem to have little time for her .After reading several very depressing books she never expected to discover that life is full of very unusual and exciting things. Just open your mind and heart and your hope might appear.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book as an adult reader. It touched on how hard it can be for a child with parents that are no longer together, but in a sweet and light hearted way. It kept me smiling and laughing all the way through.

Totally loved it! Oh geez, I recommend this book to all that want a good story to keep them company. It doesn't deserve the Oscar, like Out of My Mind, or spy school, or other 4th/ 5th grade classics. But boy, was this a good book. I was sick for two day and three nights, and when I wasn't sleeping, I was reading. And so I finished it in like 34 hours. Back to topic. This was a great book anyway. READ IT!!!!!!!! Anyone who does read it will rate it around 96 out of 100. Hope you liked it to!!!!!!!!!(if you've read it. If not, please do. It will give you a great time killer.) Hoped you liked the review!

What a great book for me to read right before my summer vacation! It really gets you back into the mindset of a young girl & boy looking for adventure! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking forward to laughing & crying all within the same book!

This was a spectacular book and well described about the event that happened to the characters. I honestly have to Saturday there was nothing I disliked about this book. I would recommend this book to people who like comic books or children books.

Alright already! I think I'm a pretty patient reader--certainly equal to a middle schooler. But I kept waiting, waiting, always waiting for something interesting to happen, or for some clue about the characters' goals--or the author's, for that matter--but my patience wore too thin. I figure that if an author can't entice me after reading 40 percent of the book, I'm not going to continue to hang in there. Why the delay, the torture, the boredom? Will young readers put up with this? I doubt many will...and I don't care. I know what I like, and like to share with the younger set. This book gets a thumbs down from me. As one previous one-star reviewer, Ms. Arnholt, stated, "Lots of movement without action. Lots of characters without much plot. Disappointing."

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

Yeah, this book is about a flying squirrel. And an evil cat. And an industrial strenght vacuum cleaner. Sure, it has a huge imagination. But, underneath all that hodgepod is just a simple, but lovely story about a little girl trying to connect with her seperated parents. Recommeded for 10 and up!

I must admit that the best redeeming factor of this book was that I listened to it on an audio recording. I kept hoping it would get better but alas, a typing squirrel and zany characters with personality's that are way to off beat left me hoping for closure of the book but not in an "illuminated" way. This book just can't compare to the other outstanding works by this noted author.

Some books are like wonderful handmade presents - made just for you, while others are store-bought gifts. This book is definitely of the wonderful kind. It's well crafted and hugely fun to read out loud. The plot is clever and the ending is happy without being too predictable.

I liked the definition of Flora's cynicism and its demise as hope eventually rose to overtake it. Otherwise, it's story line and characters are pretty bizarre. But underneath all of that is a traditional story of some sad children looking for a happy ending.

Flora & Ulysses is about a squirrel and a girl that have adventurers together. Ulysses appears to be a superhero. When he flies in front of other people, their secret spreads.

Kids would like this book because it’s funny and suspenseful. Readers and movie goers alike have enjoyed Kate DiCamillo’s prize winning books and movies, such as The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie. Her fans will love this new book, too!

My favorite part was when the father was acting confused by a very simple but mean command. It made me smile when Flora ends her sentences with," Or something."

I listened to this on audiobook. The reader, Tara Sands, did a great job.

Review by Madeleine L., age 8, Nebraska/Western Iowa Mensa

This book is great! It tells people that it's okay to be different an d that nobody is perfect! I liked that it also encouraged writing poetry a little bit! I would recommend this book to people 7 years old and up.

Cute fantasy story about a girl, a friend, and a squirrel. It also deals with some problems in the home. I found it entertaining and would enjoy reading it to a group of kids and sharing their thoughts.