Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo

K. G. Campbell (Illustrator)

Winner of the 2014 Newbery Medal 

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking 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 format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by artist K. G. Campbell.

• ISBN10: 076366040X
• ISBN13: 9780763660406
• Publish Date: 24 September 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Candlewick Press,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780763660406

Reviews

[Beth C.]

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?