Flora & Ulysses

Bibliography

DiCamillo, Kate.  Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2013.  ISBN 9780763660406.

Plot

Flora is a self-proclaimed cynic and an avid comic reader. Her world is turned upside down with she befriends a squirrel after rescuing him from a vacuum cleaner. He comes out of the vacuum a changed squirrel, and Flora names him Ulysses after discovering that he is a super hero. He can understand Flora, type poetry, and fly. Through her adventures with Ulysses, she is able to navigate her parents’ divorce and her troubled relationship with her mom.

Critical Analysis

This book is written in a style that seems half comic, half novel. Flora describes situations as if she were reading a comic book. This creates a very entertaining read for all ages. Flora’s love of comics is honored through the illustrations. The reader is engulfed in this world where squirrels are super heroes.

Readers can relate to the struggles that Flora faces in the book. She is trying to come to terms with her parents’ divorce. She is also trying to navigate a difficult relationship with her mother. She just doesn’t feel like her mom understands her. All families have struggles, but readers are able to see that her mom loves her, despite their conflicts. In the end, readers will delight at seeing their bond strengthened.

Flora believes that things never go as planned and has lost hope. As her friendship grows, you can see Flora transform. Through her friendship with Ulysses, she is able to discover another side of herself that she didn’t realize was there before. By developing a genuine friendship with him, she becomes less cynical.

Awards

2014 Newbery Honor

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Reviews starred review:  "Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl."

Booklist: “Newbery winner DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and not just because she creates characters who dance off the pages and plots, whether epic or small, that never fail to engage and delight readers. Her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love.”

Connections

*Students can write and illustrate a comic.

*Other books by Kate DiCamillo:

·         DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. ISBN 0763680907

·         DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. ISBN 0763680869

·         DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux. ISBN 0763680893