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belwood303's review against another edition
4.0
What a delightful read. What does it truly mean to be a hero or an arch nemesis? will poetry save someone? What profound questions about the universe and nature of love and loss.
kaleria's review against another edition
5.0
I love all of Kate DiCamillo’s work. If only my students were a few years older, I would race to use this as a read aloud or small group book. There is such depth to vocabulary, wonderful dry humor, and as always great symbolism and metaphor. It is a beautiful story that I will force my family to read so I can share it with folks I love ❤️
wanderingstories's review against another edition
4.0
Ahh... Flora & Ulysses should be made into a comic itself!
This is a delightful, funny and cute story. It's touching, sweet, humorous, adventurous and just freakin' adorable.
I know Flora is our main character but Ulysses stands out - he's so adorable and hilarious. He makes me want to have my own Squirrel friend. Flora seems to be a sweet person and she grows mentally and more lovingly in this story.
Personally I liked William Spiver. He always has his way of saying something - but also something that I thought was cool and interesting.
On an extra note, I've read this in German and the translator did a great job.
This is a delightful, funny and cute story. It's touching, sweet, humorous, adventurous and just freakin' adorable.
I know Flora is our main character but Ulysses stands out - he's so adorable and hilarious. He makes me want to have my own Squirrel friend. Flora seems to be a sweet person and she grows mentally and more lovingly in this story.
Personally I liked William Spiver. He always has his way of saying something - but also something that I thought was cool and interesting.
On an extra note, I've read this in German and the translator did a great job.
dgrstory's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mhugie2's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so fun! I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook. There was a lot of wit and creativity present, but still some hard hitting emotional moments as well.
hustontrinidad's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this book I revisit it often
librarian_lee's review against another edition
4.0
The Newbery award winning book, Flora & Ulysses: the Illuminated Adventures, which is written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by K.G.Campbell, is a laugh-out loud, madcap adventure starring some very interesting and unconventional characters. This story that is recommended for middle grades follows a very insightful and intelligent ten-year-old and self-proclaimed cynic named Flora Belle Buckman. Flora loves to read and take advice from her comic books much to her romance novelist mother’s demise.
One seemingly boring day, Flora witnesses an out-of-control super powered vacuum called Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000x suck up a little squirrel out in her neighbor’s yard. Quick-witted Flora rises to the occasion and saves the squirrel by giving it CPR. Once revived, we learn that the squirrel, which Flora will name Ulysses after the vacuum, has been bestowed superpowers of strength, understanding human language, and the ability to write poetry on Flora’s mother’s typewriter. Everyone around Flora is amazed with Ulysses, everyone that is except her mother, who will eventually resort to kidnapping to try and get rid of that “rabid and diseased” squirrel (DiCamillo 56). Flora, along with her father and friends, will go on an adventure to rescue Ulysses and save the day.
DiCamillo peppers a kind of retro comic book style language throughout the book with exclamations such as “Holy Bagumba”” (DiCamillo 9), “This malfeasance must be stopped!” (DiCamillo 7), and “Holy unanticipated occurrences!” (DiCamillo 75) The illustrator, Campbell, also uses the panel type format of a comic book for some of the book’s whimsical illustrations. The comic book type illustrations, quick-pace of the story line, and short chapter lengths that alternate between points of view, just might appeal to a reluctant reader. Children may readily relate to or empathize with the real-life situations that are touched on in this book, such as being lonely, a child of divorced parent, and not being taken seriously or understood by someone (in Flora’s case this is her mom who she is having trouble identifying with). In the Booklist Starred Review, Ilene Cooper, exclaims, “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 delight readers.” (Cooper 74)
For a similar read, I would recommend Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! written by Mrs. Bunny (of course!), translated from Bunny by the award winning author Polly Horvath, and whimsically illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Like Flora & Ulysses, this is another quick-witted and humorous read though instead of squirrels with superpowers who write poetry this adventure mystery involves fedora-wearing, detective bunnies who help a Madeline, a fifth grade student, find her free-spirited hippie parents who have been kidnapped by foxes.
Another book that is recommended as a read-alike is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, which is also a Newbery award winner. Based on true events, this anthropomorphic tale follows the point of view of a gorilla that is confined to living in a shopping mall for over 20 years until he finally gains his freedom. This tale is definitely more serious and a little less comical than Flora & Ulysses.
Works Cited
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. New York: Harper, 2012. Print.
Cooper, Ilene. "Booklist." Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures 109.19 (2013): 74. Print.
DiCamillo, Kate, and K. G. Campbell. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Somerville: Candlewick, 2013. Print.
Horvath, Polly, and Sophie Blackall. Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! New York: Random House Children's, 2012. Print.
One seemingly boring day, Flora witnesses an out-of-control super powered vacuum called Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000x suck up a little squirrel out in her neighbor’s yard. Quick-witted Flora rises to the occasion and saves the squirrel by giving it CPR. Once revived, we learn that the squirrel, which Flora will name Ulysses after the vacuum, has been bestowed superpowers of strength, understanding human language, and the ability to write poetry on Flora’s mother’s typewriter. Everyone around Flora is amazed with Ulysses, everyone that is except her mother, who will eventually resort to kidnapping to try and get rid of that “rabid and diseased” squirrel (DiCamillo 56). Flora, along with her father and friends, will go on an adventure to rescue Ulysses and save the day.
DiCamillo peppers a kind of retro comic book style language throughout the book with exclamations such as “Holy Bagumba”” (DiCamillo 9), “This malfeasance must be stopped!” (DiCamillo 7), and “Holy unanticipated occurrences!” (DiCamillo 75) The illustrator, Campbell, also uses the panel type format of a comic book for some of the book’s whimsical illustrations. The comic book type illustrations, quick-pace of the story line, and short chapter lengths that alternate between points of view, just might appeal to a reluctant reader. Children may readily relate to or empathize with the real-life situations that are touched on in this book, such as being lonely, a child of divorced parent, and not being taken seriously or understood by someone (in Flora’s case this is her mom who she is having trouble identifying with). In the Booklist Starred Review, Ilene Cooper, exclaims, “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 delight readers.” (Cooper 74)
For a similar read, I would recommend Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! written by Mrs. Bunny (of course!), translated from Bunny by the award winning author Polly Horvath, and whimsically illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Like Flora & Ulysses, this is another quick-witted and humorous read though instead of squirrels with superpowers who write poetry this adventure mystery involves fedora-wearing, detective bunnies who help a Madeline, a fifth grade student, find her free-spirited hippie parents who have been kidnapped by foxes.
Another book that is recommended as a read-alike is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, which is also a Newbery award winner. Based on true events, this anthropomorphic tale follows the point of view of a gorilla that is confined to living in a shopping mall for over 20 years until he finally gains his freedom. This tale is definitely more serious and a little less comical than Flora & Ulysses.
Works Cited
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. New York: Harper, 2012. Print.
Cooper, Ilene. "Booklist." Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures 109.19 (2013): 74. Print.
DiCamillo, Kate, and K. G. Campbell. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Somerville: Candlewick, 2013. Print.
Horvath, Polly, and Sophie Blackall. Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! New York: Random House Children's, 2012. Print.
gallagirlreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5