Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by a master storyteller. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You! so she is 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 Flora will be changed too as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Animals, Young Adult

251 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

Kate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.

Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."

Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.

Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is 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. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy Bagumba!

Flora Belle Buckman is a cynic nerdy kid, fascinated with comics, and especially with her favorites about horrible accidents and amazing superheroes. One normal day like any other, minding her own business, she notices her neighbor cleaning her garden, and accidentally vacuuming a poor innocent squirrel. In the most unexpected turn of events, the little thing somehow survives, and is reborn anew as Ulysses, mighty super hero squirrel!

This was an awesome little thing, and a fantastic combination of genres, intermittently changing from novella to comic strips. Funny, with a lot of quotable moments, and overall quite memorable; but for reason I can’t quite explain I didn’t love it. Maybe the extracts from “Terrible Things Can Happen To You”, “The Amazing Incandesto” or “The Criminal Element” got too repetitive, maybe Flora’s cynicism or her mother Phyllis’s cruelty became too much, maybe the ending felt a bit unconvincing, and underwhelming. I dunno. I have a whole bunch of highlights and lovely moments I take with me, many laughs all through, I have the endearing George Buckman and William Spiver, and I have the adorable Ulysses saving the day, and still I didn’t love it, and I just KNOW I should have. Weird. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time, or I was in the wrong one.

But anyway, I’m positive any kid or adult with a child at heart can overlook all that and love this quirky little story, and plenty. DiCamillo really knows her stuff. Easy a four or five stars methinks, for the lucky illuminated ones.

*** Still remaining, the movie (2021)



-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2013] [240p] [Childrens/MG] [3.5] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------

★★★★★ Because of Winn-Dixie [4.5]
★★★☆☆ Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures [3.5]

-----------------------------------------------

¡Santa Bagumba!

Flora Belle Buckman es una niña cínica y nerd, fascinada con los cómics, y especialmente con sus favoritos sobre accidentes horribles y superhéroes asombrosos. Un día normal como cualquier otro, ocupándose de sus propios asuntos, llega a ver cómo su vecina limpiando su jardín, accidentalmente aspira a una pobre e inocente ardilla. En un giro inesperado de eventos, el pequeño animalito de alguna forma sobrevive y renace como Ulises, ¡la poderosa ardilla superhéroe!

Esta fue una cosita increíble y una combinación fantástica de géneros, cambiando intermitentemente de novela a tiras cómicas. Divertido, con muchos momentos citables y, dentro de todo, bastante memorable; pero por razones que no puedo explicar, no lo amé. Tal vez todos los extractos de “Te Pueden Pasar Cosas Terribles”, “El Asombroso Incandesto” o “El Elemento Criminal” se volvieron demasiado repetitivos, tal vez el cinismo de Flora o la crueldad de su madre Phyllis se fueron demasiado, tal vez el final se sintió poco convincente, y decepcionante. No sé. Tengo un montón de citas y tiernos momentos que me llevo conmigo, muchas risas durante todo el trayecto, tengo a los entrañables George Buckman y William Spiver, y tengo al adorable Ulises salvando el día, y aun así no pude amarlo, y SE que debería. Es raro. Tal vez simplemente no era el momento correcto, o yo estaba en el equivocado.

Pero en fin, estoy seguro de que cualquier pequeño o adulto con un niño en el corazón puede pasar por alto todo eso y amar esta pequeña y peculiar historia, y mucho. DiCamillo ciertamente sabe lo que hace. Un fácil cuatro o cinco estrellas, para los afortunados iluminados.

*** Queda pendiente, la película (2021)



-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2013] [240p] [Niños/Grado Medio] [3.5] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------

[Lynn Plourde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Reasons Why I LOVE
the 2014 Newbery Medal winner Flora & Ulysses
by Kate DiCamillo

# 10. This book cracked me up.
# 9. The hybrid combo of traditional chapter book and graphic novel segments works seamlessly and pulls
young readers into the story.
#8. More packed-in WORD POWER—malfeasance, capacious, obfuscation for starters—than any other kids’
book I know. (Heck, I have several degrees, I’m an author, and I didn’t know some of the words.)
#7. A kids’ book that can boost SAT scores.
#6. Not a single word is wasted—in fact, DiCamillo repeats words to great effect.
#5. What’s not to love about a super-hero, poetry-writing squirrel; a melting-heart cynical heroine; and the
traumatically-temporarily blind boy next door?
#4. Could the characters be any more unique? NO!
#3. Do these unique characters still somehow tell a universal story? YES!
#2. This book has kid-appeal with a capital /K/ (kids of ALL AGES!).
#1. This book cracked me up.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I have to explain myself after everyone I know has raved about this book. Initially I was loving it, but the ending didn't work for me. And after I finished it, I realized that while it was cute and quirky, it tried a bit too hard to be cute and quirky. Whatever it was that bothered me, it didn't get resolved and so I'm thinking this one is just OK.

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.

WHAT I LIKED: I am a huge Kate DiCamillo fan, so I was really excited to see that she has a new book coming out this month. As an extra bonus, Flora & Ulysses is told partially via short, full-page cartoon strips, which will make it especially popular with 8-11 year old readers.

DiCamillo's skillful use of vocabulary will help expose readers to words they likely have never seen. The squirrel is super-cute and the drawings made me smile. I loved his thought captions, where he is always thinking "I love Flora" or "I am hungry." I loved reading his poetry, which sounded just like what Ulysses might need to say.

Judging by the massive early praise I've seen for this title, I know this will be popular with upper-elementary teachers. It is definitely unique, and the superhero theme is always a hit with young readers. Children will love the drawings and will laugh at Ulysses the Squirrel, who is just so darn cute that readers will want to adopt a superhero squirrel of their own.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Overall, I am disappointed. I expect a lot from my beloved Kate DiCamillo, but I had a hard time caring about this story. While there was some action (mostly surrounding the antics of Ulysses), I had to make myself read this. I kept thinking it would get better (it's KATE DICAMILLO!), but for me, it never did. I was actually happy to finally finish it.

All the characters are quirky, but Flora and William Spiver (he goes by his full name) are so quirky that they got annoying. How do these 10-year old kids (or are they 11?) know so many SAT vocabulary words? How do they know how to use them correctly and off-the-cuff like that? How did so many quirky people find each other living in the same approximate area?

I'm also not really sure the point of the story. By the end, very little had changed, except possibly Flora's mother's attitude toward Ulysses. There were some minor changes in understanding between Flora and her divorced parents, but even those changes were not a huge deal.

THE BOTTOM LINE: It's too cutesy for me, but I do think this will be very popular with upper-elementary and lower-middle school teachers and students. I hope to see many more books for young readers that feature this graphic-text format; it's perfect for struggling readers.

STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: On order. There is definitely an audience for this at my school.

READALIKES: Tale of Despereaux (DiCamillo); The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (DiCamillo)

RATING BREAKDOWN:

Overall: 2/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Engrossing: 1/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to tweens: 3/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 3/5


CONTENT:

Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild; Flora's mom kidnaps and plans to kill Ulysses (she has a shovel in her hands in the drawing), people chase Ulysses with knives in a restaurant
Drugs/Alcohol: mild; Flora's mother smokes cigarettes

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly delightful book! I read it out loud to my 10 year old daughter (so nice to read to her again!) and we both were huge fans of Flora, Tootie, William Spiver, Mrs. Meecham, George Beckham and of course Ulysses! There is an absolutely enchanting sense of magic and wonder as Flora breaks out of her cynical mindset and learns how to love again. The transformation of Ulysses from squirrel to incognito Incandesto (holy bagumba!) is so beautifully done. There is also a surprising amount of depth to all the characters and many life lessons done in the most subtle and touching manner. To say more risks to spoil the story, so I’ll just end this review in saying that in terms of recent kid’s books, Flora and Ulysses ranks way up there with The One and Only Ivan for being a stupendously funny and emotionally fulfilling book!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of Kate DiCamillo (I know, I know, blasphemy!) I only picked this up because it's a National Book Award longlist. I read it in a day and I must (begrudgingly) admit that I didn't hate it. Not much happens, but in a middle grade novel, that's not a bad thing. There are quirky characters, funny pictures, and enough graphic novel/comic panels to help librarians convince reluctant readers that it's worth the effort.

What bothered me most (and I swear this is legit, not just me rolling my eyes at at KD) was the narrative voice. It has that adult writer, tongue in cheek, this is what kids sounds like, wry with a touch of nostalgia tone that I just can't stand. What ten year old runs around saying, "This malfeasance must be stopped"? A fictional ten year old that adults find precocious and amusing that ACTUAL ten year olds may or may not relate to.

It's well designed (obviously, it's Candlewick) and well (enough) written and I would not at all be surprised if it wins some awards along the way. I won't even hold a grudge against it for doing so...and we all know how much I like to hold grudges.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate DiCamillo's contributions to the literary canon have been many things, but they have never been silly.

Proof:

The Tiger Rising: subtle & thoughtful
Because of Winn-Dixie: tender & sweet
The Tale of Despereaux: warm & inviting
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane: heart-wrenching & deeply moving
The Magician's Elephant: somber & bleakly hopeful

But silly?

No.

Until now.

Until Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.

The premise itself is head-scratchingly silly (especially coming from DiCamillo): a cynical ten year-old girl resuscitates a hapless squirrel that has been sucked up into a high-powered vacuum machine.

And what becomes of this squirrel? As a result of the incident, he inherits superhero powers. He can fly! And he can type! Poetry. He can type poetry.

Combine these ridiculous elements with a veritable parade of kooky characters: a preternaturally gifted boy who is temporarily blind (or is he?); a neurotic mother who writes terrible romance novels; a father who greets everyone and everything as if meeting for the first time; an insomniac who waxes poetic about her childhood.

This is the formula for fluff. Or sheer idiocy.

Yet DiCamillo makes it work - and the results are laugh-out-loud hilarious. Seriously. More than a handful of times I chuckled. And outright laughing, there was much of that, too - especially at K.G. Campbell's pitch-perfect illustrations of Ulysses, the superhero squirrel.

Really, it's Ulysses who steals the entire show. Sure, Campbell's illustrations capitalize on the humor (Ulysses' first encounter with the typewriter, rendered with awe and goofiness, is delightful), but DiCamillo's characterization is flawless. He's so squirrel-like that I wouldn't be surprised if DiCamillo holed herself up for months with a family of squirrels to study their every meticulous and absurd behavior. In fact, the next time I see a squirrel sniff its tail, I might burst into uncontrollable laughing. Coupled with his squirrelish thoughts (mostly about food) and his simple but sweet observations of the world around him, Ulysses could be my favorite DiCamillo character.

His poetry? Hilarious:

I love your round head,
the brilliant green,
the watching blue,
the letters,
this world, you.
I am very, very hungry. [p. 65]

His thoughts? Sweetly absurd:

He loved the world. He loved all of it: smoke rings and lonely squids and giant donuts and Flora Belle Buckman's round head and all the wonderful thoughts inside of it. [p. 181]

The denouement is a bit of a letdown, especially with all the madcap absurdity that precedes it, but Ulysses' final poem serves as a sweet, thematically-appropriate coda.

Yes, this is DiCamillo reclaiming her sense of humor, her joy of storytelling. She has expunged herself of the darkness that crept into her last couple books (stunning as they were) and has produced a book that, while probably lacking the 'distinguish' for which Newbery committees seem to look, is deserving of a place in the hearts of children everywhere.

UPDATE:
Been meaning to add to this review since awards were announced a couple weeks ago.

SQUIRTEL!!

I cheered (literally cheered) when Flora & Ulysses nabbed the 2014 Newbery. The book seems to have garnered some vocal detractors, but I stand by my review, and I love that this very funny and very sweet book has been recognized for its charming and odd brilliance.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer delight! I couldn't put this book down, it was both tender and humorous, and reminded me more of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE or THE TIGER RISING than DiCamillo's last few books. Then I passed it on to my son, and he had the same reaction: reading all day until he finished!

Read aloud 2021: Read this aloud to all three kids before we see the Disney+ movie this month! We all loved it. I had forgotten a lot of the delightful details, like how much Ulysses loves Flora's "round head." Just a lovely story!

[Sara Cantador · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/5
Una historia tierna, disparatada y llena de valores, con unos personajes entrañables y que trata muchos temas, con profundidad (todo lo posible por ser una obra infantil), humor y cariño. Una lectura muy recomendada.

[The Library Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Ms DiCamillo,

I loved Because of Winn Dixie. I adored it.
But I've hated everything you've written since.

And it's not because I don't love fantasy and whimsy, because I do.

But your whimsical prose inevitably makes me want to throw your book out the window. And this one is no exception.

However, I will not throw it out the window. Instead, because it is a best seller I will carefully put it on my new book shelf and leave it for someone who takes the best seller lists seriously to read, or give to their child.

Better them than me.

Sincerely yours,
The Library Lady

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot imagine giving this book to any of my students. I found it weird and pointless. I also hate Dicamillo's use of repetitive language that is meant to be lyrical and touching. It just felt monotonous.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for Children's Literature Network Book Club.

I often wonder what is inside Kate DiCamillo's head and heart...Where does it all come from? "Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventure" is another story of longing, loneliness, and love from DiCamillo. It tears at the heartstrings long after the reader has finished the book. Again, it is a story of the ages for the ages. With its beautiful imagery, multi-layered characters, messages for all ages, and spot-on illustrations, it is destined to become a classic. The other nine books long-listed for the National Book Award are lucky to stand next to DiCamillo's latest.

When Nancy Pearl talks about the doors by which one enters a book, it is hard to know where to begin with "Flora and Ulysses." I'll start with the language/literary door. Many reviewers have objected to the "SAT words" used so liberally by DiCamillo in the book. First off, this is DiCamillo's modus operandi. Anyone who has read her before knows that DiCamillo believes in kids and their ability to interpret meaning from context and to learn new words. How powerful is it for a kid, or adult for that matter, to know and confidently use words like "unremitting" and "euphemism." The use, not of "SAT words," but of beautiful, powerful words is one of the qualities of DiCamillo's writing that makes her work interesting to all ages. What a great opportunity to teach readers about the power of language! Her work can be read on many levels - one can read simply for story, or dig much deeper.

The use of metaphor is very powerful here as well. Maybe I am stretching it a bit, but Dr. Meescham and her stories of growing up in Blundermeesen seemed reminiscent of the Holocaust to me. Her stories had a deep underlying sadness - though her hopefulness and positivity outshone all of that sadness. The use of sensory language is powerful here as well, particularly the language used to convey the sense of smell - the nuttiness of Ulysses came alive for me as Flora described it!

The writing here is so very powerful. I savored all of it. It takes a master to accomplish what DiCamillo does here. Oh, and her stories, including this one, just beg to be read aloud! (I once read "The Tale of Despereaux" out loud to my Honors English 10 students. They begged me to keep reading every day for the ten minutes or so that I read to them. One could literally have heard a pin drop during these sessions. Reading "The Tale of Despereaux" to my students was one of my best and most memorable teaching experiences in the 35 years I've been at this!)

The character door was also very powerful for me in "Flora and Ulysses." Both visually and verbally, the characters were perfectly rendered and memorable. Though this seems to be the first collaboration between DiCamillo and K.G. Campbell, it appears that they have been working together for years. The mix of the prose and graphic novel format is perfect for today's visual young readers - and isn't too much for we oldsters. I will never forget Flora's reticence to open up her heart, William Spiver's vision, Mrs. Meescham's stories of growing up in Meescham, Rita's big hair -(her big everything!), and the rest! The characters, even the "bad guys" are humorous and warm and sad and...human.

The plot and setting of "Flora and Ulysses" were less significant for me. We follow a group of zany, wonderful people (and a squirrel) who are lonely and trying to find their way to one another, to find "home." Isn't that the story of all of our lives? Filled with humorous situations at one moment, and serious situations that take one's breath away at other moments, there is something here for everyone.

The true strength of the book to me lies in its messages:

- When Flora and Ulysses see the painting of "unremitting darkness" where the boat is being eaten by a giant squid, Flora says, "'The squid is the villain...He needs to be vanquished. He's eating a boat. And he's going to eat all the people on the boat.'" To which, Mrs. Meescham replies, "'Yes, well, loneliness makes us do terrible things...And that is why the picture is there, to remind me of this.'" Yes..a metaphor for many of the characters' lives in "Flora and Ulysses," a metaphor for many of our lives.

- "'Do not hope; instead, observe.'" One can read this on so many levels. To me, it is about not closing your eyes and hoping that things will change. To me it says, open your eyes and really SEE what is around you. In the SEEING, solutions may be found to change hope into reality.

- Flora is a self-admitted "cynic." When Flora tells Dr. Meescham this, Dr. Meescham repiles, "'Bah, cynics...Cynics are people who are afreaid to believe...Pascal had it that since it could not be proven whether God existed, one might as well believe that he did, because there was everything to gain by believing and nothing to lose. This is how it is for me. What do I lose if I choose to believe? Nothing!" Wow! What a message for the cynical world we live in!! I get so tired of cynicism and mean-spiritedness around me that I want to bury my head in the sand sometimes!

- "And then, for the first time ever, George Buckman took both his hands off the steering wheel while the car was in motion. He opened his arms wide...and then she reached up and across and put her hand on the left side of her father's chest. And she felt it. Her father's heart, beating there inside of him. It felt very certain, very strong, and very large...capacious." (Yes, "capacious" is a big word, but the context clearly tells us what it means. And isn't "capacious" just the right word?) By opening our hearts to others, the hearts of others will be open to us. In that knowledge there is certainty.

- When Flora announces that she wants to go live with her father and her mother says,"'Go right ahead...It would certainly make my life easier,'" the power of words is confirmed for us. Flora calls these words "slabs of stone" that have the power to knock her over, to make the heart of a cynic hurt.

- "I promise to always turn back toward you." These powerful words of love don't need discussion.

- One of the antagonists, Flora's mother, says that Flora "'...is a strange child. And the world is not kind to the strange...I want things to be normal. I want a daughter who is happy. I want her to have friends who aren't squirrels. I don't want her to end up unloved and all alone in the world.'" Even though, she goes about it in the wrong way, she has Flora's best interest at heart. The answer, of course, is to love Flora for who she is, as her father and Ulysses and William and Mrs. Meescham do.

- Having a sense of HOME is significant to the characters as well - yep, it reminded me immediately of "The Wizard of Oz" and the classic line, "There's no place like home."

- "'This is how I was when I was a girl in Blundermeecen. Like this. Always opening the door in the middle of the night and finding the face of someone you wanted to see. Well, not always. Sometimes it was the face of someone you did not want to see...But always, always in Blundermeecen, you opened the door becuase you could not stop hoping that on the other side of it would be the face of someone you loved...And maybe, too, the face of someone you did not yet know but might come to love.'"

- "Nothing would be easier without you, because you are everything..."

Enough said... READ IT!!!

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good reads win (thanks again love)  

The plot was jagged and torn by too many subplot and divisions. It had no clear indication of an initial or final destination which was one of its largest failings. Within it we have the magically superhero squirrel. Flora looking for independence, security, and love. But flora lives vicariously through the animal's accomplishments using them as some sort of extension for herself, almost as if she can get the life, hope, self love etc that was absent before she met this squirrel. Loneliness plagued her. Loneliness absent of the animal continues to plague here; she regresses. Friendless, she has the forced eagerness to attach to something that, if it wasn't a squirrel it might have been an ant; they too can lift things that are very heavy...

Oh characters.... If you can call them that...


We have a father who has apparently had a stroke and says 'how do you do' so many times my eyes are bleeding except he hasn't had a stroke his character just seems like it was composed of those drawings pre-schoolers do where the teacher says 'what's this what did you draw johnny' and he said 'it's a man saying how do you do to a waitress'. The next day, same assignment, same question and the kid said' it's a man saying how do you do to a neighbor'..... Over and over again.

Then you have William the child with somatic disorder that apparently derives from trauma that is cute (eh, in the manner in which it is conceptualized) and personal and could have gone in some constructive direction, but faltered and developed into deflated slush. Then you have a mother you wish was killed in some Dexter manner that is both detached and reactionary in this give and take, push and pull manner that really echos borderline personality disorder. Trust me you will want her dead by mid-book.

Then you have the father's next door neighbor who is overly philosophical like one of those desk day calendar your mom sent you on your first job post graduation, because, having a law degree and becoming a desk clerk can't get anymore splendid. God enters here in a shapeless and underwhelming forced manner that deluded this one, perhaps only really developed character. However her delusions and the lifelessness of loss pervades her very skin leavin a shell of her former self... She also reflects on this childhood that is more out of xfiles meets harry Potter with a bit of lsd in the mix, which is, by far the most totally irrelevant element of the story.

Ok, what else do we have. You have the symbolism of an object that stands quietly in a room and creates this sort of atmosphere between child and parent that brings to mind a Flynn novel but more desperate.

Oh and a psychotic cat too... you have that. Antisocial and apt to attack without cause or provocation, this cat will slice your throat without a flick of its whiskers.

Actually if you open your diagnostic and statistics manual for mental illness you will be able to go front to back and find an example of each character in this big gray book used by clinicians.

What brings this all together where the rough sketches that could bring an adult to his or her knees in terrorizing nightmares. I know they are raw drafts, but come on.

The dialog is a nightmare. It is flat. It is without soul. It is void of feeling and passion. It takes a really special author to make an eleven years old talk like a pompous undergraduate in his second semester of a lit major; Good Will Hunting bar scene. It takes a special person to make a father that repeats the same line ten times, while also using Freudian tactics to avoid any sort of emotional connection. It really takes a special, and pretty off balanced author to write three hundred pages without a hint, a grain of emotional reflection or an ending that may—even to the younger age child targeted—provide a semblance of meaning at its completion.

This book tried to hard, fails to collectively address the many, many subplot that end abruptly, not contributing to the larger concepts, and includes narrative that, upon reflecting on my early elementary school 'complete the sentence work sheets', really carries the same lack of effort and haste. The philosophical notions seem endlessly piled on top of one another in an apparent urge to teach the reader some concept that, after their clumsy inception, is reminiscent of a really dreadful meal with good ingredients, but horror execution and poor seasoning. It's tiresome, regurgitation of the themes of friendship, heroism, life, personal change, relationship problems, parental issues, etc in a very juvenile and novice manner.

Oh yes i get the idea that I am not the targeted audience here. But this book is a direct insult of an eight to twelve years old's intelligence.

[Eija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, and thought it was perfect.

All those goodreads haters on this book picking apart Flora's vocabulary need to see that Flora is trying like hell to guard her heart, and this little squirrel comes along and opens her heart.

This is a wonderous book where unbelievable things happen, and I think it's fine to believe that Flora can shout MALFEASANCE!!

Isn't it great to think that if you wanted to, you could shout, MALFEASANCE!

Since when would someone say, "That word is much too large for you. You are ten. Please use small, tiny, ten-year-old brain words."

Were there words that I had to look up their meaning? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. Did William Steig ever dumb down his picture books? No.

This book was hilarious and a joy to read.

I have zero issues with the sub plots, and thought things came together nicely. Ulysses finally wrote his poem, the terrible banishing and the temporary blindness, Dr. Meescham and her horsehair couch, being hopeful and finding love, and having someone believe in you, that dangerously lonely squid, and that stupid heavy lamp actually being useful.

¡Perfecto!

This is my favorite book.

[disco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Kate DiCamillo's writing, but something about this book just hit a nerve with me. I found almost every character more annoying than the last.. especially the squirrel. If you listen to the audio book you get a little more than you asked for with the the overindulging use of brass instruments. I think that there was more time spent reading the chapter names aloud than the actual chapters themselves.

Also: If I heard the term "for Pete's sake!!!!!" one. more. time. I was going to blow a gasket.

[Anne Bogel]

It's hard to go wrong with any Kate DiCamillo book; this Newbery Award winner is a good place to start. Flora is a girl addicted to the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!; Ulysses is the squirrel who needs saving. Endearing, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny, especially as narrated by the talented Tara Sands.

Don't miss What Should I Read Next #213: Art, fear, and discovering great books, with the delightful DiCamillo herself.

[Josu Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una divertida novela con una variedad de personajes a los que al final coges cariño. Es una novela rara (en el buen sentido), llena de situaciones irreales donde prima la inocencia infantil y el humor. Es una lectura simpática con una edición preciosa. Me ha gustado el mezclar el cómic con ilustraciones normales y texto. ¡Hacen más ágil la lectura!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread: November 2017
My daughter, who previously didn't want to read this book, confiscated my copy and finished it in one day. Now, we both have a soft spot for William Spiver and the poetic Ulysses. I have also decided that our next dog should be named Flora Belle. "What a lovely, melodious name."

Original Review: October 2017
I went into this middle grade book, thinking I wouldn't like it. I had gotten it out of the library hoping that either my 9 or 11 year old kids would be interested in reading it. After reading only one or two chapters, my 9 year old handed the book back to me and said she didn't want to read it because she didn't like the way the characters talked. I then decided I would read it and see what the book was all about. I am pretty sure it was the euphemisms, attitudes, and life styles that aren't, per-say, the sweetest, that caused my daughter to pass on this book. However, the more I read, the more I understood and fell in love with the humorous, quirky, bazaar, down right absurd characters, and story. I was really impressed with the subtle depth and meaning to this story and how the characters found a happiness to their lives, that they were previously missing. I could probably talk a long time about this book, about what I liked, and what I also inwardly cringed at, however, I thought it was quite brilliantly written. This may not be the perfect book for all children, but I do feel like it might be loved and cherished by many.

[Mari Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out loving "Flora...". It was typical DiCamillo charm; quirky characters and an endearing plot. However, somewhere along the way the story turned and it started to become a bit maudlin and dark. The ending was sweet, but felt a bit forced. The other thing that caused me to knock a star off the review, was that DiCamillo had a main character smoking (complete with illustration). It always bothers me to see characters in children's books aimed at the elementary set either smoking or drinking. While this is part of life, and many kids home lives, it isn't something I particularly care to see modeled in children's lit.

I did appreciate the author's use of amazing vocabulary words. This book is so chock full of wonderfully evocative, advanced words that you could probably use it for a vocabulary lesson. Of course, that is a double edged sword as the use of advanced vocabulary may turn off some individual readers and the story line is probably too juvenile for advanced readers.

I would recommend with reservations. Probably best for grades 3-5.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cynics are people who are afraid to believe." She waved her hand in front of her face as if she were brushing away a fly.
"Do you believe in, um, things?" said Flora.
"Yes, yes, I believe," said Dr. Meescham. She smiled her too-bright smile again. "You have heard of Pascal's Wager?"
"No," said Flora.
"Pascal," said Dr. Meescham, "had it that since it could not be proven whether God existed, one might as well believe that he did, because there was everything to gain by believing and nothing to lose. This is how it is for me. What do I lose if I choose to believe? Nothing!" (PGS. 129-130)

YA- John Newbery Medal- 2013

This was a new style of writing for me. I didn't dislike it but the story line was just okay. Funny at times, thoughtful at times, and mostly lots of quirky characters. The idea of a super hero squirrel that loves to write poetry was cute but the main character, Flora, annoyed me a bit. The characters had such high nervous energy. Too much chaos.

It was just okay. Read it in 1 hour. Skimmed most of it.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written book with so much going on. It has interesting characters and fun situations. I don't know what it is about it but this story just didn't strike the right chord with me. Who knows. It was ok, I just didn't love it and I feel like I should have. The character I enjoyed the most was the doctor with the horsehair couch. I think younger people will enjoy it, there is a lot of action and a flying squirrel is fun. The whole thing didn't work for me. I think this is a me issue and not a story issue. Kate is amazing.

[Amina · Rating 2 out of 5]

✰ 2.5 stars ✰

​“As a cynic, Flora found it wise to be prepared. Who knew what horrible, unpredictable thing would happen next?​”

It's safe to say, though, that ​for comic book enthusiast & self-proclaimed cynic, eleven-year-old Flora was​ the last thing she could expect was to me​et Ulysses - a squirrel who was granted super powers when he narrowly escaped the clutches of a vacuum cleaner he never saw coming. ​Holy unanticipated occurrences!​ It starts off what would be a whimsical and unexpected adventure of unsuspecting revelations and thrilling expectations as Flora learns what it means to let go of her own self-inflicted impositions and learn to let others into her heart. With Kate DiCamillo's usual brand of tantalizing words and clever phrases and her own unique way of depicting animals with a human touch, and aided by very fine pencil sketches that add that extra oomph to the story, Flora and Ulysses is the 2014 Newbery Winner, along with many other accolades to its name.
​
​It's sad though that I couldn't feel the same.​ 😔 I know that I'm coming off as harsh, but I can't really say that I very much enjoyed reading it; maybe I'm just not cut-out for the whimsical wordiness that Kate DiCamillo excels on, or maybe how I feel at odds that this is intended for young readers, but somehow never really feels like it. I liked the black-and-white illustrations; they were a nice inclusion to the narrative, especially as they weren't solely there to incorporate written scenes into visuals, but actually added to the plot, itself.​ That was a nice touch, which made it more engaging for me to continue.​ 👍🏻
​
But, it was still a chore to continue.

​“According to TERRIBLE THINGS!, drowning people were desperate, out of their minds with fear. In their panic, they could pull you, the rescuer, under, if you weren’t careful.”

​This is another​ clear example of where I can ​see what message the author is trying to convey​, but the execution doesn't make me appreciate it enough - finding it hard to accept and even more disgruntled about it.​ I didn't find it laugh-out-loud - I found it rather stressful and also very ill-tempered​ at times, with a dark and rather bleak canvas to it. It seemed to temper into what started off as a magical and light-hearted feel that cajoled itself into a strange and bizarre scenario that I wasn't particularly fond of. 🙄 It's hard to root for someone who even the main character, Flora, is so keen on opposing; there is a certain unkindness to even the well-meaningful actions that didn't sit well with me. ​"Luckily, Flora was a cynic and didn’t care whether​ her mother loved her or not.​' Clearly, the message of this parable is about the relationship between mothers and their children and they do have their best interests at heart, but I wasn't a fan of how it went about reaching that point. 😕

​I'm not a fan of when authors try to be dismissive to the feelings of the children, in an effort to bring some form of positive closure to the grown-ups, instead. It makes the final closure seem less than adequate enough ​for me to feel entirely satisfied.​ How Flora feels unloved and neglected by her mother - torn between both parents and trying to navigate some sort of normalcy between the constant shifting between the two homes.​ 😟 ​ ​...'You opened the door because​ you could not stop hoping that on the other side of it would be the face of​ someone you loved.​' I get how the ending draws attention to how her mother never really had her bad intentions at heart for Flora when it came to Ulysses - it's just the way that it went about it​ that didn't sit well with me. 🙅🏻‍♀️

From first having th​is fierce need to smack the squirrel into oblivion ​- plotting his demise with every fiber of her romantic author inclinations - even if her intentions behind it were that of a concerned mother - I just didn't​ like it! 🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️ Nor ​the sudden change to her personality - how everything was forgiving and resolved so easily. Ugh, it makes me so frustrated and empty! 🙍🏻‍♀️ The ending was underwhelming and undeserving and too rushed to fully go along with it. I would not have forgiven or dismissed the mother's intentions as easily as it happened; rather I was surprised at the sudden turn the story took.​ How it ignored how blatantly rude and unkind she was throughout - is in no means a justification of wanting a better life for her daughter - just wasn't happy with how it all went down. 🙁

“Flora felt her heart lurch inside of her.
I want to go home.
It was another one of William Spiver’s sad, beautiful sentences.

But will you return?
I came looking for you.
I want to go home.”

Even if the very premise is such an unbelievable one, I think I would go along with it - in a more forgiving manner - if the characters​ were a bit toned down​ and the ensuing chaos didn't feel as exhausting as it was.​ The constant repetitiveness of catch phrases was acceptable at first, but then it became - draining.​ 😩 It was exhausting to keep up with characters who weren't all that entirely likeable in any sense, either. 'The universe is a random place' and nothing could be more random than how life became an adventure with the sole magical act of a flying squirrel, who could express himself in the most interesting ways, and somehow, was the most knowledgeable, if not receptive of all the characters - humans and animals.​ 👍🏻​ 🐿️

Flora and Ulysses did make for an interesting pair and I can acknowledge the author's efforts in​ capturing how they were both ​in a way​ kindred spirits. How Flora's loneliness was something she buried in her love for comics and her cynicism, claiming she didn't need anyone in her life - when she clearly did want a place to belong. 🥺​ Never having anyone close in age - William Spiver​ - who 'would be happy to be her friend' - served as that binding force ​and challenging awakening that made her realize how much in life she was missing out on, by not connecting with others​.​ How his own feelings of abandonment was something she never was able to address or feel till his own emotions bubbled to the surface. ❤️‍🩹​

​“Each day was uncertain. So, to say good-bye to
someone was uncertain, too. Would you see them again? Who could say?

​{...}

So we said good-bye to each other the best way we could. We said: I promise to always turn back toward you.”

​I know there were some admirable parts to it, but none of them felt redeemable enough for me to appreciate them. 😮‍💨 Kate DiCamillo ​definitely​ has a strong fan-base, but I don't think her particular style of writing appeals to me​ - one that is more philosophical than telling an impactful and meaningful story. I think it's because of how much of her stories seem to be written with adults in mind, more than children, that makes it difficult for me to measure it up against the standards of wh​at it's ​supposed to be​.​ I didn't expect to be as disappointed or annoyed as I was, but clearly something was missing from this that made me less forgiving than I normally would be. 🙎🏻‍♀️​ And considering my rather lukewarm reception to DiCamillo's works in my later years, it makes sense now why I didn't gravitate towards their books during my school days either. 😔

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

If it weren't for the fancy vocabulary words - sepulchral, capacious, euphemistic - and the fact that it features a poetry-writing squirrel, I can't believe this book would have had a chance at winning the Newbery. As it is, I can't agree with this choice. Not much of a story, and if certain characters refrained from repeating themselves or insisting on being called by both a first and a last name every time they are mentioned or spoken to, this book would be many pages briefer. The subtitle might better have been "The Overly Embellished and Repetitive (there's two good vocabulary words!) Adventures." Even in a fantastical book, things should make their own kind of sense, rather than, for instance, having a mom who inexplicably seems to dislike her daughter in one chapter, then just as inexplicably adores her daughter two chapters later. It's as if the author believes that characters are required to change during the course of a story, but we, the readers, apparently do not need to know why.

[raafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuma IDR 60K di Big Bad Wolf Indonesia. Hihihi.

Setelah si kelinci Edward Tulane dan si tikus di "The Tale of Despereaux", kali ini ada Ulysses si tupai. Aku bertanya-tanya bagaimana jadinya kalau DiCamillo membuat cerita tanpa karakter hewan di dalamnya.

Flora si masa-bodo (apa ya terjemahan yang tepat buat "cynic"?) dan Ulysses sukses mengingatkan kembali tentang makna kasih-sayang.

Selengkapnya: http://bibliough.blogspot.co.id/2016/...

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Bagumba


Este livro é fresco, terno, doce...

Não é para rir!
Não é para chorar!
Mas é para sorrir!...

Santa Bagumba, adorei o livro! :)

[Matt Lillywhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All words at all times, true or false, whispered or shouted, are clues to the workings of the human heart.”

This book is about a superhero squirrel. It's also been adapted into a mind-blowing movie that I enjoyed very much

Need I say more?

Absolutely not.

Five stars.

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like “slapstick comedy” then this book is for you. Quirky story about a little girl and her pet squirrel!

[Flora · Rating 1 out of 5]

A disgrace to my name

[~♥~ Sil · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://yourhappinesslife.blogspot.com...

La historia nos la cuentan en tercera persona y en capítulos cortitos, también mezclando algunas viñetas de comic, principalmente centradas en Ulises y Flora, mientras nos cuentan historias de los otros personajes. Este libro tiene pequeños y ligeros aprendizajes que nos cuentan estos lindos personajes como la felicidad, es mundo, la familia, el amor, la soledad...
Las ilustraciones y la edición de este libro me ha encantado! Se nota que está muy cuidada y las ilustraciones las vemos en muchas partes del libro, sin duda se nota el cariño con el que lo han hecho.
Este libro lo he leído con una sonrisa en los labios, cuando no eran carcajadas, es una lindura de libro, los personajes son muy divertidos y dulces, y la historia tiene momentos que te harán reír.

Una ardilla con súper poderes que lucha contra las injusticias, su compañera Flora, una cínica niña de diez años, unos padres separados muy diferente, un niño impertinente y una señora que ama la poesía, acompaña a estos personajes en sus aventuras por luchar contra el mal.