Book Cover
Retrieved September 23, 2014, from http://bookbonding.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/review-of-newbery-winning-novel-flora-and-ulysses/
Book Summary
The 11-year-old Flora Belle Buckman, labeled by her mother as a "natural-born cynic" loves to read the comic book series, The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!, which is about an ordinary janitor who became a superhero from an incident involving a cleaning solution because she loves and believes in superheroes! Flora's next door neighbors, the Ticknams, accidentally sucks up a squirrel with their super vacuum, Ulysses 2000X. Flora witnesses this incident and rushes to the Ticknams' yard and rescues the squirrel. The squirrel, later named Ulysses after the super vacuum, is saved and makes a connection with Flora. Flora wants to keep Ulysses as her pet because she truly believes he has super powers.
Flora lives with her mother, Phyllis, a romance novel writer and a heavy smoker, who is divorced. Phyllis is always on a deadline and Flora, a cynic, feels neglected. Flora feels her mother loves the shepherdess, Mary Ann, a lamp she ordered from Paris more than her.
Flora meets William Spiver, the Ticknams' grandson. Mrs. Tootie Ticknam, William Spiver, and Flora become the only ones who have witnessed Ulysses's super power. But Flora's mother wants Ulysses disappeared because after all, he is just a squirrel. Phyllis asks Flora's father, George Buckman, to bag the squirrel up and hit him with a shovel during his afternoon with Flora.
Many things happen that afternoon where Flora discovers the true identity of herself and learns her parents' love for her with Ulysses's super power!
Reference
DiCamillo, K. (2013). Flora & Ulysses, Candlewick Press.
Librarian's Corner
Who is not into superheroes? A big percentage of popular books among upper elementary students are about superheroes. Yes, they may be about well known superheroes like Superman, Batman, and others. Flora & Ulysses will grab attention from girl readers and there are many attributes that young readers are able to make connections to: a child with divorced parents, at an age that they begin to notice peers from the opposite sex, and also at the development stage where they want to be different with the rest of their peers, such as owning a pet with super powers. Recommended for grades 3-6.
Reviews
From Boolist
Starred Review* The story begins with a vacuum cleaner. And a squirrel. Or, to be more precise, a squirrel who gets sucked into a Ulysses Super Suction wielded by Flora's neighbor, Mrs. Tickham. The rather hairless squirrel that is spit out is not the same one that went in. That squirrel had only one thought: "I'm hungry." After Flora performs CPR, the rescued squirrel, newly named Ulysses, is still hungry, but now he has many thoughts in his head. Foremost is his consideration of Flora's suggestion that perhaps he is a superhero like The Amazing Incandesto, whose comic-book adventures Flora read with her father. (Drawing on comic-strip elements, Campbell's illustrations here work wonderfully well.) Since Flora's father and mother have split up, Flora has become a confirmed and defiant cynic. Yet it is hard to remain a cynic while one's heart is opening to a squirrel who can type ("Squirtl. I am . . . born anew"), who can fly, and who adores Flora. 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. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: DiCamillo has a devoted following, plus this book has an extensive marketing campaign. That equals demand. Grades 3-6
Cooper, I. (2013). [Review for the book Flora & Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo]. Booklist, 109(19).
From Publishers Weekly
Like aGroundhog Day \n for middle grade readers, Mass's (Every Soul a Star \n) winning story features a girl seemingly trapped in her 11th birthday. Amanda seems doomed to relive her failed try-out for the gymnastics team, her mother being fired from her job and, worst of all, the party that even her best friend leaves early—to go to the party hosted by her former friend, Leo. The two have celebrated every previous birthday together (they were born on the same day), but a misunderstanding on their 10th has gone unresolved. After several repeats of the day, Amanda and Leo realize they are in this mess together and must work as a team. Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insights she gains will resonate with them. Mass's expertise with pacing keeps the story moving at a lively clip, and her understanding of this age group is as finely honed as ever. Ages 9–12. (Jan.) \n"
Publishers Weekly. (n.d.). [Review for the book, Flora & Ulysses, by Kate Dicamillo]. Publishers Weekly.
Value to the Library
Flora & Ulysses is the 2014 Newbery winner and also a TX Bluebonnet nominee for 2014-2015. It is displayed with the rest of my Bluebonnet nominees. I will read aloud the first three chapters to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to get them hooked on the book so it can be circulated among these grades. Two follow-up activities will be: 1) have these students create their own superheros on comic strips so they can both come up with a character using words and pictures, and 2) I will also read the last 2 chapters allowed to the students after a month and talk about poetry.
Flora lives with her mother, Phyllis, a romance novel writer and a heavy smoker, who is divorced. Phyllis is always on a deadline and Flora, a cynic, feels neglected. Flora feels her mother loves the shepherdess, Mary Ann, a lamp she ordered from Paris more than her.
Flora meets William Spiver, the Ticknams' grandson. Mrs. Tootie Ticknam, William Spiver, and Flora become the only ones who have witnessed Ulysses's super power. But Flora's mother wants Ulysses disappeared because after all, he is just a squirrel. Phyllis asks Flora's father, George Buckman, to bag the squirrel up and hit him with a shovel during his afternoon with Flora.
Many things happen that afternoon where Flora discovers the true identity of herself and learns her parents' love for her with Ulysses's super power!
Reference
DiCamillo, K. (2013). Flora & Ulysses, Candlewick Press.
Librarian's Corner
Who is not into superheroes? A big percentage of popular books among upper elementary students are about superheroes. Yes, they may be about well known superheroes like Superman, Batman, and others. Flora & Ulysses will grab attention from girl readers and there are many attributes that young readers are able to make connections to: a child with divorced parents, at an age that they begin to notice peers from the opposite sex, and also at the development stage where they want to be different with the rest of their peers, such as owning a pet with super powers. Recommended for grades 3-6.
Reviews
From Boolist
Starred Review* The story begins with a vacuum cleaner. And a squirrel. Or, to be more precise, a squirrel who gets sucked into a Ulysses Super Suction wielded by Flora's neighbor, Mrs. Tickham. The rather hairless squirrel that is spit out is not the same one that went in. That squirrel had only one thought: "I'm hungry." After Flora performs CPR, the rescued squirrel, newly named Ulysses, is still hungry, but now he has many thoughts in his head. Foremost is his consideration of Flora's suggestion that perhaps he is a superhero like The Amazing Incandesto, whose comic-book adventures Flora read with her father. (Drawing on comic-strip elements, Campbell's illustrations here work wonderfully well.) Since Flora's father and mother have split up, Flora has become a confirmed and defiant cynic. Yet it is hard to remain a cynic while one's heart is opening to a squirrel who can type ("Squirtl. I am . . . born anew"), who can fly, and who adores Flora. 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. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: DiCamillo has a devoted following, plus this book has an extensive marketing campaign. That equals demand. Grades 3-6
Cooper, I. (2013). [Review for the book Flora & Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo]. Booklist, 109(19).
From Publishers Weekly
Like a
Publishers Weekly. (n.d.). [Review for the book, Flora & Ulysses, by Kate Dicamillo]. Publishers Weekly.
Value to the Library
Flora & Ulysses is the 2014 Newbery winner and also a TX Bluebonnet nominee for 2014-2015. It is displayed with the rest of my Bluebonnet nominees. I will read aloud the first three chapters to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to get them hooked on the book so it can be circulated among these grades. Two follow-up activities will be: 1) have these students create their own superheros on comic strips so they can both come up with a character using words and pictures, and 2) I will also read the last 2 chapters allowed to the students after a month and talk about poetry.