FLORA & ULYSSES: The Illuminated Adventures

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

Flora, a cynic, meets an unlikely squirrel turned superhero after a tragic vacuum cleaner accident.  The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, as he was only thinking of how hungry he is. However, Flora, our cynic who is absorbed in comic books, is sure that she can save him!

No one can predict what the squirrel can do next!  He has powers of strength and word, as he is able to write poetry onto typewriters and computers.  Then we meet our arch-nemesis, Flora's mother, the author, who is out to smack the squirrel on top of the head with a shovel.  We also meet the temporary blind boy that lives next door.

Go on an adventure with Flora and Ulysses, the poetry writing superhero squirrel and see our cynic open up her heart.

Kate DiCamillo has created wonderful characters and magic in this Newberry Award Winning book. Each character is unique and DiCamillo has portrayed each character magically throughout the book.  Children and adults will love meeting the characters. Flora's love for comic books is seen throughout the book, as the descriptions of Flora seeing words above people's heads are described beautifully.  Illustrations throughout the book at times are in panel form, just like the comic books that Flora loves so much.  The book is filled with humor, that children and adults will both love.

Awards for Flora & Ulysses

2013 National Book Awards Longlist

2013 Newberry Award

2014 Bluebonnet Nominee

Flora & Ulysses in the Classroom

This book is filled with beautiful vocabulary words, that even I had to look up -- malfeasance, capacious, obfuscation.  This is just a start of the high level vocabulary words that can be taught from this book.

Throughout the story, the strong characters each experience change.  This is a great book to focus on character traits and change in character.

Candlewick Press Teacher Guide

Hear Kate DiCamillo introduce the book and share her backstory for creating the book.  Click here.