It begins with an accident and a book of poetry. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but Flora Belle Buckman is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) will be born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry -- and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope.
Kate DiCamillo's "Flora and Ulysses" features a nice mix of comic book-type illustrations and short chapters that both move the plot forward. I really wish we could have seen more of Mrs. Tickham...aren't you intrigued by a woman who has no problem reciting poetry to a squirrel? The vocabulary words in this one are somewhat daunting (malfeasance, capacious) so give this to fourth and fifth graders.
--Desiree S., H.Q.
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