Flora and Ulysses
By: Kate DiCamillo
DiCamillo, K. (2014). Flora & Ulysses The Illuminated Adventures.. New York: Paw Prints.
2014 Medal Winner for the Newbery Award
Note: This award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Summary: Kate DiCamillo’s novel is fun and different. The characters are quirky and likeable, with the exception of Flora’s mother. Flora and William Spiver are the kids we see that could be said to have old souls hence the SAT style vocabulary they use consistently throughout the novel. George is a heartbroken man that doesn't seem to know where he belongs and Phyllis is so wrapped up in herself and her book writing that she doesn't notice life around her. All of these characters plus the addition of Tootie the next door neighbor and Dr. Meescham the odd neighbor to George keep the reader grounded to the text. The characters are all multi-layered, just like the ones you see in comic books. This is shown through Campbell’s pencil drawn comic panels. Each character shows up in a comic panel throughout the book and this gives them the “superhero” quality that will entice reluctant readers to make their way through a novel. Flora meets each one of these characters, with the exception of her parents, as she goes on a journey to find out who she is and where her home is. All of this is done with a superhero squirrel!
Activity: One unique feature of this book is the fact that it is written partly as a graphic novel in a comic book style. After reading this book have students select one of their writings to turn into a graphic novel. Use the website ToonDoo to create comic strips of their writing. This is a free website that will allow them multiple ways to create the comic strip.
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