Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Tales

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Tales is the newest book by Kate DiCamillo, an author I admire and respect and who previous works (Tale of Desperaux, Because of Winn Dixie etc.) I have devoured whole in a single setting. I have been waiting for a new book from this author for a long time.   

Flora, a witty, quirky girl is obsessed by comics like, Terrible Things Can Happen To You.  Flora lives alone with her mom who smokes, writes romance novels and transfers all her love and affection on to a lamp shaped like a shepherdess named Marianne.  

The action begins when Flora's neighbor Mrs. Twickham receives the gift of a vacuum cleaner, specifically, a Ulysses 2000, The machine has so much power Mrs. Twickham loses control and accidentally vacuums up a squirrel.  Flora swings into action, reviving the poor guy and a beautiful, sweet friendship is born.  

Ulysses comes away from his near death experience with some super human or super squirrel powers that enable him to type and create some beautiful poetry that expresses his gratitude to Flora for saving him and make up some of the books more tender moments.  

Calamity ensues when Flora's mother plots to kill poor Ulysses; Mrs. Twickham's super annoying and temporarily blind nephew comes to visit; Flora's dad shows up for his regularly scheduled custodial visit and chaos breaks out at the local doughnut shop when Ulysses is discovered in a box at their table, and he's very hungry!

The humor of the story is greatly enhanced by the comic or graphic novel style sequences illustrated by K. G. Campbell.  

I loved the relationship between Flora and her squirrel, it evokes the feelings of love, friendship, loss, and belonging that are usually themes in DiCamillo's work. These are two wonderful characters who in my opinion were shortchanged in the plot department. I kept waiting for something more significant to happen to them.  I wanted to know more about Flora's dad who seemed like a decent guy and I wanted Flora's mother to redeem herself.  

 So while I liked Flora and Ulysses, I  am sorry to say I didn't love it.

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

When George and his dad move into a Brooklyn apartment building, George meets Safer and his unusual family.  Safer is a spy, currently embroiled in a mystery involving their seldom seen neighbor, Mr. X.  George is strong armed into becoming Safer's assistant and the plot thickens.  As Safer's requests become less fun and more scary, George starts to question this game.  How far is too far for fun?  What is the truth and what is a lie?  What is the truth behind Safer's story and where is George's mother?  All of these questions will keep the reader wondering.   

I really like Rebecca Stead's style of writing and I really loved When You Reach Me, her 2010 Newbery Award novel and this book is a strong, lovely second effort.  George, Safer and their families are all well drawn characters. I continue to be intrigued by stories about growing up in New York City and in Stead's hands the city is indeed a character, adding a layer of life to the story.  

This weekend I was able to attend a panel discussion at NYPL about the current onslaught and popularity of YA Fiction and the toll it is taken on middle grade fiction and middle grade fiction readers.  The talk was fun and thought provoking and Stead was delightful.  I am confident middle grade fiction is safe in her hands for years to come.  

Award Winners!

Happy Newbery & Caldecott Announcement Day! 
I will confess here that I have yet to read the winner, The One & Only Ivan by K.A. Applegate.  It has been on my list for a while now.  I will get to it soon, although with its sudden notoriety, it may be a bit harder to obtain than your average library book.  I will post my thoughts on the actual books as soon as possible.

 I was pleased to see that Jon Klassen was awarded both the Caldecott Medal for This Is Not My Hat and the Honor for Extra Yarn!  I wonder if that has ever occurred before?  I am a big fan of Klassen's work and his humor and enjoyed both of these immensely. 

 A hearty congratulations to all the winners!