Who would have thought that a book that begins with something as silly as a squirrel being sucked into a vacuum cleaner would turn out to be so heart warming? DiCamillo makes this magic happen in
Flora & Ulysses. Flora, an odd girl, takes fast action to save the squirrel, Ulysses, and the the two quickly bond over a mutual disdain of Flora's self-consumed mother who spends all of her time writing barf-worthy romance novels instead of giving Flora the time of day. By chance, it's found that Ulysses also has a knack for the written word, though poetry rather than prose, and can fly (literally) in times of desperation. Just like the superhero Flora has been looking for!
This duo is definitely better together. New friends are made, parental ties are mended, and old hurts are put to rest. The story is accentuated by Campbell's lively illustrations, both full-page and comic format, and leaves you wanting to find a unlikely superhero of your own.
