Flora Belle Buckman is a cynical ten-year-old girl who finds herself responsible for a squirrel named Ulysses after he is sucked into a high-powered vacuum cleaner. This accident grants the squirrel human-like consciousness, the ability to fly, and a talent for composing poetry on a typewriter. As Flora protects Ulysses from her mother, who views the rodent as a nuisance, the duo encounters a cast of eccentric neighbors including a boy with temporary blindness and an old woman obsessed with giant donuts. The narrative utilizes a mix of traditional prose and comic book panels to detail their encounters with a territorial cat and various neighborhood crises.
This story serves middle-grade readers who appreciate dry humor and stories about isolated children finding connection. Readers choose this book for its quirky character dynamics and its departure from standard animal adventure tropes. The audience walks away with a perspective on how eccentric friendships can bridge emotional distances within fractured families. It provides a look at the transition from childhood skepticism to a more hopeful acceptance of the unusual and the helpfulness of finding common ground with one's parents.
Practical and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2013
- Language
- EN
