Review for "Flora and Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DiCamillo, Kate. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Westminister: Candlewick Press, 2013.  ISBN 978-0-7636-6040-6.

 

PLOT SUMMARY

If you could have one superhero friend, who would it be? I bet you wouldn’t choose a squirrel! Ulysses is just that – a flying squirrel with superpowers and poetry-writing skills. Flora Belle Buckman meets him after saving his life when he was sucked up by a vacuum cleaner, and they become fast friends. The problem is, Flora’s mom doesn’t approve of her rodent-like friend and tries repeatedly to get rid of him. The two friends experience many adventures in this story as well as confront some issues that Flora is dealing with personally.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is the story of an unlikely friendship that is told through text and comic strips. This type of book is an excellent book to ease children who enjoy graphic novels and comic books into reading novels. The characters in the book are ones who readers will fall in love with. Flora is a young girl who is known as a “natural cynic” by her mother and a loner by her peers. Her mother so desperately wants her to be a “normal” girl, but Flora loves comic books and wants to forge her own path in the world. She is a lot like other kids her age in that she's not really interested in being or doing what her parents think is best. Ulysses is just an average squirrel who gains superpowers when he is sucked up by a vacuum cleaner. Readers will love his kind nature and his quirky, mushy poems that he writes for Flora.

Flora and Ulysses take part in many adventures in this book, but the author also addresses some issues that Flora is going through personally, which makes the story even more meaningful to readers. For example, Flora’s parents have divorced and she is learning to cope with it. She is also trying to determine who she is while being pressured by her mother to be a “normal” girl. Young readers will find comfort in reading about characters who are experiencing life events that are similar to their own.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

NEWBERY AWARD WINNING BOOK

From Publishers Weekly 2013: "Newbery Medalist DiCamillo and illustrator Campbell meld prose with comics sequences in a broad comedy tinged with sadness."

From School Library Journal 2013: “Rife with marvelously rich vocabulary reminiscent of the early superhero era and amusing glimpses at the world from the point of view of Ulysses the supersquirrel, this book will appeal to a broad audience of sophisticated readers.”

From Booklist 2013: “DiCamillo is a master storyteller…her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love.”

CONNECTIONS

Check out other books by Kate DiCamillo:

The Tale of Despereaux ISBN: 978-0763680893

Because of Winn-Dixie ISBN: 978-0763680862

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane ISBN: 978-0763680909

Check out other Newberry Award-Winning titles with animal characters:

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell ISBN: 978-0890155066

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien ISBN: 978-0689710681

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ISBN: 978-0061992278

Sample Classroom Activities:

Have students create their own comic-book superheroes. Ask them to tell the superhero’s story with both words and pictures, using word bubbles as in a comic strip. After the comic strips are created, share them and discuss the process of this kind of writing.

One of Ulysses’s special powers is being able to write poetry. Read Ulysses’s poems aloud. Then using your library as a resource, have students investigate different styles of poetry and invite them to write their own poetry.

Book Review for "Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. Bergenfield: Penguin Group USA, 2015.  ISBN 978-0-8037-4016-7.

PLOT SUMMARY

Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. They went to poetry readings, the opera, and art exhibits together. But everything changes the summer before sixth grade. Astrid signs up for Roller Derby camp and Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. This turns out to be the most difficult summer of Astrid’s life as she struggles to do well at camp and cannot seem to hold on to her friendship with Nicole. She makes many mistakes and feels as if she cannot do anything right. However, once Astrid seeks advice from her roller derby idol, Rainbow Bite, she decides that she is determined to do whatever it takes to be a roller girl. This graphic novel is a beautiful coming-of-age story that preteen girls can relate to and find comfort in.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Roller Girl is a book for girls of all ages and interests. The characters in this book are ones that preteens can relate to. Even older readers are able to reminisce about their adolescent years and empathize with Astrid as she struggles to find her place. This is a coming-of-age story with a strong emphasis on friendship and determination. So many readers experience the same life events as Astrid does as they transition from elementary school to junior high. Groups of friends change, interests change, and she is right there with the rest of us as she transitions into a new stage of life. She learns what it means to be a true friend and she develops confidence and skill as she strives to reach her goal of becoming a roller girl. The author puts an emphasis on strong female characters, which empowers preteen girls. Rainbow Bite, the famous roller girl, and Astrid’s mom are both strong women who influence Astrid and help her succeed.

This graphic novel is full of bright, colorful illustrations that give the reader an accurate look into Astrid’s life. The detailed expressions on the characters’ faces show the emotional journey that children encounter as they mature into young adults. Without the illustrations, Astrid’s story would not be as accurately portrayed.

This book is an excellent choice for preteens girls and women of all ages. It will challenge them to be strong and take risks to become who they dream about being.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD 2016-2017

NEWBERY HONOR AWARD 2017

From Publisher's Weekly 2015: “Jamieson’s full-color cartooning has a Sunday comics vibe, and her pacing is faultless.”

From Kirkus Reviews 2014: "Jamieson captures this snapshot of preteen angst with a keenly decisive eye, brilliantly juxtaposing the nuances of roller derby with the twists and turns of adolescent girls' friendships. Clean, bright illustrations evince the familiar emotions and bring the pathos to life in a way that text alone could not.”

From Booklist 2015: "A touching look at the ups and downs of following one’s dreams, in addition to introducing readers to a relatively unknown sport.”

CONNECTIONS

Other Graphic Novels similar to Rollergirl:

Smile by Raina Telgemeier. ISBN 978-0545132060

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm. ISBN 978-0545741668

Activities to go with the book:

After reading this book with your book club, attend a roller derby bout. If that is not an option, have participants go through the warm-ups that roller derby players do before a bout.

Have students write a letter of advice and encouragement to Astrid from Rainbow Bite, her roller derby idol.

Review for "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Westminister: Random House Childrens Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-375-84220-7.

PLOT SUMMARY

Young Liesel watches her brother die on a train and is then forced to go live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in Molching, Germany in the midst of World War II. The Hubermann’s have a laundry service, and Liesel helps out. She is fascinated with books, but she is illiterate. When her brother was buried, she stole a book from the gravesite. Liesel steals another book at a book-burning in honor of Hitler’s birthday and then another at the Mayor’s home when she is delivering laundry. Hans begins to teach Liesel to read and she enjoys it. She becomes friends with and reads with Max, a young Jewish man who is hiding from the Nazis in the Hubermann’s basement. He writes his own life story in the Hubermann’s basement and helps Liesel become a better reader. Liesel uses her ability to read to calm the townspeople while they are in a shelter to stay safe from the Allies bomb raids. The Mayor’s wife gives her a blank notebook so she can write her own story and she does. In this book, Death tells a story of German rebels who risked their lives because they wanted to help people and chose to stand up for the mistreated. This story gives readers a different perspective on the German citizens during WWII than they are used to hearing.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Book Thief is told from the perspective of Death itself. With this choice of narrator, Zusak is able to provide readers with a unique perspective on all of the awful things taking place in Europe at the time being. The setting is in a fictional town, Molching which is near the actual city of Munich, Germany. A lot of the story takes place on Himmel Street which translates to “heaven.” This is ironic because so many tragic events occur in this area throughout the story, including prisoner marches, book burnings, and air raids that is hardly feels like heaven. However, there are many secretive acts of kindness that occur that make Himmel Street less horrible. The Hubermann’s willingness to risk their own lives to hide and care for Max, a Jewish boy, shows that there is good in this community of German citizens.

The plot of the story is presented very accurately and the events that take place in the story are very realistic to events that occurred during the World War II time period. The characters display a fear that was felt by many German people because of the instability and hostility that the war caused and yet they show love and consideration towards others despite their circumstances. Liesel’s love of books and literature and her willingness to do anything – even steal – to get her hands on another book is something that avid readers can relate to and appreciate.

There are many themes that are carried throughout this story, but two of strongest ones are Mortality and Love. The Book Thief teaches us that life is fleeting and death has a huge impact on our lives. Death tells us that “at some point on time [he] will be standing over you…your soul will be in my arms… I will carry you gently away.” For example, the Hubermann’s willingness to harbor a Jewish boy in their basement was due to the fact that the boy’s father saved Mr. Hubermann from a near-death experience. Love is seen in the relationship between Hans and Liesel. Hans takes her in as his own, and teaches her to read. In the book, Liesel says that her foster father’s eyes “were made of kindness, and silver” and that when she looked into his eyes, she “understood that [he] was worth a lot.” A love for humanity is shown by the German citizens who hide Jewish people in their basements in order to protect them. A love for reading and literature is seen by Liesel and her willingness to do whatever it took to get her hands on another book.  

This book is genuine and thought-provoking. It gives readers a chance to see what the war was like from the German citizens’ point of view. It gives them a sense of humanity and helps readers to understand that there were Germans who wanted to protect those who were being persecuted. It also honors those who were horribly mistreated.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

MICHAEL PRINTZ YOUNG ADULT AWARD

School Library Journal Starred Review

From School Library Journal 2007: “Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward.”

CONNECTIONS

Gather other fictional novels set in the World War II time period:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne ISBN: 978-0385751537

The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse ISBN: 978-0316260633

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen ISBN: 978-0545682428

Check out another novel written by Markus Zusak:

I am the Messenger.  ISBN 978-0375836671

Using this book in the classroom:

Read this novel during a unit on World War II.

The Book Thief is narrated by Death itself. Use this book when teaching students about narration, perspectives and point of views in writing. Have students write their own short story, paying close attention to the way they narrate it. Encourage them to tell the story from a different point of view.