Families who loved Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is navigating the complicated emotions of a changing family or feels like they have built a wall of cynicism to protect themselves from disappointment. It is an ideal choice for the child who feels like a lonely outsider or who is struggling to reconnect with a parent after a divorce. The story follows ten year old Flora, a self described cynic, and Ulysses, a squirrel she rescues from a vacuum cleaner accident who develops superpowers and a soul for poetry. While the premise is hilariously absurd, the heart of the story deals with Flora's fractured relationship with her mother and her search for belonging. It is a brilliant blend of laugh out loud humor and profound emotional truth. Parents will appreciate how it validates a child's feelings of being unheard while gently nudging them toward the possibility of hope and a capacious heart. It is perfectly suited for children ages 8 to 12 who enjoy quirky characters and stories that do not talk down to them.
