Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl.
When a cynical comic-book fanatic discovers her own superhero, life becomes wonderfully supercharged.
Despite the contract her mother made her sign to “turn her face away from the idiotic high jinks of comics,” 10-year-old Flora avidly follows her favorite superhero’s adventures. Flora’s mother writes romance novels and seems more in love with her books than with her lonely ex-husband or equally lonely daughter. When a neighbor accidentally vacuums a squirrel into a Ulysses 2000X vacuum cleaner, Flora resuscitates him into a “changed squirrel,” able to lift the 2000X with a single paw. Immediately assuming he’s a superhero, Flora names the squirrel “Ulysses” and believes together they will “[shed] light into the darkest corners of the universe.” Able to understand Flora, type, compose poetry and fly, the transformed Ulysses indeed exhibits superpowers, but he confronts his “arch-nemesis" when Flora’s mother tries to terminate him, triggering a chain of events where Ulysses becomes a real superhero. The very witty text and droll, comic-book–style black-and-white illustrations perfectly relay the all-too-hilarious adventures of Flora, Ulysses and a cast of eccentric characters who learn to believe in the impossible and have “capacious” hearts.
Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6040-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
A deeply satisfying, page-turning, genre-defying read.
A restless, adventure-seeking tween finds herself in a special library.
Eleven-year-old Delilah “Dally” Peteharrington is struggling with the death of her grandfather and the loss of the love, acceptance, and excitement he brought to her life. Her mother grieves by becoming more rigid, insisting on lessons to prepare Dally to take over the family business. After her mother refuses to allow her to join an after-school club, Dally steals an envelope Grandpa left her, which her mom has insisted on locking away until she’s come of age. Inside, she finds a mysterious map that leads her to a library full of books that are portals to the past. From them, Dally learns things her mother refuses to talk about and has adventures she never could have imagined, including going on a pirate ship. Dally is biracial; her mom is white, but Dally knows little about her deceased Black father, and the more she learns about both sides of her family, the more intrigued she becomes. It becomes clear that her destiny is greater than simply assuming the place her mother is preparing her for. Multiple award-winner Magoon has crafted an engrossing story that skillfully combines a coming-of-age story with fantasy and historical fiction. Dally is an irresistible protagonist, full of curiosity and longing for the joy she experienced with her grandfather. The lively, well-written narrative contains many surprises, pulling readers into Dally’s life and the incredible choices she must make.
A deeply satisfying, page-turning, genre-defying read. (Time-travel fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781536230888
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
A road trip to remember.
Using the Negro Travelers’ Green Book and her hidden past as a road map, a grandma takes her grandson on a cross country journey.
When G’ma pulls up to William “Scoob” Lamar’s house in a brand-new Winnebago and invites him on an adventure, Scoob leaves a note for his dad and jumps in. Despite not knowing where they are going, or why G’ma has traded in her Mini Cooper and house for the RV, Scoob is a willing wingman because he wants to save spring break and escape his strict single dad for a few days. Readers will appreciate the bond between Scoob and G’ma; Stone balances fun with emotion for a compelling read. After they cross from Georgia to Alabama and G’ma keeps avoiding Dad’s calls, Scoob begins to get suspicious. When G’ma lets him see the contents of her once off-limits treasure box, which includes a 1963 edition of the Travelers’ Green Book, Scoob understands this trip means much more than even he imagined. The complex role race plays in their family and on this trip—Scoob is mixed-race and presents black, and G’ma is white—is explored in a meaningful way that provides details about a period in time as well as present-day realities. Rich in history, Stone’s middle-grade debut entertains and informs young readers. The subdued ending may frustrate, but the journey, punctuated by Anyabwile’s grayscale cartoons, is well worth it.
A road trip to remember. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9297-3
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
