K. G. Campbell

While Flora is busy reading comics and practicing being a cynic upstairs in her room, she happens to notice through her window that her neighbor is vacuuming her front yard, and if that isn't alarming enough, the vacuum is about to swallow a squirrel. Before she can race down to rescue the squirrel from the Ulysses super vacuum, the squirrel is consumed in one gulp. Flora's comics have taught her many things though, one of which is CPR, which she tries on the little squirrel. It works! The squirrel is born anew with superhero powers, and dubbed "Ulysses," after the super vacuum that transformed him. This 2014 Newbery Award winner is a fun read.… (more)

I found this book to be a perfect combination of silliness and odd characters with a treatise on the cynicism of young people. I found the story of a young cynic taking charge of a superhero squirrel to be fresh and original. While the author is not very subtle about giving Flora reasons to hope and to love, I cannot help but leave this book feeling wonderful. I especially loved the strange old woman who clearly acts the part of sage. This book has sweet illustrations that drew my five year old in, we read the book in two days. One of my favorite Newbery winners.… (more)