Flora and Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo
Flora and Ulysses
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Illuminated Adventures
by Kate DiCamillo
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
The whir of the vacuum cleaner stops suddenly, leaving behind a tiny, trembling squirrel. Flora’s fingers tingle as she lifts him gently, noticing something magical in his bright eyes. Suddenly, Ulysses isn’t just any squirrel—he’s a superhero with incredible strength and the power to fly, and everything is about to change.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Flora and Ulysses is a middle-grade novel about a girl who rescues a squirrel that gains superpowers after an accident. The story blends humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments, exploring themes of friendship and courage. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains light fantasy elements and gentle humor without intense conflict.
Why we rated Flora and Ulysses 11C
Flora and Ulysses is written at a Level 6 reading level across 240 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Flora and Ulysses works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Flora and Ulysses as 11C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Flora and Ulysses explores adventure, friendship, humor, animals, and superpowers — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, humor.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763676711
- Pages
- 240
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press (MA)
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction