FLORA AND ULYSSES

by Kate DiCamillo

Image Credit: www.goodreads.com

FLORA AND ULYSSES is a sweet story about a squirrel who is almost killed by an over powerful vacuum cleaner and a girl who is struggling with her parent divorce. Ulysses survives the act and now has super powers including the ability to us a typewriter. Ulysses uses this ability to communicate with Flora, his new owner. Flora does not get along with her mother very well and believes that she does not love her. Her mother caught Ulysses using her typewriter and now wants to kill him. Can Ulysses survive and prove his worth to Flora's parents? 

Several pages in the book include comic book style with illustrations and captions. I would recommend this book to 3rd to 6th graders who enjoy magical powers and adventure. The book also won the Newbery Medal in 2014.

SPY CAMP

by Stuart Gibbs

Image Credit: www.stuartgibbs.com

SPY CAMP is a wonderful adventurous story of a young boy who is attending spy school. Ben is great at math and science. Ben's parents and friends believe that Ben is away at science school, but is really attending spy school and summer spy camp for kids that will be future spies for the CIA. Unfortunately,  Ben has a job offer with SPYDER, who are the bad guys. Ben has a choice to make, he can accept the job offer or be killed by SPYDER. SYPDER is not your normal agency.  The group is always one step ahead of Ben and the CIA. After connecting the clues, Ben and his friends realize that the SYPDER wants more then Ben to work for them.

This book is packed with action from near bear attacks, missiles, survival of the   wilderness, and so much more. I would recommend this to any 3rd to 5th grader. This book is a little on the long side with just over 300 pages.