2013
WISE Score
Amazon
A cynical girl, a superhero squirrel, and a vacuum cleaner accident that changes everything. It’s weird, poetic, and surprisingly deep.
4.6
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This isn't your standard talking-animal fluff. It's smart, visually engaging, and deals with real stuff like loneliness and divorce through the lens of a squirrel who writes verse.
It’s a Newbery winner for a reason—it’s actually good. If you have a kid who thinks they're 'too cool' for kids' books, give them this. The quirky humor and graphic novel elements usually win over even the most dedicated skeptics.
Perfect for the 8-12 crowd. It hits that sweet spot where kids are starting to notice the world is complicated but still want to believe in a little bit of magic.
It handles heavy themes like divorce and loneliness with a light, quirky touch. It models how to move from cynicism to hope without being preachy or fake.
A squirrel that types poetry and flies is peak imagination. The hybrid format—mixing traditional prose with comic book sequences—is brilliantly executed.
Extremely safe. Beyond a squirrel getting sucked into a vacuum (he's fine) and some standard middle-grade family tension, there is nothing to worry about here.
Kate DiCamillo doesn't use 'baby' words. It's linguistically rich and explores deep philosophical questions about what it means to be a hero and a friend.
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