Month: May 2023

Flora & Ulysses’ Vacuum

Note: This originally appeared on HamletHub on May 11, 2018.

“This book, more than any other that I have written, belongs to my mother. It belongs to her, in part, because of the vacuum cleaner. My mother had a tank Electrolux that she loved. And in the last year of her life, she worried (aloud and often) about what would happen to the vacuum cleaner after she was gone. I told her (again and again. And again) that I would take the vacuum cleaner, that it would be safe with me. But still, it worried her. She wanted the Electrolux to be loved, appreciated. And so I wrote a story, this story, in which a truly exceptional vacuum cleaner does a truly miraculous thing (i.e., the vacuum cleaner transforms an ordinary squirrel into a superhero).” – Kate DiCamillo, Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech

This past weekend, my husband found this amazing vintage Electrolux vacuum. Knowing I love old things, he knew I would think this is fabulous, but he didn’t expect me to start talking nonstop about a book. He showed me the vacuum, and my response was, “It’s a Flora & Ulysses vacuum!!!!” He was perplexed. It is an Electrolux vacuum. An old vacuum with those shiny letters spelling out Electrolux, and while it was cool because it is shiny and old and has a bit of a space ship feel, for me, it was a magical machine that connected me to a book.

While he saw a cool vacuum, I heard Kate DiCamillo in my mind sharing the story she shared at a recent book talk, the same one in the quote above from her Newberry Medal acceptance speech. Her mom loved her Electrolux vacuum so much that she was worried about what would happen to that vacuum when she was no longer here. And Kate DiCamillo did what she does best; she appreciated the vacuum by giving it life in “Flora & Ulysses.” The truly exceptional vacuum in her story transformed an ordinary squirrel into a superhero. What Kate DiCamillo’s mom may never have imagined is that not only Kate appreciated that vacuum but fans all over the world who love that book, who love Flora and Ulysses, secretly wonder if their vacuum is as magical. Once you read “Flora & Ulysses” you will never looked at an Electrolux vacuum or a squirrel without wondering if each vacuum might have the potential to turn a squirrel into a superhero and each squirrel might have the potential to be one.

So many times in this column, I mention my desire to climb inside the pages of the books I love. I never imagined the stories climbing out of the pages and into my world, but I realized as I looked at this vacuum that sometimes the worlds overlap. While I can’t officially move into a book, and they can’t officially climb out of the pages into mine,  this “truly exceptional vacuum cleaner does a truly miraculous thing”…it brought Flora and Ulysses into my world. While I never knew Kate DiCamillo’s mom, I appreciate that amazing vacuum (and I really appreciate that Kate’s words taught me to see the magic in something simple right in front of me).

If my children are reading this and grow up to write like Kate, please, please honor my vintage aluminum Christmas tree in a book somehow!

My First Library Card

I went to preschool in our local library. Yes, there was an actual preschool downstairs in the library. Although I was only three or four, I distinctly remember climbing the stairs up to the children’s section. I loved when we visited the children’s room. I can still remember exactly what it looked like. I remember how the sun shone in through the giant windows. I remember wandering through the shelves of books. I thought it was the most magical place.

My preschool class would visit the library for a special story time. Those were my favorite days. I couldn’t wait to hear what book would be read on each visit.

I was thrilled when I was old enough to get my own library card. To me, that library card was a key that opened the door to hundreds of different worlds. I could pick any book that I wanted. I could bring home picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, fiction. Anything my heart desired.

My mom recently found my first library card. It’s not the credit card computer scannable library card like the ones we have today. It is paper and has a little metal bar on it. It’s from the days of card catalogs and manually stamped book check out cards. It isn’t fancy but to me it’s still incredibly special.

The thing I loved about the library as a child was being able to pick whatever books I wanted and as many as I wanted (within reason). I felt so grown up when I held that library card. When my children were younger, the thing I loved about taking them to the library was seeing the books they chose. Being able to give them that opportunity to pick whichever and however many books they want gives them such a feeling of empowerment. A library card is so much more than simply a card to borrow books. It is most certainly a key into new worlds. It’s a ticket to travel to visit old friends. It’s a way to explore new places. It’s a passport to other lands.