Name: The Benefits of Being an Octopus
ISBN: 9781432865948

Ann Braden

Seventh-grader Zoey Albro focuses on caring for three younger siblings and avoiding rich classmates at school until her fascination with octopuses gets her on the debate team and she begins to speak out.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

NPR Best Book of 2018, Bank Street List for Best Children's Books of 2019, Named to the Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher List, Maine's Student Book Award List, Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Award List, Rhode Island Middle School Book Award 2020 List, 2020 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award Nominee, 2021 South Caroline Junior Book Award Nominee, 2020-2021 Truman Award​ (Missouri) Nominee. Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they've got to do. Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there's Lenny, her mom's boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer. At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they're in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it's best if no one notices them. Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses. Unfortunately, she's not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way: her mom’s relationship with Lenny, Fuchsia's situation, and her own place in this town of people who think they're better than her. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she's ever had? This moving debut novel explores the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of one girl, living on the edges of society, trying to find her way forward.

Sarah Sammis

Thankfully for Zoey, there is a teacher at school who recognizes all the signs of a student in a bad situation and decides to use the debate club as a way into Zoey's life. It's through quiet perseverance that she's able help Zoey and her family. (It doesn't hurt any either that Zoey hears about all the terrible abusive things Lenny and his friends have to say about her, to realize she's a trustworthy friend in the form of a teacher).



666633 - marginalized home blue highway



http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...

Jessica Ford

Bec Taylor

A beautifully written story about domestic violence, gaslighting, and living in poverty. Perfect middle school, even lower grade high school. Concepts are challenging but written simply so accessible for the bottom end of MS.

Danny Glasner

Students living in poverty deserve to see themselves in books. And what a fantastic book this is! From a first time published author no less! This book is a treasure to read!

Jeni Enjaian

I absolutely loved this book and the way that debate helped Zoey so much. That's the reason that I love Youth in Government and Model UN so much. That's why I encourage the unlikely student although not in the way that Ms. Rouchambau (I don't think I spelled that right) does. 
Braden delves deep into serious issues and deals with them in a fairly realistic way. If I could give half stars, I would lower this one by half a star to 4.5 because of some of the unrealistic portrayals of the school situations. I do not think that Braden has personal experience in a school, understandable of course. 
That being said, I will definitely recommend this book to my middle schoolers.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

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