The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Name: The Benefits of Being an Octopus
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)
Author: Ann Braden
ISBN: 9781977343413

Author: Ann Braden

Narrator: Amy Melissa Bentley

Unabridged: 6 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/12/2019

Categories: Children's Fiction, Children's Social Themes

Synopsis

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?

About Ann Braden

Ann Braden writes books about kids struggling to find their voice amidst the realities of life. She founded GunSenseVT, a grassroots group focused on championing the common ground on the issue of guns in Vermont, which helped pass landmark gun violence prevention legislation. She also founded the Local Love Brigade, which now has chapters all over the country sending love postcards to those who are facing hate. Ann is cohost of the children's book podcast Lifelines: Books that Bridge the Divide, along with Pakistani American author Saadia Faruqi, and is a former middle school teacher. She lives in southern Vermont with her husband, two children, and two insatiable cats named Boomer and Justice.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Reading_ on January 04, 2025

"Because what's the point? Octopuses have three hearts, and all of mine have broken." This story is told from the perspective of a girl, Zoey, whose life revolves around taking care of three other younger kids at home and trying to make things less difficult for her overworked mom while she neglects......more

Goodreads review by Jane on June 30, 2024

4.5 stars for The Benefits of Being an Octopus. This is a wonderfully written story about a young girl who has learned all too young that moral decisions aren't nearly as black and white as many people wish they would be. We follow seventh-grader Zoey as she struggles to make it through each day. Bey......more

Goodreads review by 8stitches 9lives on November 05, 2018

'The Benefits of Being an Octopus' is Ann Braden's wonderful children's debut, that both taught and humbled me as an adult reader. The story is one of poverty, prejudice and the seemingly insurmountable odds that many families and children experience. It focuses on seventh grader (year eight in Engl......more

Goodreads review by Masooma on July 02, 2018

I received an ARC of this book from Sky Pony Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you. The review for this one is long due. Basically, I finished it about ten days ago and didn’t get the time to write a review. I picked up The Benefits of Being an Octopus after I read Nina's i......more

Goodreads review by Christina on February 09, 2023

Zoey has her hands full just trying to get by, not to mention having to take care of her 3 younger siblings. The last thing she needs is to be forced into the debate club by her social studies teacher. She is quiet and shy at school, an outcast that regularly gets picked on with only one friend. So......more