The Benefits of Being an Octopus

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade contemporary coming-of-age
• Originally Published: 2018
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 770L; grades 5-8
• Structure/Length: 28 chapters; approx. 312 pages; approx. 7 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Seventh-grader Zoey, who identifies with the unique traits of octopuses, lives in a trailer and devotes much of her time to caring for her family’s small children. When she joins the debate club, she develops critical thinking skills that she can apply to help herself, her family, and her friends.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Domestic abuse; gun violence

Ann Braden, Author

• Bio: Lives in Vermont with her husband, children, and rescue cats; was a middle school teacher before becoming a writer; wrote her first novel (unpublished) while her son was an infant; after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, founded GunSenseVT to advocate for gun violence prevention; discovered strength and courage while working as an organizer; founded the Local Love Brigade to send caring postcards to people who face hate
• Other Works: Flight of the Puffin (2021); Opinions and Opossums (2023)
• Awards: National Public Radio Best Book (2018); Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year (2019)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Effects of Socioeconomic Class on Self-Esteem
• Fair Versus Unfair Debate Tactics
• Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America