{"product_id":"octopus-moon-isbn-9780593616314","title":"Octopus Moon","description":"\u003cb\u003eA deeply moving middle grade novel in verse about a girl struggling with depression as she starts fifth grade amid a sea of changes. Now in paperback.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTen-year-old Pearl loves watching the majestic loggerhead turtles and octopuses glide through the water at the aquarium. Pearl finds it especially easy to identify with the octopuses, who have millions of touch receptors all over their bodies. They feel everything. Sometimes Pearl wishes she was more like a turtle, with a hard outer shell—it hurts too much to feel everything. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd the changes at the start of fifth grade don’t feel good to Pearl at all. New teachers, lockers, and being in different classes than her friends is unsettling. Pearl tries her best to pretend she’s fine, but she starts to struggle with things that used to come easy, like doing schoolwork; laughing and skateboarding with her best friend, Rosie; running; and even sleeping. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter a disastrous parent-teacher conference, her parents bring Pearl to Dr. Jill, who diagnoses her with depression. At first Pearl is resistant, ashamed of needing Dr. Jill’s help; she doesn’t like feeling different, but she also doesn’t want to continue feeling so bad all the time. When Dr. Jill asks Pearl to try one Impossible Thing each day, Pearl agrees. For each impossible thing she attempts, Pearl puts a bead on a string. Bead by bead, and with the support of family and friends, Pearl finds her way back to herself. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this tender novel in verse, critically acclaimed author Bobbie Pyron draws on her own childhood experience to tell the story of a brave girl learning to love herself, leaving readers with the powerful, hopeful message that the moon is always full, even if we can’t always see that.\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eOctopus Moon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Schneider Family Book Award Honor\u003cbr\u003eA 2025 \u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003eBest Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e★ “\u003cb\u003ePearl’s struggles will resonate with readers who grapple with feelings of not being enough\u003c\/b\u003e…Pearl adopts good management skills in the form of setting goals…repeating some mantras—“My family will always love me. The ocean will always be there. The moon is always full”—to assist her in moving forward in life. This is \u003cb\u003ean important purchase for all children’s and teens’ library shelves\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eOctopus Moon\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eshines with resilience\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ehope and kindness\u003c\/b\u003e. Oh, how\u003cb\u003e I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid\u003c\/b\u003e!”—Katherine Appelgate, author of the Newbery Award winning \u003ci\u003eThe One and Only Ivan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This novel in verse details Pearl's depression, from initial struggles to accepting help…and \u003cb\u003ethe stigma around mental illness\u003c\/b\u003e, and helps her forge a path onward…The narrative itself \u003cb\u003eoffers excellent coping strategies\u003c\/b\u003e… the emphasis is on how using these skills affects her character… [and] \u003cb\u003ehealing\u003c\/b\u003e...Pearl's \u003cb\u003eresilience, hope, and bravery shine\u003c\/b\u003e like her namesake.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I have so many feelings about this\u003cb\u003e necessary\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e honest\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L\u003c\/b\u003e book. I love Bobbie Pyron’s poetry. \u003cb\u003eBuy it, read it, share it!\u003c\/b\u003e\"—John Schu, librarian and author of the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e best-selling \u003ci\u003eLouder Than Hunger\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Pyron \u003cb\u003eartfully\u003c\/b\u003e presents Pearl’s navigation of her new diagnosis [depression]... The descriptions of symptoms, including physical exhaustion, provide a window into her experiences… described in the \u003cb\u003espare verse\u003c\/b\u003e… Pearl’s relationships to the secondary characters are \u003cb\u003erich and evocative\u003c\/b\u003e… A \u003cb\u003efull-bodied\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eauthentic \u003c\/b\u003eexploration of living with depression.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Pyron weaves a story with \u003cb\u003eheart\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ecompassion\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003eauthenticity\u003c\/b\u003e. From the first page, \u003cb\u003ePearl is a character you want to hug\u003c\/b\u003e.”—Barbara O’Connor, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWish\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003ePyron uses metaphor gorgeously in this compelling verse novel\u003c\/b\u003e, from Pearl explaining feeling like an octopus (\u003ci\u003eThere is no barrier between what an octopus feels \/ and its world”\u003c\/i\u003e) to her older sister telling her that even when it doesn’t look like it, the moon is always full…Eschewing toxic positivity or easy fixes, [\u003ci\u003eOctopus Moon\u003c\/i\u003e]\u003cb\u003e presents the varied ways people live with mental illness\u003c\/b\u003e, in Pearl’s grandpa, who also deals with depression though he’s never named it, and in her two best friends, who both have struggling family members. \u003cb\u003eThrough it all, Pearl knows that her family loves her, the ocean will always be there, and the moon is always full\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eBCCB Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Pyron…employs \u003cb\u003ea raft of apt ocean similes\u003c\/b\u003e to elucidate Pearl’s \u003cb\u003edepression\u003c\/b\u003e with \u003cb\u003ecomplexity\u003c\/b\u003e in this \u003cb\u003eperceptive\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003einstructive\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003ehopeful verse novel\u003c\/b\u003e, taking care to note that the moon is always full, even when ‘we can’t see that from\/ down here.’”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003eBobbie Pyron is the award-winning author of the middle grade novels \u003ci\u003eA Dog’s Way Home\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Dogs of Winter\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLucky Strike\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Pup Called Trouble\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eStay\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives and plays in Mars Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and their dogs, Barney and Piper. Visit her at BobbiePyron.com.Mama says\u003cbr\u003eI can stay home from school.\u003cbr\u003eDaddy doesn’t argue,\u003cbr\u003ejust looks at me\u003cbr\u003ewith a million questions in his eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI just want to stay in my room\u003cbr\u003ewith Tuck\u003cbr\u003eall day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut no deal.\u003cbr\u003eMama says if I miss school\u003cbr\u003eI have to\u003cbr\u003eeat breakfast\u003cbr\u003emake up my bed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebrush my teeth\u003cbr\u003eput on actual clothes\u003cbr\u003eand\u003cbr\u003ego to work with her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI can’t spend the day\u003cbr\u003ewith Gram because Granddaddy\u003cbr\u003ehas a checkup with the doctor\u003cbr\u003eand Gram has to go with him because\u003cbr\u003eGranddaddy’s not much of a talker.\u003cbr\u003eEspecially to doctors.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI guess it could be worse.\u003cbr\u003eI love the aquarium.\u003cbr\u003eAll the different worlds.\u003cbr\u003eAlien worlds but\u003cbr\u003efamiliar as family too.\u003cbr\u003eI feel safe there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThursdays at the Gulfarium are quiet,\u003cbr\u003ewhich suits me just fine.\u003cbr\u003eMama hands me a bottle of cleaner\u003cbr\u003eand a roll of paper towels.\u003cbr\u003e“Do me a favor and clean the exhibits\u003cbr\u003ein the Caribbean section.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI clean nose- and fingerprints off\u003cbr\u003ethe glass fronts.\u003cbr\u003eToday\u003cbr\u003ethere’s a new information sign\u003cbr\u003eabove the octopuses’ tank:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOctopuses have millions of touch receptors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eall over their bodies. Just one tiny sucker on an octopus arm\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ehas tens of thousands of touch sensors!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThere is no barrier between what an octopus feels\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eand its world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I am an octopus,” I whisper.\u003cbr\u003e“There is nothing between me and the world.”\u003cbr\u003eWhere did my hard turtle shell go?\u003cbr\u003eThe one I could hide in and not feel\u003cbr\u003eEverything.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI take the back stairs down\u003cbr\u003eto the Denizens of the Deep.\u003cbr\u003eMaybe if I see Noah\u003cbr\u003ethe loggerhead turtle,\u003cbr\u003elook into his black marble eyes,\u003cbr\u003eI’ll see the old Pearl\u003cbr\u003ereflected back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI sit on a bench and watch\u003cbr\u003ethe sharks and rays and fish\u003cbr\u003ein their peaceful world.\u003cbr\u003eThen,\u003cbr\u003eout of the corner of my eye,\u003cbr\u003eI see Noah swim lazily up\u003cbr\u003efrom behind the sunken treasure chest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI tap on the glass three times.\u003cbr\u003eWith a flap of his arms\u003cbr\u003ehe comes over.\u003cbr\u003eWe are almost nose to nose.\u003cbr\u003eHe turns his broad head sideways\u003cbr\u003efor a better look.\u003cbr\u003e“What do you see?” I whisper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA stream of bubbles\u003cbr\u003erises from his nose in answer\u003cbr\u003elike a sentence I can’t read.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNoah soars to the top of the tank\u003cbr\u003eto drink in the air.\u003cbr\u003eI can see bright light\u003cbr\u003eabove the water.\u003cbr\u003eI can even see people moving around\u003cbr\u003elike silver, wavy shadows.\u003cbr\u003eBut I am down here in the dark\u003cbr\u003eseparated from all that light\u003cbr\u003eand life\u003cbr\u003eabove.","brand":"Nancy Paulsen Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233444835557,"sku":"NP9780593616314","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593616314.jpg?v=1767734001","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/octopus-moon-isbn-9780593616314","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}