Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

on August 31, 2019

Seventh-grader Zoey has a lot on her plate. She is constantly taking care of her younger siblings, being bullied or ignored at school, and worrying about things like the power being turned off or not having enough food to eat. This novel, set in Vermont, exposes the reality of living in poverty, being both child and care giver, and simply the ups and downs of being a middle school girl. A timely tale, The Benefits of Being an Octopusblends both politics and economics in a heartwarming tale about finding one’s own voice.


10 Responses to “The Benefits of Being an Octopus”

  1. Anonymous says:

    I LOVED this book. It was Heartbreaking, Uplifting, and shockingly realistic.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I really like the benefits of being an octopus because it has a lot of action. Another thing I really like is all the drama going on at school drama and at home. Her friend’s mom’s abusive boyfriend Sketchy carl shoot the school and was abusive. And her moms Boyfriend Lenny was very mean

  3. yes says:

    Benefits of Being an Octopus is a great book because a lot of stuff happens to the main character and throughout the book. I watched her get through tough situations with her family, friends and other people in the story. Overall this is a great book and I would recommend this to people I know.

  4. carrot says:

    This is my favorite DCF book that I’ve read this year by far. It can be relatable for some kids if their parents are divorced. If it’s not relatable to you it’s still a very good read. It’s detailed and shows how the main character, Zoey, helps her mom through some hard times with her verbally abusive stepdad. It also shows the problems of today like gun violence.

  5. NunyuBeesWax says:

    The Benefits of Being an Octopus is an AMAZING book! The main character is named Zoey.
    She has a ton of responsibilities. Zoey takes care of her younger brother and sister. Zoey faces many challenges including bullies. There is a lot of tension with her mom and moms boyfriend. It takes place in Vermont which is pretty cool.

  6. Evii says:

    I really enjoyed The Benefits of Being an Octopus, I really like the setting because I live in Vermont and most of my family grew up here. I also love it because she’s around my age and I can understand what it’s like for her.

  7. PELICAN!!!!!! says:

    In this book Zoey and her mother go through so many things that many people can relate to. I enjoyed that throughout the book she had a love for octopuses and how she doesn’t have enough arms to do all of the things she needs to. I also love in the beginning how she hates talking to people and nobody likes her. Once she joins the debate club she learns how to speak her mind, which was fun to watch. I think the Benefits of Being an Octopus is a book for everyone, even people who like sci fi too. This book has so much detail and is so realistic that it sounds like it could actually happen in real life. This book also has lots of exciting and funny moments. If you read this book I think you will enjoy it.

  8. NACHO CHEESE says:

    I thought The Benefits of Being an Octopus was really good. The book tells the story of a girl named Zoey who lives with her mom, brother, sister and her mom’s jerky boyfriend. Read this book to see if Zoey will overcome her mom ́s boyfriend.

  9. Gavin says:

    This was well written story, and I can more or so agree with everything that’s happening to her and I know what it feels like sometimes it’s not the best. This story has well built characters and the story line just hooks you, over all I think this is a great book!

  10. baty41 says:

    This is a well written story. It is very well written and the characters are built very well. I didn’t like it that much because I didn’t like the setting. It’s a good story though even though I didn’t like it. A well written realistic fiction book.

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