Octopus Moon - by Bobbie Pyron (Hardcover)

About the Book

Recently diagnosed with depression, fifth-grader Pearl struggles with self-care and self-love amidst a sea of changes.

Book Synopsis

A deeply moving middle grade novel in verse about a girl struggling with depression when she starts fifth grade amidst a sea of changes.

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.

And 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 schoolwork, laughing and skateboarding with her best friend, Rosie, running and even sleeping.

After a disastrous parent-teacher conference, her parents decide to bring Pearl to Dr. Jill, who diagnoses her with depression. At first Pearl is resistant to 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, like running, skateboarding, or walking her dog Tuck, she decides to try. 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. She discovers just like the moon is always there in the sky, even if it isn't full, she'll always be herself even when she doesn't feel whole.

In this tender novel-in-verse, critically acclaimed author Bobbie Pyron draws from her own experiences to tell the story of a brave girl learning to take care of and love herself.

Review Quotes

Praise for Octopus Moon

"This novel in verse details Pearl's depression, from initial struggles to accepting help...and the stigma around mental illness, and helps her forge a path onward...The narrative itself offers excellent coping strategies... the emphasis is on how using these skills affects her character... [and] healing...Pearl's resilience, hope, and bravery shine like her namesake."--Booklist

"Pyron...employs a raft of apt ocean similes to elucidate Pearl's depression with complexity in this perceptive, instructive, and hopeful verse novel, taking care to note that the moon is always full, even when 'we can't see that from/ down here.'"--Publishers Weekly

"Pyron artfully 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 spare verse... Pearl's relationships to the secondary characters are rich and evocative... A full-bodied and authentic exploration of living with depression."--Kirkus Reviews

"Octopus Moon shines with resilience, hope and kindness. Oh, how I wish I'd had this book when I was a kid!"--Katherine Appelgate, author of the Newbery Award winning The One and Only Ivan

"I have so many feelings about this necessary, honest, B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L book. I love Bobbie Pyron's poetry. Buy it, read it, share it!"--John Schu, librarian and author of the New York Times best-selling Louder Than Hunger

"Pyron weaves a story with heart, compassion, and authenticity. From the first page, Pearl is a character you want to hug."--Barbara O'Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish

About the Author

Bobbie Pyron has worked in libraries and bookstores in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah and has been active in local animal rescue work for many years. She's the author of A Pup Called Trouble, A Dog's Way Home, and Stay. Bobbie lives in Ashville, NC, with her husband, Todd, and their dog, Sherlock. Visit her at www.bobbiepyron.com.