My Friend the Octopus: from the author of Darwin's Dragons

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For those who know nothing about your upcoming adventure, how would you describe My Friend the Octopus ? EarthxFilm Festival Award Winners". Earthx2020. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021 . Retrieved 19 October 2020. I would love to read this book aloud to a group of children and it also lends itself well to a topic about the Victorian era, which it captures so well. Hopefully this is destined to become a classic. At the heart of the book is the friendship between Vinnie, Charlie and Temitayo. I loved all three children – their resourcefulness, loyalty and strong sense of right and wrong. I particularly liked Temitayo’s ambition and her commitment to carving out her own path in life and not just accepting the staid and restrictive future that others had planned for her.

Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... I’d seen the ‘this book in three words’ section on the blurbs of children’s books before, and I previously found they did not disappoint. However, I am sorry to say, this book is neither ‘mysterious’ nor is it particularly ‘gripping’ - the first time I have not agreed with the three-word book descriptions. My Friend The Octopus is fairly sweet, and reasonably charming for small children, though it does not fulfil its purpose in acting as a historical mystery. If My Friend The Octopus had been classed simply as a story of friendship rather than something to solve, I would have found it much easier to enjoy. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have... Lindsay Galvin's previous book, Darwin's Dragons, was also set in the past and became a word-of-mouth hit. I think My Friend the Octopus is even better than that, combining historical facts with interesting information about sea creatures and tying it all together in a good old-fashioned mystery. The story is exciting and gripping and I found I learnt a lot, knowing nothing at all about the giant octopus before reading this. The story is not predictable at all, in fact it quite boldly and unusually shows a leading character in a very poor light and the villain is truly villainous and quite scary.

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Vinnie is drawn into a world revolving around cloth that she finds out is not so nice and genteel. However, a mysterious person posts reports in the papers with her drawings before Charlie can. Reports that no one else should know about, pictures no one else can have seen. Who is the mysterious writer? The second middle-grade historical adventure by critically acclaimed Lindsay Galvin, author of Darwin's Dragons, this is a gripping Victorian mystery with a touching connection between a young girl and an octopus at its heart. It includes strong STEM and natural history themes with an underwater twist!

Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... When her mother, a successful milliner, suddenly whisks Vinnie away from everything she knows in London to live in Brighton with her Aunt Bets, her world is turned upside down. The two have never been separated yet now her mother has travelled to Paris on business, leaving Vinnie to a very different life with far more freedom and many new experiences. Vinnie is particularly drawn to the aquarium where she is enchanted by the newest acquisition, a ‘rare gargantuan devil-fish’- a giant octopus. Through observation and patience, Vinnie gradually comes to know this creature, using her sketching skills to capture her unusual friend.

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Foster was also a producer via his involvement with the Sea Change Project, [12] and his wife, Indian environmental journalist Swati Thiyagarajan, was production manager for the film. [13] The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. Neglia, Matt (18 January 2021). "The 2020 Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture . Retrieved 26 January 2021. The (K)helpful forests of South Africa". CapeNature. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021 . Retrieved 19 November 2020.

The octopus becomes a character and the special bond with the protagonist is touchingly credible. I was also touched by the way the two maternal figures contrast, and their impact on young Vinnie. Social issues are highlighted, such as the plight of poor children in a world where profit ruled over their welfare, trapping them into a system; however, attitudes were slowly changing. Of all the characters in the book, Vinnie’s character arc is particularly satisfying. She develops from a timid young girl, who has had a very sheltered and controlled upbringing, into someone who is daring and self-confident, able to make her own choices and pursue her own interests. There is something about Octopuses that makes The Husband and I absolutely adore them (it probably Cthulhu and Kraken related). So when I saw this cover in the middle grade section and saw it was set in Victorian England, I obviously had to get it. Foster describes the effect of this mentorship-like relationship the octopus provided him, teaching him a lesson on the fragility of life and humanity's connection with nature. [8] This transfers to Foster creating a deeper bond with his son, Tom Foster, as his son develops as a diver and marine biology student.Vinnie's clothes aren't really suitable for cooking, riding her Aunt's bicycle or wandering around an aquarium and her mother certainly wouldn't approve of swimming. She makes friends with Charlie (wannabe reporter) and Temitayo (the ward of an English gent who lives with a lady in Brighton). Our heroine learns so much about the octopus I couldn't help but think about three other middle grade books where the main character connects with sea creatures. The Line Tender is about sharks, Song for a Whale is about whales, and The Thing About Jellyfish Pederson, Erik (2 March 2021). "CAS Awards Nominations: 'Trial Of The Chicago 7', 'Sound Of Metal' & 'Mank' Among Pics Vying For Sound Mixing Trophies". Deadline . Retrieved 4 March 2021. What makes this story great is that is has an intriguing plot but also interesting characters that grow a lot throughout the story. Vinnie realises she has had a very sheltered life. Before this she has never been alone. She has never had to do her hair herself, go to the shop, make any decisions, know what she likes... her mother did everything for her. Through the book she comes to realise that the way she lives isn't normal, and that her mother isn't as holly as she was lead to believe. She has to make several difficult decisions, between what is right and between the promises she has made/people she loves. It makes Vinnie a very interesting and real character to follow.

When she is not writing, she can be found reading, running or practicing yoga. She has a degree in English Language and Literature, is fascinated by psychology and the natural world, and teaches Science. Lindsay hadn’t written creatively since childhood until the idea for her debut novel The Secret Deepsplashed into her mind, and she now she’s hooked. Running throughout the book is the mystery surrounding Mrs Fyfe’s disappearance. I enjoyed this aspect of the plot very much. Mr Jedders is a wonderfully sinister villain. And the plot twists relating to this part of the story were unexpected and brilliant.She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – discovers what true courage really means ...