Classroom Connections: Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron

age range: 10-13 years
genre / format: contemporary verse novel
Bobbie Pyron’s website

★ Pearl’s struggles will resonate with readers who grapple with feelings of not being enough…This is an important purchase for all children’s and teens’ library shelves.
—School Library Journal, starred review

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 bestselling 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

Please tell us about your book.

Octopus Moon is a novel in verse that follows the journey of ten-year-old Pearl from mental illness to healing. Pearl has always struggled with depression and anxiety. In the past, though, she’s been able to keep the “dark fog” at bay with running and spending time with her friends. But after an unsettling summer, fifth grade brings its own challenges, overwhelming Pearl. After a disastrous parent-teacher conference, Pearl begins therapy with Dr. Jill. Over the months, she comes to accept her mental illness and learns ways to navigate the stormy seas of depression.

What inspired you to write this story?

Like Pearl, I struggled with depression and anxiety as a child. Unlike Pearl, I didn’t have the resources and support to understand and navigate this insidious mental illness. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I got the help I needed. Unfortunately, there is a real lack of middle grade novels representing a kid with depression; usually, it’s a parent or other family member. I wanted to write a book that would have been reassuring to my ten-year-old self. A book in which I would have felt “seen.” At the same time, I wanted to show readers what it feels like to have depression, especially readers who don’t struggle with chronic depression. 

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research and / or share a few interesting tidbits about your writing process with this book?

Although Octopus Moon is very much based on my experience with depression, I still needed to make sure I was representing certain aspects authentically. I was very fortunate to have input from a local child psychologist. She helped me understand family dynamics that affect a child with mental illness, and how the child’s illness affects the family. She also gave me insight into what Pearl’s therapy sessions would have looked like. She read several drafts of Octopus Moon, providing invaluable feedback!

The process of writing this book was very different than any of my other books. I had never written a novel in verse before. My book, Stay, was partially in verse but also in prose. The chapters in Stay that were in verse were a lot of fun to write. When I knew I was ready to write what would become Octopus Moon, I thought, why not write the whole thing in verse! It’ll be fun! It’ll be easy! In all honesty, it was very challenging for me. Typically, when I write a first draft of a novel, I try not to think too much. The first draft is for listening to my characters and letting the story unfold. But with verse, every word counts, every word is precious. That meant I had to think as I was writing the first draft. I had to convey in just a few precise words what I would have conveyed in a paragraph! It was hard, but I’m glad I told Pearl’s story that way.

What are some special challenges associated with fictionalizing your own story?

I think the hardest part was letting go of Octopus Moon being about me at that age. This was Pearl’s story. Yes, there are similarities—the depression, of course, her love of the ocean, her relationship with her grandfather, and her sweet beagle, Tuck. But there are also stark differences: Pearl has a supportive family, a solid group of friends, and a therapist, all things I didn’t have. Once I let go of the story being mine, I found a healing in “mothering” Pearl.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

I think Octopus Moon is a great book to use for social emotional learning. It shows the power of empathy, community, friendship, and family. It also shows the give and take of navigating friendship. I think kids who don’t struggle with mental illness will find many of Dr. Jill’s “tools” helpful in the ups and downs of their own lives. But my great good hope is that the reader who does struggle with any kind of mental health issue will feel “seen” in Pearl’s story, and feel less lonely. I also hope that readers who don’t have a mental health challenge will come to understand that chronic depression isn’t just “a bad day,” or a case of “the blues.” It’s a chronic illness just like any other chronic illness. It’s not something to be ashamed of. I I’ve always said that a good book should be a mirror and a window. I hope Octopus Moon accomplishes this.

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