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

Product Information

Slowly a trust developed... she let me into her secret world... she taught me what could be termed a type of octopus language... she taught me about my own humanity and our connection to nature." Here, DARWIN'S DRAGONS author Lindsay Galvin explores what writing and publishing a novel in a global pandemic is all about. Over to you Lindsay ... Set in the Victorian times, this middle-grade book is about a girl's new life in Brighton and her connection with an octopus at the local attraction. But she isn't hearing anything from her Mother, then a letter arrives, but so does Mr Jeddars. Who is he really? Why is he looking for her Mother?

From the bestselling author of Darwin's Dragons comes a high-stakes aquatic adventure, perfect for fans of The Murderer's Ape! England, 1893, and aquarium fever is at its height. Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris. The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. 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 ... The book also shines a spotlight on the terrible working conditions of industrial Victorian Britain, particularly in regard to child labour. In a series of dark scenes, we witness the true cost of high fashion.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! Thompson, Anne (26 October 2020). " 'Crip Camp,' 'Gunda,' and 'Mr. Soul!' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations". IndieWire . Retrieved 26 January 2021. 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. Decades ago, as a child, I read a book about a guy who befriends an octopus, becoming aware of its intelligence and curiosity and then having to live through the drama of his friend dying. My Octopus Teacher is basically the same thing, only it's a documentary. Octopi are marvelous creatures, both in their weird biology and their incredible intelligence. Numerous anecdotes have them use tools, enjoy beauty and create artistic work, be able to personally connect to the people they encounter. That is amazing from a completely non social creature that can rarely live more than a year. In terms of intelligence, no animal or man comes close in that small time span. Neglia, Matt (18 January 2021). "The 2020 Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture . Retrieved 26 January 2021.

Giardina, Carolyn (11 March 2021). " 'Minari,' 'Trial of the Chicago 7' Among American Cinema Editors' Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 11 March 2021. The characters are full of depth – such as Vinnie, a budding illustrator and Charlie, a hopeful journalist. All the characters show a lot of growth through the book, which is lovely to read. The detail in the story really captures the essence of Victorian England and it is full of wonderful octopus facts! I may be biased but Ghost is my favourite character for sure! My Friend the Octopus is one of the best books I’ve read all year and I wholeheartedly recommend it.Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris.

My Friend the Octopus is children’s historical fiction at its best. Lindsay Galvin brilliantly evokes the Victorian era, encompassing fashion, leisure activities, attitudes to women, and the disparity between rich and poor. Victorian Brighton comes alive with its bathing huts, the aquarium, and Italian ice cream served in shells. The book is beautiful in the first instance with wonderful illustrations at the start of each chapter. Child labour during Victorian times is something children are regularly taught about, but which often focuses on chimney sweeps or factory workers. By introducing the girls caught in the fashion trade, Lindsay Galvin exposes the cruel conditions endured and the consequences of fulfilling the caprices for a certain style or trend. Parallels can be drawn with today’s ‘fast fashion’ and the exploitation of cheap labour to meet this demand.The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. 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. A gripping Victorian mystery with a touching connection between a young girl and an octopus at its heart, My Friend the Octopus effortlessly blends exciting adventure with a rip-roaring historical mystery and non-fiction elements.

Cinema Eye Unveils Full Slate of Nominees for 14th Annual Nonfiction Honors". Cinema Eye Honors. 10 December 2020 . Retrieved 26 January 2021. But these are just facts. The documentary is a personal account from a guy who by chance became fascinated with such a creature and spent a year diving underwater without a wetsuit or an oxygen tank and studying it, earning its trust and caring about it. You can see, in his narration, how difficult it was to just keep the distance necessary to observe the life of the octopus and not become part of it. There are scenes when the creature jumps on his hand and then explores his chest, cradling to it and accepting warmth and petting. It is that personal approach to the documentary which makes is so powerful. Such an adorable story, with some intriguing plot twists sprinkled in. The bond between Lavinia and the octopus is the sweetest thing.💕 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. The characters are believable and likeable (apart from the villainous ones!) with great descriptions - loved the bakery / tea room elementMy Octopus Teacher' Stuns Audiences, Reinforces Power of Nature". EcoWatch. 24 September 2020 . Retrieved 19 November 2020. The release of MY FRIEND THE OCTOPUS is just around the corner ... and to celebrate, we caught up bestselling author Lindsay Galvin to get the low-down on all things 'octopus'! If you're interested in finding out all about how Vinnie Fyfe and her octopus friend came to be, keep on reading ... My Friend The Octopus is set during the 1800s, which is a time period I generally find quite fascinating. However, apart from the constant use of the term ‘devil-fish’ to describe the octopus, and the awful working conditions of the young girls who made Paris Green fabrics, I struggled to find a great deal of history in this historical fiction. At points, I completely forgot I was reading a historical fiction at all. Although, I do admire the author’s attempt at bringing a more unknown side of history to her young readers, what with the heavy focus on Henry Lee’s book and on understanding the octopus. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that the historical context was woven into the book well enough, and as a result I doubt I have learned any facts that will stay in my memory for more than a few days. Erik Pederson (1 March 2021). "Sound Editors Nominate 'Wonder Woman', 'Sound Of Metal', 'Tenet' & Others For Golden Reel Awards – Full List". Deadline. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved 1 March 2021. Octopus Teacher' Lets Filmmaker Into Secret World". Voice of America – English. 9 September 2020 . Retrieved 17 October 2020.