"Used to be
I loved learning about
new places
new ideas
new ways of living in the world
I never imagined.
Now
a sadness I cannot explain
drifts around the edges of my room
like a dark ghost.
Now
my heart hammers in my chest
like I'm running as fast as I can."
One of the best diversity and inclusion strands in children's and YA fiction is the inclusion of protagonists with mental illnesses. In a society that vaccilates between denial and disgust concerning neurodivergent kids and teens Bobbie Pyron's Octopus Moon is a breath of fresh air.
Pearl, Pyron's protagonist, loves spending time at the Gulfarium where her mother works. Her favorite of the sea creatures housed there is Noah, a loggerhead turtle, a creature who glides majestically through the water and can pull his head into his shell when life gets scary...
...but, starting fifth grade, she feels more like an octopus 🐙. With touch receptors all over their body they feel everything. There's so much to get used to: lockers with hard to remember combinations, changing classrooms, having different teachers for different subjects...
...not having her best friends in any of her classes...
...Her best friends, Rosie and Mia, seem to be making the transition effortlessly, thrilled by the opportunities to join clubs and try out for teams. But everything has become exponentially harder for Pearl, even keeping up with homework. She's finding it harder to sleep, finding reasons to bow out when her friends invite her to do something, hearing a very critical voice in her head.
"Like Pearl, I've struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a child. Back in the sixties, no one talked about mental illness, especially not in children. My family and teachers labeled me as overly sensitive, moody, shy.
I tried to pretend I was like everyone else--happy, confident, carefree. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I cannot begin to tell you how alone I felt, like I was always on the outside looking in."
No wonder Octopus Moon has such a ring of authenticity!
Pyron's choice of free verse to convey her narrative is genius. It enables Pearl to come fully alive. And its multi sensory descriptions are highly evocative and engaging. In my favorite Pearl describes her grandfather teaching her how to float.
"Arms stretched wide
lying flat on my back looking up
at the blue, blue sky.
Warm seawater touches
Every inch that is me.
Granddaddy's hands,
rough from gripping wrenches, twisting screwdrivers,
mending engines, replacing brakes,
hold me up, hold me steady."
On a purrrsonal note it's a grey, 🌧 Monday. Eugene, who has the day off, is industriously deep cleaning the living room. I'm trying to catch up with everything I neglected while we prepared for and conducted Clean Sweep. I have a long to do list I won't get to half of. Can you relate? I am SO GLAD the weather was purrrfect--sunny and breezy--yesterday. Amber and Brian hosted a family cookout. Brian, who always remembers my dietary restrictions, grilled the most delicious veggie kebabs. It was just so wonderful being together. Of course I took lots pictures. When my kids and Jacob took a power walk I kept up effortlessly. And Katie and Adam gave me Goodwill gift cards for Mother's Day. They know it's my favorite place to shop.
A great big shout out goes out to my family for being so fabulous and getting along so well.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
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