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. 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.

Neglia, Matt (10 January 2021). "The 2020 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture . Retrieved 26 January 2021. LabMeCrazy! Science Film Festival". www.unav.edu/web/labmecrazy. 4 February 2021. [ permanent dead link]

The two mysteries of the story meet in a grand finale, where human characters reveal their true colours, just as Ghost is losing hers. Vinnie, who was always close to her single mother, was suddenly left in the care of her aunt when her mother had important business in Paris. She's had to adjust to the new life without being joined at the hip with her mother. Bit by bit, she becomes more independent and forms local friendships, including the octopus in the local acquarium. EarthxFilm Festival Award Winners". Earthx2020. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.

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. Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri... I also enjoyed the depictions of Mrs Fyfe (Vinnie’s mom) and Aunt Bets: two independent women who both run successful businesses and make their own way in the world, without men to support them.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] year old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris.

SA filmmaker's documentary captivates the world". Algoa FM. 22 September 2020 . Retrieved 26 December 2020.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. 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 incredible octopus, Ghost, serves as a central character, revealing its astonishing capabilities and emotional depth: it helped that I had read several octopus non-fiction texts prior to this. I felt like I already knew Ghost. The bond between Vinnie and Ghost is particularly heartwarming, drawing readers even closer to this fascinating animal. 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.

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.As with Darwin’s Dragons, the cover and inside flaps by Gordy Wright, are worth a mention and are works of art in their own right. The illustration and information is just breath-takingly displayed. 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. 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). Thompson, Anne (26 October 2020). " 'Crip Camp,' 'Gunda,' and 'Mr. Soul!' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations". IndieWire . Retrieved 26 January 2021. 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