The Benefits of Being an Octopus

“When Bryce was a tantrumming toddler and Aurora was a baby, we moved four times over the course of that year. But the one constant was this little TV/DVD combo that we toted around with us and an old DVD from the library free shelf: The Mysterious and Fascinating World of the Octopus. That DVD would send Bryce into an instant trance, and we watched it so often that I happily memorized every word of it.”

This is the story’s first mention of the octopus. Zoey expresses its deep importance as not just her favorite animal but a part of her family. The uncertainty of Zoey’s living situation and Bryce’s erratic moods are constant pressure points in her life, and the octopus grounds them both. This passage sets the tone for the octopus as a focal point of strength to which Zoey returns in difficult moments.

“[A]ctually, ‘octopuses’ is correct. You don’t have to say ‘octopi’ if you don’t want to.”

This oft-cited passage is an example of Zoey asserting her knowledge despite popular beliefs. The plural form “octopi” uses the Latin plural ending -i for singular masculine words of Latin origin, like alumnus/alumni. This older formation of the plural for octopus isn’t wrong, and some might consider it a higher or more educated style, but this isn’t necessarily true. As octopus is a commonly used English word—unlike alumnus, which is used in a specialized educational context—it’s appropriate to form the plural for octopus as octopuses, using the English -es plural ending. This passage exemplifies the theme that in education—and in life—there’s often more than one right answer.