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Table of Contents
About The Book
Odder meets Growing Home in this beautiful, illustrated middle grade novel in verse about an octopus named Houdini, her unexpected friendship with the aquarium owner’s daughter, and her deep yearning to return to the sea.
All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.
Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.
Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.
But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?
All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.
Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.
Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.
But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?
About The Author
No photo credit
Zana Fraillon (she/they) is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her work has been published in over fifteen countries and is in development for both stage and screen. She has a doctorate in creative writing and degrees in history and teaching. Zana’s passion for empowering young people to find their voice is a feature of both her books and her work with writers of all ages.
About The Illustrator
Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of numerous picture books, including the New York Times bestselling My Heart, the “sublime” (The Wall Street Journal) The Book of Mistakes, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selection ABC and You and Me, and NCTE Notable Poetry Book The Tree in Me. She also illustrated Patchwork by Matt de la Peña, a New York Times and Kirkus Reviews Best of the Year. Corinna lives in Washington near the Salish Sea, where she likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. You can see more of her work at CorinnaLuyken.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (October 20, 2026)
- Length: 160 pages
- ISBN13: 9798347114757
- Ages: 8 - 12
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High Resolution Images
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Book Cover Image (jpg): An Octopus Named Houdini
Hardcover 9798347114757
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Author Photo (jpg): Zana Fraillon No photo credit(0.1 MB)
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