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The Thing About Jellyfish
The Thing About Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant New York Times bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist! After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting-things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
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WildAlaskaBibliophile
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1. As many languages as possible!
2. The tagged book.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

@mcipher @tiedyedude

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 4mo
19 likes1 comment
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Mdion1993
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Pickpick

A moving story of a 12 year old girl trying to find meaning in the unexpected death of her best friend.

Friendship ✨ Loss ✨ Loneliness

For fans of Eight Grade (the movie)

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shellleigh33
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So back to the drawing board I went and here are the new winners (presented by my sweet girl, Willow). Let me know what your thoughts are @BennettBookworm @Kayla.Adriena @LiteraryinLawrence #LMPBC #Groupk

See All 12 Comments
Kayla.Adriena I've been wanting to read the Reckless Oath We made so that would be my top pick, however I have not read any of these and have no problem with any of the picks . 😸 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Great choices! I‘m fine with any of them but the ones that stand out to me are Britt Marie, Jellyfish, and Forest. 2y
BennettBookworm Wonderful! Yes I also vote for Britt Marie or Jellyfish but I‘m good with any of them! 2y
shellleigh33 After much debate, I think I‘m gonna go with Britt Marie if that is okay with everyone. @Kayla.Adriena @BennettBookworm @LiteraryinLawrence 2y
Kayla.Adriena Sounds good to me! 2y
BennettBookworm So excited! 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Awesome! 2y
26 likes12 comments
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Deblovestoread
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@LibrarianRyan @BrittanyReads @cwarnier So I have to start off with an apology I saw Middle Grade and got all excited. Didn‘t pick up on the graphic novel part until tonight. So I only have the one. I just got the other 3 for BBRC prompts. Do any of these look good to you? If not, I can throw out more titles.

LibrarianRyan I have have read so many Letters About Lit about cactus that I think it‘s time I read it. 3y
LibrarianRyan I‘ve read March. It‘s excellent. 3y
brittanyreads I'll second the Cactus. I've never heard of it, but the summary sounds fascinating! 3y
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mandarchy I read cactus and gave it 4 starts on goodreads. I only gave 3 stars to jellyfish. 3y
cwarnier My first reaction is Cactus
3y
44 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Abbyleer

“There are so many things to be scared of in this world: blooms of jellies. A sixth extinction. A middle school dance. But maybe we can stop feeling so afraid. Maybe instead of feeling like a mote of dust, we can remember that all the creatures on this Earth are made from stardust.”

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Abbyleer
Pickpick

I personally loved this book! The thing about jellyfish is one of my favourite books because I enjoyed the facts about jellyfish and I think that they are fascinating creatures. The storyline is about Suzy trying to figure out how her best friend died. Overall, this book one of my favourite picks.

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PrinceNatilus
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Pickpick

What a gorgeous book. It is junior fiction, so it is an easy read. I felt that the author really kept the innocence and naivety of the main character. The young girl has lost her friend to a drowning accident and convinces herself that the Japanese man o' war is responsible. With complex emotions and a childlike lens, the author explores guilt and grief in a beautiful way. 100% recommend.

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shellleigh33
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Here are my choices for #GroupO #LMPBC. Let me know if anything stands out in particular or if you have read any on these. @LiteraryinLititz @BennettBookworm @sharread I will tag each book ⬇️ so you can check each one out.

See All 7 Comments
LiteraryinLawrence I love your choices and I haven't read any of them! I have been meaning to read a Katherine Center book, so my first choice is How to Walk Away. Next I'd say The Thing About Jellyfish, then right behind is This is Where I Leave You, and last is The Dream Daughter. Hope that helps! 3y
sharread I'm open to all of them. Haven't read one of them. 3y
BennettBookworm Hi!! I agree with the order @LiteraryinLititz said actually! They all look awesome tho! ☺️ 3y
24 likes7 comments
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Although this is a story about coping with grief, I found it hopeful. I loved Suzy‘s relationships with her parents and her science teacher.

The way kids can be cruel to each other and the reality of peer pressure are unflinchingly represented. Suzy‘s mind doesn‘t work quite the same way as other kids and that makes social cues hard for her.

The way she thinks is brilliant though. What a great representation of a kid‘s brain ticking.

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Soubhiville
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“Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can‘t even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are.”

When you are 12, how do you deal with losing your best friend? Grief is the thing with feathers- but in this book it‘s the thing with tentacles.

Texreader Such a good quote. 4y
57 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Eggs
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Pickpick

Lovely afternoon read!
Thanks @AmyG ❤️❤️

@TheAromaofBooks Sarah I had to substitute this tbr for the previously drawn book as I lent it out. Hope that‘s ok.
#bookspin
#doublebookspin

TheAromaofBooks Works for me!!! 4y
TheAromaofBooks (I've said it before - lawless challenge 😂) 4y
AmyG I‘m happy you enjoyed this, too! 😘 4y
87 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Eggs
Thing about Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
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“A jellyfish, if you watch it long enough, begins to look like a heart beating, a ghost heart you can see right through right into some other world where everything you ever lost has gone to hide”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

ShyBookOwl Captivating opener. I'm stacking this! 4y
Eggs @ShyBookOwl 👏🏻❤️ 4y
56 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Jen2
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Pickpick

Lovely story!

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Jen2
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Wow, what a powerful statement.

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Eggs
Thing about Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
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☃️ tagged

☃️ Words on Fire-Jennifer Nielsen

☃️ shown above

#weekendreads
@rachelsbrittain

mom2bugnbee Oh, go read Echo! So good! 4y
Eggs Thanks for the cheering-on! @mom2bugnbee 4y
43 likes2 comments
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AmyG
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Volunteering at the hospital gift shop and reading this while things are quiet!

kstadt929 What an intriguing cover! Hopefully I‘ll catch your review when you‘re done! 4y
AmyG I will let you know how it is @kstadt929 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😍😍😍 4y
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rcoz
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Pickpick

This book honestly took me on an emotional roller coaster. I was able to feel the characters feeling. The book was so well written in my opinion, that I could clearly imagine everything happen as the story was told. This book was also about a character around the same age range as I, so I could relate to it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something to read that will leave them spinning with questions you are happy to not answer.

Rachel.Rencher Welcome to Litsy! 4y
2 likes1 comment
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abbychlosta

“It couldn't in a million years happen. But what if it could?“

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abbychlosta

I like that this book was both sort of unrelatable (the photographic memory thing), but also relatable (grieving and coping) I think it adds a great dynamic to the story.

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abbychlosta
Pickpick

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is a piece of contemporary realistic fiction. It was published in 2015. This book is about Suzy. Suzy has a very powerful brain and remembers almost everything. She got into a fight with her best friend and then her friend died. This story follows Suzy's journey with coping and grieving. I think this is relatable for children in the sense of dealing with grief and death of a friend, but maybe not the brain

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sarabellini

“I could tell you a lot about jellyfish...The whole time, from before any of those extinctions, from life's origins until this minute, jellyfish have been there, pulsing their way across the oceans and back. Jellyfish are survivors. They are survivors of everything that ever happened to everyone else.“

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sarabellini

I like how this book doesn't have a happy ending because it can allow children to see many different ways of coping with a sudden death. Suzy can't process her friends death because of the lack of closure in their friendship.

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sarabellini
Pickpick

This book is about Suzy Swanson who lives with her mother. She has always known things that others don't such as the sleep pattern of ants. She is a very smart kid who is unpopular which is very relatable to today's children due to bullying. Suzy finds out that her best friend from kindergarten drowned in the ocean on vacation. This is very hard for Suzy to process and starts doing research on jellyfish because she is denial about the death.

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AmyG
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Sweet friend. Thank you so much for thinking of me on my birthday. You are the best! Hilly approves! 😘😘😘

@JoScho

JoScho I saw Soubhi gave you the same one. Just pass it along to someone that would like it 😊 💙 4y
AmyG I am going to give one to my daughter. We will read it together as it looks like a book she would really like. Again....thank you so much, sweetheart. 😘 4y
kspenmoll Happy birthday!!!🎂🎉🎊 And hello to cutie cat! 4y
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AmyG @kspenmoll Thank you! Will do. 😻 4y
AmyRebecca Birthday goodness!🎁🌈 4y
AmyG @AmyRebecca 🙌🏻❤️ 4y
brit91 😻😻😻😻 4y
89 likes7 comments
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AmyG
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@Soubhiville My fabulous friend- thank you so much for my birthday treats. The mug is lovely and BIG- and I drink a LOT of coffee. The book looks great, kitty note cards and cute little pad (going in my purse).
It was so kind and sweet of you to remember my birthday. 😘

Holding the #Litsylove pkg until November.

TrishB Lovely 💕 4y
Soubhiville Yay! I‘m glad it arrived ok. Happy Birthday 💕. Enjoy! 4y
AmyG Thank you again. 😘 4y
Texreader Those cat cards! ❤️ 4y
AmyG @Texreader Right? They are so cute. 4y
79 likes5 comments
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MelKelsey
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Mehso-so

Read this book as a family and wanted to love it, but it was lacking. The protaganist is annoying and not dynamic.The chapters of the main character talking to her dead best friend were weird. The story is building up to this big event and resolution that suddenly is switched in the end.The best part of the book is all of the facts about jellyfish! It didn't surprise me to read that the author originally wrote this as a nonfiction piece.

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Mort
Pickpick

Loved this book on so many levels!

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crhealey
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“Ms? I don‘t have a book to read today.”

Lucky for you I come prepared. #allofthesewereinmybag #stacksonstacks #riotgrams #teachersoflitsy

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Johanna414
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Pickpick

Note to self: Stop reading sad books in the faculty room... it‘s always awkward when other teachers find you crying!

Even though this book basically crushed me, I can see why so many of my students loved it. It really is a beautifully written story!

TheBookKeepers I have this on my summer TBR shelf! I‘m going to have to start it soon 5y
38 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Johanna414
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May has been the month of doctor visits... first Nina got cleaning product in her eyes and we were going to specialists to make sure they weren‘t damaged (she‘s fine), then We found out Lane needs to have surgery to remove a small mass in his ear, and today I learned that my thyroid is barely functioning... guess that explains the exhaustion! 🤦‍♀️
Anyways, I started this at the doctors office today and it made me cry in the first 50 pages.

Tamra That‘s a lot going on! 5y
Soubhiville That does sound like a lot. Hugs 💕 5y
CouronneDhiver Oh dear... that‘s a lot on your shoulders. I hope you find some rest with your books and Litsy family 😘😘 5y
40 likes3 comments
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Zmohammad
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Pickpick

This RF, is a New York Times Best Seller, and it is about a girl who has Autism. Her best friend gets stung by a jellyfish and dies. She goes through a whirlwind of emotions to get the answers she is searching for. This book can be used in the classroom as a LC so that students can discuss and engage with each other #LAE3414sp19

SofiaRoselli This seems like such a great emotional book. Students would benefit greatly from reading books from children with autisms‘ perspective. I definitely have to read this! 5y
Zmohammad The UDL strategy 3.2 highlighting patterns and bi ideas would be great for this because you can discuss the different story aspects while you read. ESOL strategy 2 promoting cooperation aligns perfectly with this by incorporating it into a small group. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:the%20thing%20about%20jellyfis... this website provides excellent lesson plans on a novel study with students to complete in small groups. 5y
ally11301 This book seems so emotional but such a good read! Love it. Great job on picking this book. I would love to read this one soon! 5y
Kcallihan This book looks super cute and interesting!! You did a great job and successfully aligned your strategies! 5y
3 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Booksnob
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This book is so good and I‘m learning a ton of facts about jellyfish, so much so that I‘m going to be afraid of swimming in the ocean when I‘m in Thailand this summer. 1 in 46 people have been stung by a jellyfish. Have you?

18 likes2 stack adds
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glitterkitty459
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#marchstats #monthlywrapup #marchreads
I didn't read any comics this month 😱 I used my #Hoopla loans for some great #womenhistorymonth books
Only 4 physical books this month, and 4 audiobooks.
Can't even pick a favorite!! ❣️
(The tagged book didn't fit in collage)

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Wow, great job! 📖💖 5y
104 likes1 comment
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Peddler410
Thing about Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
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Pickpick

Lovely! Sad but lovely. I enjoyed the author‘s use of — rememberings? I found myself genuinely liking Suzy. I saw a bit of myself in her — middle school was hard and I never seemed to know what the right thing to do/say was.

#2019middlegrade
#huggable

Now to wait for the movie.

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Peddler410
Thing about Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
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I just learned this is becoming a movie.
Any Stranger Things fans here? Millie Bobby Brown is starring...
Reading this for the first time, I can‘t get the image of her out of my head — hence why I always read the book first. That said, I think she will be great in the role of Suzanne 😊

Sorry if I spoiled it for anyone else 😬🤦🏻‍♀️

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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

I‘m not crying, you‘re crying. 🥺

This is a sweet, sad little middle-grade that I gifted to my daughter for Christmas a few years ago. She loved it, but I just now got around to it. A clever story about dealing with grief and about being different—this was a quick read and I only teared up a few times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TieDyeDude Agreed. I read this in one day, very well done 5y
115 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Tanzy13
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TieDyeDude I really enjoyed this book! Great quote 5y
DimeryRene @Halecide47 This sounds like a book we need to read! ✨ 5y
Halecide47 @DimeryRene omg this looks lovely!!! 🌊 5y
55 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Bibliogeekery
Thing about Jellyfish | Ali Benjamin
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Happy Halloween!! 🎃 #jellyfish

LazyDays This.is awesome. 5y
LazyDays 😍 5y
CouronneDhiver Good one!!! 👍🏽 5y
See All 6 Comments
Reggie amazing!!! 5y
julesG Very inventive. Great costume! 5y
LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
66 likes6 comments
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jb72
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Pickpick

Very nice middle school book. A great story and a beautiful cover #Jellyfish #middleschool #ATB

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RandomDancingKitty
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Pickpick

I read this book over the summer and I recommend this book so much!! It‘s more geared toward girls. Is a easy read I read it in 2 days! It‘s sorta sad but it‘s exciting and addicting!!😊😊

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jb72
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My plans for my October reads. I‘ve already finished Wishtree (good) and The Green Mile part 6 (excellent). I‘m currently reading The Thing About Jellyfish, and what a beautiful cover it has. #ATB

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