Books Like The Thing About Jellyfish
Families who loved The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Families who loved The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your middle-schooler is navigating the complicated waters of a friendship breakup, a sudden loss, or the feeling of being an outsider. This story follows Suzy, a girl who retreats into a selective silence after her former best friend drowns. To cope with the lack of closure, Suzy becomes obsessed with a scientific theory involving rare jellyfish, believing that a sting must be responsible because things do not just happen for no reason. It is a deeply empathetic look at grief, the scientific method as a coping mechanism, and the messy reality of growing apart from friends. This book is best for ages 10 to 14, providing a safe space to discuss the heavy emotions of regret and the beauty of the natural world.
