Thing About Jellyfish, The

Suzy struggles with grief when her friend Franny dies in a swimming accident. Suzy cannot accept that these things just happen and convinces herself that a deadly jellyfish is responsible for Franny’s death. This title would be suitable for a novel study to integrate science and physical and health education in middle school. Projects and discussions could focus on personal identity, how students see themselves, and inquiry projects on ocean life. Each part of the novel is named for a part of the scientific method and the only illustrations in the novel are based on scientific drawings of jellyfish.