The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. The Pizza Pit (Chapter 4)

2. The Head Start program (Chapter 3)

Short Answer

1. Zoey means that Zach has an easier life while her life is often like treading water trying to stay afloat. She must work harder just to survive. (Chapter 4)

2. Zoey is given responsibility way beyond her years. She saves food from school to eat at home later, may have a hygiene problem, frequently forgets her schoolwork, and is often battling the unsettling feeling of Lenny’s control. Zoey indicates that her parents live paycheck to paycheck and are sometimes in an environment where the utilities are not paid. (Various Chapters)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. She forgot her assignment. (Chapter 5)

2. In the trash (Chapter 8)

3. Herself (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. Matt’s assessment of the best animal indicates that Matt values sharing and fairness over predatory skill. The reader can infer that Matt is kind-hearted. (Chapter 5)

2. Zoey’s siblings panic because they fear Zoey has forgotten or abandoned them. Their fear reveals the instability of Zoey’s home life and what they are afraid of.