An Unforgettable Friendship

Octopus Joy Dance follows two Irish immigrant brothers in Queens who befriend Gus, an Enteroctopus dofleini—the largest octopus in the world—held at the New York Aquarium. In the wake of their mother’s death, Alfie and James form a fragile new family with the scientist who studies Gus, only to face a heartbreaking choice when the aquarium prepares to release him. Against the tides of grief and change, the boys learn what it means to love, and to let go. A sequel will trace their journey through first love in high school and the choices that shape their future in college.