9-year-old naturalist Connor Berryhill

The Micro Activist Connor Berryhill and his Dad entering Monterey Bay.

Sooo Coool!! Do octopuses have feelings? Do they love? That’s what the young “Micro Activist” Connor Berryhill wanted to know, so the 9-year-old naturalist made an amazing video.

The Micro Activist says: “I can’t think of a single super hero that has as many abilities as one of these buggers! How about Star Wars then…Nope nothing so bizarre as an octopus in any of those movies either. Harry Potter, Lord of the rings? Nope and Nope!

“What really confuses me is how so many kids go crazy about these made up things when any of use can just go right out there and actually meet the strangest and coolest living alien that anyone could possibly imagine… ever!

“So to better answer that question, I guess I’d have to say my Mom and Dad agreed to help me make this video if it would “Get me to stop talking about them every frigging moment of every day!” Thanks for the help Dad and Mom! and I really will try to stop talking about them, as much…but they’re just Soooo Coool!!”

Sy loves the Micro Activist’s octo video.

Temple Grandin has been chosen as the book middle school students will be reading next year for One Book, One Philadelphia.

As of October 26, The Soul of an Octopus is on six regional independent bestseller lists: #1 in the Pacific Northwest, #8 in New England, #12 in the Mountains & Plains, #9 in the Midwest, #8 in Southern California, and #3 in Northern California. And #16 on The New York Times Science Bestseller List.

One Pig’s Odyssey. Tony Morrison, Annie Proulx and Homer. That’s what the staff and board at the New Hampshire Humanities are reading. Each year they post a list. This year’s list includes Beloved, Barkskins, The Odyssey, and other titles including The Good Good Pig.

When the librarian is a scuba diver and wears a shark hat, you know it’s a fun school. Sy had a great time visiting the Bluebell Elementary School in Pennsylvania on October 18 with Lisa Ruff (in the shark hat) and Donna Branca (hatless) — and tons of really cool kids.

Love & Happiness. Global Climate Change. Challenges of Race Relations. Octopuses have something to contribute! These are just 3 of the 30 classes at University of Idaho using The Soul of an Octopus for its Common Read Program. This October the entire freshman class at the University of Idaho is reading The Soul of an Octopus. On Sy’s whirlwind visit to campus she visited classes, met with fellow journalists, toured the entomology museum, hiked up Paradise Ridge to watch the sun rise over the Palouse Prairie, gave a public program…and even met a Giant Palouse earthworm (soon to star in its own Boston Globe column. Is the Hub ready for the G.P. E.?).

Another honor for The Soul of an Octopus: it has won the 2016 Orion Book Award. Part of the book first appeared in this fabulous magazine so Sy is particularly grateful to Orion’s editors.

The Soul of an Octopus has reached an auspicious number: its 8th printing.

As of October 2, The Soul of an Octopus is on four regional independent bestseller lists — #10 in New England, #13 in the Mountains & Plains, #6 in the Pacific Northwest, and #6 in Northern California.

Everyone is reading The Soul of an Octopus. Each year the Howe Library in Hanover, New Hampshire, picks one book for its month-long community event called “Everyone is Reading.” This year it’s all about octopuses in Hanover. In addition to book discussions and talks about the ocean, you can “craft your own octopus” like the handsome yarn octopus seen above.

The Soul of an Octopus is presently swimming about on two New York Times Bestseller Lists for October: It’s at #17 on the Science list and #5 on the Animals list. And it continues on the regional independent bookstore lists: #3 in New England (Watch out Sox!), #1 in the Pacific Northwest, #9 in Northern California and #7 on the Mountains and Plains list.