53 pages 1 hour read

Ali Benjamin

The Thing About Jellyfish

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Further Reading & ResourcesLiterary Devices

Books & Articles

This nonfiction resource includes 290 color photographs of jellyfish species worldwide along with information about jellyfish habitats, anatomy, history, and relationship with the environment.

This written interview with the author, Ali Benjamb in, reveals her writing process and her thoughts on the novel’s themes.

Videos & Podcasts

This National Geographic learning video is approximately 4 minutes in length and introduces jellyfish facts. It features information on the “immortal” jellyfish species referenced in the novel.

This is a 3-minute free video from Scholastic on the scientific process as applied to problems and questions throughout history; it discusses the lasting feasibility of the scientific process.

A 10-minute video interview with the author in which she discusses her inspiration for writing the book and becoming a finalist for the National Book Award.

This Khan Academy video uses a comparative scale to measure humans, Earth, the universe, and the solar system.