This week marks the 28th annual Shark Week on the Discovery Channel ("the most wonderful week of the year!"). Here's an updated selection of shark-themed books — ranging from novels to legends to nonfiction and from silly to informative to poignant — recommended by The Horn Book Magazine and Guide. Any favorites we missed?

Picture books

In picture book Shark vs. Train, Chris Barton asks: if a shark is pitted against a train, which would win? The answer depends on the contest: the train's belch is louder, but he's no match for the shark when jumping off the high dive. Chris Barton's deadpan text — sparked with dialogue balloons that give the characters both personality and one-liners — is matched by Tom Lichtenheld's spot-on visual humor. (Little, Brown, 2010)

On an island ruled by an unfeeling despot, two siblings rescue a rope-entangled shark. When the children violate the king's rules, however, they are condemned to death. In desperation, their parents seek out the fearsome shark god. In The Shark God, illustrator David Shannon's dark palette is well suited to the tone of Rafe Martin's text, lightening effectively as the family sails to a new and more inviting land. Based on a Hawaiian legend, this is a real find for story hours and individual readers. (Scholastic/Levine, 2001)

In Aaron Reynolds's Carnivores, the lion, the great white shark, and the timber wolf grow tired of being ostracized for their bad behavior and set out to fit in — but ultimately find that you can't deny who you are. Illustrator Dan Santat's signature humor diffuses the threat of author Aaron Reynolds's ferocious heroes, and readers will laugh out loud at the depictions of carnivores disguising themselves as (and then devouring) gentler creatures. (Chronicle, 2013)

In author Tammi Sauer's and illustrator Michael Slack's Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever — or Snack Time?, besties Nugget (minnow) and Fang (shark) get along swimmingly...until Nugget's school lessons reveal that big, bad sharks eat minnows. Aquatic-hued digital illustrations depict Fang's touching, hilarious attempts (disguising himself as a mermaid, tattooing Nugget's name, serenading him, etc.) to get his pal back. When his toothy mouth saves the day, Fang gains the minnows' trust — and ten more best friends. (Harcourt, 2013)

"Aren't I awesome?" asks a cocky shark in Bob Shea's I'm a Shark. Undaunted by scary movies, dinosaurs, or inoculations (those tears were "seasonal allergies"), Shark even taunts, "the dark is afraid of me." Certain that "everyone is scared of something," fish and crab stumble upon shark's little eight-legged fear. Spare illustrations outlined in bold black line humorously capture the true emotions behind Shark's toothy grin. (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, 2011)

 

Primary

Clare Hibbert's easy-to-read series entry If You Were a Shark provides an accessible glimpse into the world of sharks. Chapters include information on physical attributes, movement, hunting, and use of senses. Photographs show well-known species like the great white as well as the more unusual cookie-cutter shark. The organized layout makes this an engaging and approachable book for interested readers. (Smart Apple, 2013)



Part graphic novel, part myth, and part beginning reader, R. Kikuo Johnson's The Shark King is the fable of Nanaue, the Shark King's son with a mortal woman. Sharks, superpowers, and the comic-panel format will lure in readers; the subtext of bullying and self-discovery will stay with them long afterward. The characters' rounded black outlines convey strong energy and emotion, while the art features a lush, colorful Hawaiian setting. (TOON/Candlewick, 2012)

In Leo Landry's winning underwater tale of friendship Sea Surprise, mermaid Kate's best friend Dave is a shark with teeth that fairly tingle to bite something, anything. To keep Dave's mind off his teeth, the friends decide to visit their friend Eel, who has lost his zap, literally. The light tone, wordplay, and humorous situations are accompanied by silly sketches on every page. (Holt, 2005)

When Stink goes to a sleepover at the aquarium, he's very excited (he loves sharks) but also nervous (he's a bit afraid of sleepovers). Although the children are constantly cracking each other up with silly second-grade jokes, readers will also glean lots of factual information about sea creatures. In Stink series entry Stink and the Shark Sleepover by Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds ably illustrates both the wondrous animals and the comical antics. (Candlewick, 2014)

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands, an impressive account of great white sharks off the Northern California coast, examines fascinating details about the predator. The dramatic main narrative describes a shark swimming and hunting, while well-integrated information-rich sections tell more about shark biology and about the scientists who study them. Author/illustrator Katherine Roy masterfully employs color and perspective as blood-reds flow through the blues and grays of the ocean. (Roaring Brook/Macaulay, 2014)

Beginning chapter book meets screwball comedy in British import Hooey Higgins and the Shark, written by Steve Voake. Hooey Higgins and his friend, Twig, plan to capture a shark and charge admission for a viewing in order to raise the money to buy the world's largest chocolate egg. Emma Dodson's wacky spot art helps readers pick up on tone, and her opening spread, depicting the large cast, helps keep all the players straight in this over-the-top but propulsive read. (Candlewick, 2012)

 

Intermediate

Jaws author Peter Benchley takes a hard look at shark attack data in Shark Life: True Stories about Sharks & the Sea, providing an overview of the shark's habits, supplying tips for safe surfing and swimming, and sharing numerous close calls he and his acquaintances have had. While these topics don't always work in concert, this adaptation (by Karen Wojtyla) of Benchley's adult book has summer reading written all over it. (Delacorte, 2005)



Timothy J. Bradley's Paleo Sharks: Survival of the Strangest, a chronological tour of extinct shark species, employs a smart design and sharp graphics to tie together the encyclopedia-like entries. Each two-page layout includes one or two profiles of sharks, a related text box, and a to-scale comparison. In the accompanying illustrations, sharks sport colorful stripes, spots, and other markings (though Bradley is careful to explain that these are his interpretations). (Chronicle, 2007)

Face to Face with Sharks presents the astonishing underwater adventures of National Geographic explorers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes with journal-like text and close-up photographs of sharks. First-person narration of their worldwide search captures the excitement of this work while revealing details about shark behavior and life cycles. Sidebars provide relevant factual information (e.g. "How not to get eaten by a shark"); appended material includes informative "Facts at a Glance." (National Geographic, 2009)

In his Scientists in the Field entry Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks, author Kenneth Mallory uses the context of an IMAX film production to explain how scientists — in particular, marine biologist Pete Klimley — are studying these odd-looking animals. After talking with Klimley, Mallory travels to Cocos Island, where the filmmakers are wrapping up a year of filming sharks. Mallory's exhilarating shark encounters and detailed explanations of the filming apparatus compose the later chapters. Outstanding color photos accompany the text. (Houghton, 2001)

 

Older

In Kelly Bingham's Shark Girl, conversations, letters, and prose poems tell the story of fifteen-year-old artist Jane's recovery from a shark attack and adjustment to life as an amputee. We read letters from sympathizers (after a bystander's video is televised) and feel the sting of pity. Jane's slowly growing comfort with herself is realistically portrayed. Nicely drawn relationships round out the involving, affecting story. (Candlewick, 12 years and up)

A yacht-wreck leaves Enid and her peers fighting for their lives in the middle of the ocean in Kristen Tracy's Sharks & Boys. Under threat of shark attack, Enid learns about the importance of trusting others. She also grapples with the shortcomings of her parents' relationship and its negative effects on her outlooks on love, loyalty, and friendship. Enid's voice is disarmingly honest and at times quite funny. (Hyperion, 2011)