It's Shark Week!

With the recent string of shark attacks on the East Coast, Discovery Channel's Shark Week programming, and the 40th anniversary of Jaws, sharks have been at the forefront of news and media attention. This is a great time to learn more about these immense creatures!

The I Survived series is my go-to recommendation for reluctant readers needing historical fiction titles. Like the Dear America/Royal Diaries/My Name is America series, this is a historical fiction series that many readers actively seek out. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 follows the concentrated shark attacks that occurred in 1916 along the New Jersey coastline, through the perspective of a young boy.

If you'd like something that's a tad less dramatic, Little Shark is the book for you. Written by a legend in nonfiction picture books for very young children, Little Shark tells the tale of a young shark on its own, complete with intriguing facts about its habitat, eating habits, and more.

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting With the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands was one of the highlights of the 2014 publishing year and one of six extraordinary children's nonfiction titles honored with the Sibert Informational Book Medal. This intricately illustrated and engagingly written look at the great white sharks that live off the California coast (26 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge!) is one-of-a-kind.

Shark vs. Train is a hilarious and crazy story about a shark and a train competing in several events. Who will win in a hide-and-seek contest? A bowling competition? Read and find out!

Shark Wars  is an exciting series for adventure and shark fans that not only includes tons of adventure, but also a glimpse into the effects of overfishing and environmental hazards on sealife.

Sharkopedia, published by Discovery Channel's publishing arm, is a superb guide to shark anatomy, classification, behavior, and hundreds of incredible photos.



We also have Jaws: the book and the movie.  Although it has been criticized for its characterization of sharks, the movie is still worth watching (I guarantee that the theme music will still raise goosebumps!).  Teen readers interested in a true account of a shark attack should consider Soul Surfer (book and DVD); Shark Girl is an excellent and affecting novel about a teen dealing with the aftereffects of a shark attack. Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea is another must-read for teen shark aficionados.  You should also browse the 597.3 and 597.31 sections in both the children's and adult nonfiction section for more awesome selections.

Happy Shark Week!

Dum dum...dum dum...dum dum...it's almost back to school time! I blogged about new "first day of school" books on the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) blog.

Jennifer Schultz, Youth Services Librarian, Fauquier County Public Library