Magic Tree House-Shadow of the Shark #53 by Mary Pope Osborne*

"A Merlin Mission"
My third grader read this book to himself and thought it was very exciting.
He liked the ending when Jack and Annie helped a Mayan girl become the ruler of the Mayans.
Jack and Annie travel to Mexico for a vacation but their relaxing time soon turns horrific when a shark attacks their raft.  They soon come to a Mayan village and a new adventure begins.
*Highly recommend.

Stink and the Shark Sleepover #9 by Megan McDonald illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Stink's parents win a sleepover at the local aquarium which is great for shark enthusiast Stink but one problem, he has never been able to stay at a sleepover.
The evening/night prove to be fun but then the aquarium staff, Miss D. shares a scary story about Bloody Mary, the vampire squid.
Fun shark and fish facts after each chapter.
Several parts had my preschooler belly laughing.  I tried to skip over the Bloody Mary story as much as I can.
Warning: Bloody Mary story is shared and scary story about the missing vampire squid.
I recommend this series but was not thrilled with the above scary stories.
Guided Reading Level: M (Third Grade)

Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy*

"Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands"
Very well researched.
Ms. Roy shares how great whites attack their prey; then cleverly weaves in how their body structures have been created to attack.
Topics include:  their prey-elephant seals, the great white's body structure, their ability generate warm blood, their amazing vision, teeth, projectile jaws, tagging of the sharks by scientists, food chain, migration

Blood is drawn so not for the squeamish!!

Text features: headings, cross sections/cut aways, labels, diagrams, close ups, arrows, author's note with more information, online resources, map
**Highly recommend.

Nugget and Fang-Friends Forever or Snack Time? by Tammi Sauer illustrated by Michael Slack

Nugget, a minnow, and Fang, a shark, have been friends forever.  When Nugget attends school he learns how dangerous sharks are and puts a halt to his friendship with Fang.  Fang is desperate and tries a variety of methods to win back his friend.  Then Nugget and his fish friends discover themselves in a life-threatening situation.  A happy ending!

My preschooler wanted me to reread this book a couple of times!

Pair this book with Big Al by Andrew Clements to make connections between story elements.

Strategies: sequencing, cause/effect, connections (T-T)
Guided Reading Level: K

Flip and Fin: We Rule the School! by Timothy Gill illustrated by Neil Numberman

Flip, the sand shark, is excited to share jokes with his school on Joke Day.  He practices telling jokes with his twin, Fin.  What happens when he stands on the stage and looks out at all those fish?
The story line was not strong but the jokes are funny and fun.
Interesting facts about sand sharks and other sea creatures in the back.

Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies illustrated by James Croft*

Ms. Davies writes wonderful nonfiction.
This book makes information accessible to younger readers/learners.
Clever layout.
Text features: labels, diagrams, picture captions, close ups, index, font sizes
*Highly recommend.

Science Vocabulary Readers-Sharks by Justin McCory Martin

Great nonfiction series for transitional readers.
Text structure: contents, photographs, diagrams, labels, fast fact blocks, headings, graphs, close ups, comparing, bold font, glossary, comprehension questions, bonus facts.

Shark Wars by E.J. Altbacker

Gray is banished from his reef shiver.  His loyal friend Barkley leaves with him.  As they swim in the Big Blue alone, they realize that the waters are not as peaceful as they had imagined.
A book that explores real friendship.  Very exciting!

I Survived The Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis*

Chet is living with his uncle in small New Jersey town until his father and mother establish themselves in California.  Having moved around so much, Chet has never really had any friends.  Just as he is beginning to form friendships, a prank taken too far seems to ruin his chances.  Then he spies a shark in the town's creek.  No one believes him.  Then he realizes the boys he is at odds with usually spend the afternoon in the creek.
Very exciting.  Believable characters.
*Highly recommend.
Love this series!

Fly Guy Presents Sharks by Tedd Arnold

Buzz and Fly Guy visit an aquarium.  Travel with these two characters to learn amazing facts about sharks.  Longer, more difficult words have pronunciation in parentheses.
Text structures:  close ups, photographs, picture captions/labels