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Shark Week officially kicks off Sunday, July 23! Learn more about these amazing apex predators by checking out one of these books, available at the library.

 

KIDS

 

DK Eyewitness: Shark

Did you know that sharks first appeared in the oceans 200 million years before the dinosaurs and that they have an electrical sixth sense that helps them locate their prey? How dangerous is a great white shark? Can a whale shark really grow as big as a city bus? If you find yourself seeking the answers to these questions, then this may be the book for you! Discover where they live, why they are hunted, and what can be done to protect them. 

 

Misunderstood Shark: Friends Don’t Eat Friends by Ame Dyckman

This hilarious picture book tackles what it really means to be a good friend. Bob is already irate that Shark has eaten him, but when Shark doesn’t admit to eating him, Bob is so mad he declares that the ocean isn’t big enough for both of them! Friends Don’t Eat Friends is exploding with over-the-top humor and awesome marine facts. 

 

A Day in the Life: Sharks by Carlee Jackson

Set over a 24-hour period, meet deadly tiger sharks, baby lemon sharks, and gigantic basking sharks in this nonfiction book about the coolest predators in the ocean. Dive under the sea to follow the lives of individual sharks as they hunt, hide, and play their way through their day. Marine biologist and shark conservationist Carlee Jackson cleverly weaves the story from gargantuan whale sharks to tiny epaulette sharks (who hunt in rock pools!) in the style of a nature documentary. She also includes gentle scientific explanations perfect for future biologists. 

 

TEENS

 

Extreme Longevity by Karen Latchana Kenney
Some creatures can outlive humans by centuries! Readers will learn about these extreme examples of longevity in the animal kingdom (such as Greenland sharks), how aging happens, and what genes help animals to live so long.

 

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

In this moving personal account of faith and fortitude, internationally ranked surfer Bethany Hamilton tells how she survived a shark attack that cost her arm–but not her spirit. Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany’s life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she’s made to her unique surfing style, and her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships.

 

ADULTS

 

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter by Patrick Aryee

A fascinating exploration of how the animal world has inspired human progress via new inventions and solutions that impact our daily lives. For many years, humans have been using the natural world as inspiration for everything from fashion to architecture and medicine to transport, and it may come as a surprise to learn how many inventions have been motivated by animal design and behavior. 

 

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

From the beloved, award-winning poet comes a debut work of nonfiction–a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us. 

 

Jen Pace Dickenson is the Youth Services Librarian for Polk County Public Libraries. For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit polklibrary.org or call (828) 894-8721.