Genre 4 Book 2 - Nonfiction

1. Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. 2006. SHARKS. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
ISBN 006087718
2. Plot Summary
Many myths and legends are made up surrounding sharks. The greatest of all is that sharks are always looking for a human to attack. Simon sheds a new light on these creatures by highlighting the facts so one can truly understand how fascinating sharks are.

First, the reader gets a detailed description of the physical characteristics of sharks. We learn they belong to the Chondrichthyes class and breathe through gills. In addition, we learn bout their teeth, jaws, and swim bladder. Did you know that a shark has six senses?

An interesting aspect of this book is how Simon illustrates the traits and habits of each individual breed of shark. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world while the hammerhead shark is one of the most unusual-looking fish in the sea. What do you think is the best know shark….the great white shark which was featured in the movie JAWS. After reading this book, one will view sharks in an entirely different way.

3. Critical Analysis
The organization and flow of details is a definite strong point. From beginning to end, one feels the connection from one page to the next. Simon immediately states facts to discredit the belief that sharks really don’t kill as many people as is portrayed in movies and books.

The vivid descriptions are reinforced by the illustrations. Sharks have five to seven gills and an illustration of a Caribbean reef shark supports that fact. The jaws and teeth of a shark are quite different that what is perceived by the general population. Simon’s descriptions and photos do an incredible job of explaining how they really look and why.

4. Review Excerpt(s)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…a closeup of a sand tiger shark's open mouth and row upon row of teeth invites readers into the facing text…”
BOOKLIST: “With a good balance of text and illustrations, Simon introduces the world of sharks

5. Connections
SHARKS is a great resource for any elementary science classroom. Students conducting research will find a wealth of information. Read other books from Seymour Simon and have students compare and contrast different animals.