Library Media Connection

Detailed close-up photographs bring shark species to life in this middle grade series. Each book begins with an anecdotal sighting of the featured shark; only one of these includes an avoided shark attack on humans. The habitat range maps could be a great classroom discussion starter because of their geographic spread. Topics include physical structure, reproduction, development, senses, and current status. The Goblin Shark emphasizes how much scientists do not know about these unusual sharks; it would be a great book to use as a ladder to some of the Scientists in the Field titles (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in a focus on scientific discovery. Text is well-balanced against the file-themed layout. The series also includes size comparison diagrams, highlighted factoids, maps, and labeled diagrams. These titles do not shy away from including complex biological vocabulary in their texts.