Science Books & Films

“Bellwether Media’s Shark Fact Files is a series of children’s educational books aimed at the 4th through 7th grade interest levels. Using sharks as a high-interest topic to engage young readers, this 12-book set encourages literacy skills with short narratives on the anatomy, behavior, geographic distribution, and conservation status of several different species (e.g., the Blue Shark, Mako Shark, and Whale Shark books were considered here). Each 24-page volume promotes higher order thinking by highlighting scientific vocabulary in context, with a glossary at the end to expand upon terms as needed. Vivid full-page photography accompanies the text, captions provide fun facts, and a website given at the end of the book directs readers to internet resources where they can find more information. By addressing impacts of fisheries and ecotourism in the conservation sections, the books also introduce the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rating system and justifications behind current shark status classifications, demonstrating the connection between sharks and society. Although some of the terms presented might be a bit technical for casual young readers, the books are engaging and would particularly resonate with budding animal or marine biology enthusiasts.” – Science Books & Films