101 Facts about Sharks

Children's Literature

The format of the book consists entirely of numbered one or two sentence facts about sharks and their behavior. For example, "Humans kill about 100 million sharks every year." Although this may seem like a disjointed approach, the facts actually are organized logically (facts about sharks' teeth are grouped together, for example). Breaking the facts down into labeled sections or chapters would have been even more helpful, however. Instead, young researchers must either read the book cover to cover or else rely on the brief index. Color photographs appear on almost every page, including close-ups of sharks' teeth and photos of sharks swimming near other fish. A color-coded opening map indicates the temperature zones where different types of sharks live, and a glossary defines key boldfaced terms. A guide for further reading and a list of web sites will lead readers to other more in-depth resources. This is a volume in the "101 Facts About Predators" series. 2004, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Ages 7 to 12.
—Norah Piehl