Swimming With Sharks

Wild Survival #2

by Melissa Cristina Márquez, Stacy Gonzalez (reader)

Sink or swim!

Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos and her older brother Feye travel the globe with their parents, the hosts of a suspenseful nature show called Wild Survival! The show features daring animal rescues and the work the family does at their animal sanctuary.

This time the family is off to Sri Lanka. They’ve heard a rumor that an extremely rare Pondicherry shark might have been sighted. Once they arrive, Adrianna, Feye, and their parents discover the rumored Pondicherry shark is the main attraction in a restaurant aquarium. Is this shark really the one they’re looking for? And if it is, can they convince the restaurant’s owners to release it back in the wild?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Survival, Animals, Action, Realistic Fiction

Audio CD

Published July 6, 2021

About the author

Known as the "Mother of Sharks," Melissa Cristina Márquez is a Latina marine biologist who has a lot of labels: science communicator, conservationist, author, educator, podcaster, television presenter. You might have seen her on Discovery Channel's Shark Week, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, heard herTEDx talk or read her Scholastic books.

Márquez writes about sharks, the diverse people who work with them, and why both matter. As founder of The Fins United Initiative, a program that teaches audiences shark conservation and education, she finds it vital that we learn to co-exist with these oceanic predators.

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced and fun read sure to inspire young readers to look towards careers in marine biology.

Check out my review at the link below!
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....

[Elizabeth Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book it was great, but Adrianna pisses me off a bit and you know sometimes the random Spanish phrases weren’t for me. I do recommend this book if you are under 14 because this book can be a little corny but I loved it personally.

[Connor Watling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow up to book one. Was exciting to see the continuing plot lines, and exposure to some uncommon animals in new areas of the world. I really enjoy the inclusion of different languages and fun learning opportunities combined with exciting stories perfectly suited to its age audience

[aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiona was very excited to read this book at bedtime so we picked it up and tried it out. She is a big fan of animals in general and has been pretty into aquatic life recently so this book piqued her interest. It follows the Villalobos family as they go on adventures protecting different wildlife. This one finds Adrianna and her family trying to save a pondicherry shark. I look forward to what she picks up next.

[Eva Villa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving those sharks in such an exotic place coupled with a thrilling and suspenseful story. We couldn't let the book down. The language snippets, intriguing questioning and science makes for a wonderful learning experience, feeding the kiddos minds and opening their curiosity and desire to read.

[Emily Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger from Marquez, and this time it's about her own specialty: sharks! Was awesome to learn about new-to-me species, and I like that she didn't shy away from 'heavy topics' like overfishing, illegal fishing, plastic pollution, fear around sharks, etc. She's treating the kids who read these books as the young adults they are, and I respect that. Well done. Bit infuriating that the ******* keep getting away (no spoilers, loveys).

[Isa Rive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Focused on a family who travel the globe shooting wildlife clips. The story is focused on a possible rare shark finding in Sri Lanka. I found it predictable, rather ‘preachy’ and it didn’t grip me. On the plus side there are fact pages about sharks and some greetings in Spanish and the local language. Cover page is appealing.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute and fun.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little story.

[Sari Fordham · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as a family and the intended audience (my daughter) enjoyed it a lot.

Pros:
Lots of cool shark facts
Adventurous girl protagonist
Focus on sustainability

Cons
Reality TV angle put too much focus on doing good things for the camera.
The mini conflicts that end most chapters are immediately resolved in the chapters following them.