Sharknado Warning (Max Beast #1)

by Maddy Mara

Magically transforming into different apex predators will be really fun and not stressful, right?Max is having the strangest day. Life is already not normal after his parents decided to sell everything they own and go traveling as a family. What was supposed to be a fun scuba diving day turns into a disaster when a great white shark attacks his boat! Max needs to think fast to survive this. One mysterious shipwreck, two suspicious divers, and a teenager with a magic amulet later, and this is shaping up to be a crazy adventure. And-oh yeah-Max also turned into a shark. Could this day get any weirder?

Genres: Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Maddy Mara is the pen name of Melbourne-based creative duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger. Hilary and Meredith have been collaborating on children's books for nearly two decades. Hilary is an author and former publishing director; Meredith is the author of countless books for kids and young adults, and teaches English as a foreign language. Maddy Mara is the melding of their respective daughters' names.

Reviews

[Liz Yielding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Not a fan of this one Finn and I read. All action and no actual followable plot. It’s the first of a series but I’m not interested enough to keep going.

[CONSTANCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a series (# 2 “Tiger Terror” released in September) about Max, a boy, who suddenly finds himself having turned into a shark while his parents are scuba diving. There’s a sunken yacht down there and there’s a weird older kid with an amulet and there are creepy guys who totally look dangerous. Can he save his parents and somehow return to being just a boy? And why/how did he morph into a shark anyway??

[Marissa Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 8 year old picked this book for a book report. It was severely lacking in plot points, setting was unclear, & even anything about the main character. Just action but none of the other things I’m trying to have my son learn to analyze in a book. I finished it in about 20 mins so we’ll see how he feels about it tomorrow.

[Espe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️ Adventure and more!

We read this as family! May was a crazy month but kept us entertained each nite.

Children opinion: “I wish it was a little bit longer, but it’s Interesting because It gives true facts. It is also very intense and you just when I keep reading”

[Barb Mittelstadt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read for early 3rd grade and up. Received from a student who purchased it from the Scholastic book fair.

[Rekha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise but ended too abruptly? Needs more resolution for a kids book. I still didn’t really understand Hector’s motivation or how/why he even got the damn amulet.