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Ten True Tales
Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures
On rare occasions, wild animals like cougars, grizzly bears and alligators can pose a deadly threat to humans. Sometimes with little or no warning, wild animals attack. Few will pick a fight with humans, but most will defend themselves if they are cornered or surprised or defending their young.
In this book you will read about the incredible life-and-death ordeals of young people who battled ferocious wild animals, such as a merciless great white shark off the coast of California and an enraged moose in the winter woods of Maine. These stories are based on true accounts ripped from the headlines.
(From Allan Zullo's website)
In this book you will read about the incredible life-and-death ordeals of young people who battled ferocious wild animals, such as a merciless great white shark off the coast of California and an enraged moose in the winter woods of Maine. These stories are based on true accounts ripped from the headlines.
(From Allan Zullo's website)
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
18 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Allan Zullo
171 books113 followersAllan Zullo is an American non-fiction writer. He is the author or co-author of more than eighty paperbacks for adults and children.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Zullo graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1969 with a degree in journalism. His books include The Baseball Hall of Shame and Baseball Confidential (both co-written with Bruce Nash), A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting (co-written with his wife Kathryn), and the Haunted Kids series. Zullo has also written articles for The National Enquirer, The Christian Science Monitor, Ladies Home Journal, and The Palm Beach Post. His syndicated comic strip "The Ghost Story Club" ran in American newspapers from 1995 to 1998.
Zullo currently lives in Fairview, North Carolina.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Zullo graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1969 with a degree in journalism. His books include The Baseball Hall of Shame and Baseball Confidential (both co-written with Bruce Nash), A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting (co-written with his wife Kathryn), and the Haunted Kids series. Zullo has also written articles for The National Enquirer, The Christian Science Monitor, Ladies Home Journal, and The Palm Beach Post. His syndicated comic strip "The Ghost Story Club" ran in American newspapers from 1995 to 1998.
Zullo currently lives in Fairview, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 28, 2019
Mason Alsteen lexile:930L
Surviving sharks and other dangerous creatures
Personal Response: I chose this book by Allan Zullo because I wanted to just get in a goodreads and be done with it, but as I continued reading it got more interesting. Sure some of the stories were predictable, but even then you’re still surprised because the book is so detailed in the attacks like a cougar attack, where the victim was near fatally hurt. I liked the book not just because it was an easy thing to write about, in fact it was a bit harder to write about because I don’t know how exactly to start something this intense. There are different stories and none of them have anything in common except for the fact that each story is about a child getting attacked by different animals.
Plot Summary:The book starts off explaining how each character in the stories had their name changed for protective reasons, but the stories themselves are true. The first story starts off with a boy waking up in front of the t.v., shark attack stories were being broadcast on the television and the announcer was saying that you should go for the soft spot on the shark if you’re ever attacked. Just then the boys friend walks in his house, telling him that it's okay to go with his dad for fishing. The next day the boy woke up and felt a sense of foreboding, like something bad was going to happen. The boy shrugged off the feeling and continued to get ready to go fishing. Once they had gotten onto the boat, they drove to a spot off the coast near the catalina islands. A few hours of fishing later, the captain decided to head in and take a nap while the boys went for a swim, they hopped on their boogie boards and paddle a little ways from the boat. The boy was lying on the boogie board, when he was attacked and dragged underwater. Feeling that his life was not going to end he began hitting the shark, which had no effect. The boy then remembered that he saw a documentary about where to hit if ever attacked by a shark, with that thought in his head he quickly went straight for the eyes and gills, stunned, the shark let go of the boy and swam away. The boy quickly swam up to the surface and onto the boogie board, frantically waving and shouting. The captain, now woken up, quickly threw a lifesaver into the water and pulled the boy up onto the boat. The group then quickly drove back to shore where a helicopter took the boy to a hospital on the mainland where he received 200 stitches.
The next dangerous animal attack involves elephants. Two girls decided to go to Africa to visit their aunt, upon arriving they spent the night in town before heading out to a village where their aunt went to do some relief work. Before arriving in the village, the girl’s aunt told them some of the native traditions they must respect: traditions like never disagree with an elder, bow to men if you’re a woman, never complain about anything until you get to know them more, always begin a conversation with “how are you?” or “how is the day?”, and always respond with “I'm fine, and how are you?”. After arriving in the village, the aunt paid a visit to a boy that was attacked by an elephant. As the boy was telling his story, the chief said that they have tried to safeguard their fields in many different ways. They tried shooting in the air, fences, fire, and banging drums, but none of those methods worked. After the chief was finished talking aunt Keisha said that there was another method they haven’t tried yet, chili peppers, Keisha explained that what they should try is crushing chili peppers and using chili pepper oil and rubbing it on the fences. After they were finished discussing what exactly to do, the chief insisted that Keisha and the girls stay for the night as it was a long drive back to the city. They stayed the night, dancing and singing. When it came to morning the girls went with some of the villagers to pick crops, as they were picking crops, they stumbled upon a baby elephant, one of the girls decided to try and approach it, the other girl was wary. Just then the mother appeared and saw that the girl was standing between her and her baby, the elephant bellowed and charged at the girl. Before she had time to react the elephant had already hit her and she was lying on the ground unconscious. The other girl was calling for help but another elephant who had heard the mom elephant had come to help. The elephant charged at the girl as well, but since the girl was a gymnast, she hung onto the tusks and tried to maneuver herself so she would not get hit. As the girl was tiring, the other villagers had just arrived and distracted the elephant as the two girls were pulled to safety. The elephants were chased away and the girls were transported to a hospital where they received stitches.
The next story starts in the morning, the air was cold, and everybody was waking up. A group of teenagers with problems were up in the mountains of alaska with two counselors. Once everybody woke up, one of the counselors said that the group was going to hike twelve miles today, all of the teens let out moans and boos. Nevertheless they started hiking. Once they were done hiking the group set up camp. Each teen set up their tent a few yards away from each other and then gathered around the fire. Usually not the sharing type, Danny was too exhausted and dropped his guard, telling the group that back home at his school he was called blooper boy because he always stumbled. Once danny was done some of the other teens shared their stories, after which they each went to bed. Danny was turning in for the night when the counselors walked around to each tent to make sure that the teens didn’t have any food laying around for bears to find. Danny had some rice-a-roni that he said he was going to finish, the counselor told him he should do it quickly. Danny didn’t finish the rice-a-roni because he was too exhausted from the hike and fell asleep. A few hours he woke up to the sound of shuffling, thinking it was one of the counselors trying to wake him up, he asked if it was morning already, when no one responded he got up out of his sleeping bag and shined a light. What he saw struck him with terror, as a big brown paw was sneaking into his tent. Danny saw the tray of rice-a-roni, Danny then kicked it towards the bear hoping it would take the tray and go away. Danny quietly tried to back out of the tent, but the bear chased after him. The bear chased him for a few minutes he runs over to his bag and grabs the air horn. He uses the air horn and the bear stopped in its tracks, after a few uses the air horn stops working and that's when Danny is really afraid, but at that moment the counselors come out of the bushes and use their air horns to scare away the beast. Danny was transported to a hospital for major injuries, scarred but with a new respect for life.
Characterization:The characters in the book are all kids range from 8 year olds to 15 year olds. Each of the victims that attacked already knew to be wary of these dangerous animals but not wary enough to avoid them. each attack the victims grew to be more cautious and learn from their mistakes. Each one of them would be sitting in the hospital bed afraid of these animals but still admire them to their own level.
Setting:The time the book takes place is roughly happening at the same time. The setting takes place around the world, like in Zambia with the elephants, California with sharks, in Alaska with bears. The times that these unusual attacks occur is usually during the day and sometimes go on until the night.
Recommendation:I would recommend this to any adolescent or teenager that would like to read about personal and nonpersonal struggle, perseverance and a will to live.
Surviving sharks and other dangerous creatures
Personal Response: I chose this book by Allan Zullo because I wanted to just get in a goodreads and be done with it, but as I continued reading it got more interesting. Sure some of the stories were predictable, but even then you’re still surprised because the book is so detailed in the attacks like a cougar attack, where the victim was near fatally hurt. I liked the book not just because it was an easy thing to write about, in fact it was a bit harder to write about because I don’t know how exactly to start something this intense. There are different stories and none of them have anything in common except for the fact that each story is about a child getting attacked by different animals.
Plot Summary:The book starts off explaining how each character in the stories had their name changed for protective reasons, but the stories themselves are true. The first story starts off with a boy waking up in front of the t.v., shark attack stories were being broadcast on the television and the announcer was saying that you should go for the soft spot on the shark if you’re ever attacked. Just then the boys friend walks in his house, telling him that it's okay to go with his dad for fishing. The next day the boy woke up and felt a sense of foreboding, like something bad was going to happen. The boy shrugged off the feeling and continued to get ready to go fishing. Once they had gotten onto the boat, they drove to a spot off the coast near the catalina islands. A few hours of fishing later, the captain decided to head in and take a nap while the boys went for a swim, they hopped on their boogie boards and paddle a little ways from the boat. The boy was lying on the boogie board, when he was attacked and dragged underwater. Feeling that his life was not going to end he began hitting the shark, which had no effect. The boy then remembered that he saw a documentary about where to hit if ever attacked by a shark, with that thought in his head he quickly went straight for the eyes and gills, stunned, the shark let go of the boy and swam away. The boy quickly swam up to the surface and onto the boogie board, frantically waving and shouting. The captain, now woken up, quickly threw a lifesaver into the water and pulled the boy up onto the boat. The group then quickly drove back to shore where a helicopter took the boy to a hospital on the mainland where he received 200 stitches.
The next dangerous animal attack involves elephants. Two girls decided to go to Africa to visit their aunt, upon arriving they spent the night in town before heading out to a village where their aunt went to do some relief work. Before arriving in the village, the girl’s aunt told them some of the native traditions they must respect: traditions like never disagree with an elder, bow to men if you’re a woman, never complain about anything until you get to know them more, always begin a conversation with “how are you?” or “how is the day?”, and always respond with “I'm fine, and how are you?”. After arriving in the village, the aunt paid a visit to a boy that was attacked by an elephant. As the boy was telling his story, the chief said that they have tried to safeguard their fields in many different ways. They tried shooting in the air, fences, fire, and banging drums, but none of those methods worked. After the chief was finished talking aunt Keisha said that there was another method they haven’t tried yet, chili peppers, Keisha explained that what they should try is crushing chili peppers and using chili pepper oil and rubbing it on the fences. After they were finished discussing what exactly to do, the chief insisted that Keisha and the girls stay for the night as it was a long drive back to the city. They stayed the night, dancing and singing. When it came to morning the girls went with some of the villagers to pick crops, as they were picking crops, they stumbled upon a baby elephant, one of the girls decided to try and approach it, the other girl was wary. Just then the mother appeared and saw that the girl was standing between her and her baby, the elephant bellowed and charged at the girl. Before she had time to react the elephant had already hit her and she was lying on the ground unconscious. The other girl was calling for help but another elephant who had heard the mom elephant had come to help. The elephant charged at the girl as well, but since the girl was a gymnast, she hung onto the tusks and tried to maneuver herself so she would not get hit. As the girl was tiring, the other villagers had just arrived and distracted the elephant as the two girls were pulled to safety. The elephants were chased away and the girls were transported to a hospital where they received stitches.
The next story starts in the morning, the air was cold, and everybody was waking up. A group of teenagers with problems were up in the mountains of alaska with two counselors. Once everybody woke up, one of the counselors said that the group was going to hike twelve miles today, all of the teens let out moans and boos. Nevertheless they started hiking. Once they were done hiking the group set up camp. Each teen set up their tent a few yards away from each other and then gathered around the fire. Usually not the sharing type, Danny was too exhausted and dropped his guard, telling the group that back home at his school he was called blooper boy because he always stumbled. Once danny was done some of the other teens shared their stories, after which they each went to bed. Danny was turning in for the night when the counselors walked around to each tent to make sure that the teens didn’t have any food laying around for bears to find. Danny had some rice-a-roni that he said he was going to finish, the counselor told him he should do it quickly. Danny didn’t finish the rice-a-roni because he was too exhausted from the hike and fell asleep. A few hours he woke up to the sound of shuffling, thinking it was one of the counselors trying to wake him up, he asked if it was morning already, when no one responded he got up out of his sleeping bag and shined a light. What he saw struck him with terror, as a big brown paw was sneaking into his tent. Danny saw the tray of rice-a-roni, Danny then kicked it towards the bear hoping it would take the tray and go away. Danny quietly tried to back out of the tent, but the bear chased after him. The bear chased him for a few minutes he runs over to his bag and grabs the air horn. He uses the air horn and the bear stopped in its tracks, after a few uses the air horn stops working and that's when Danny is really afraid, but at that moment the counselors come out of the bushes and use their air horns to scare away the beast. Danny was transported to a hospital for major injuries, scarred but with a new respect for life.
Characterization:The characters in the book are all kids range from 8 year olds to 15 year olds. Each of the victims that attacked already knew to be wary of these dangerous animals but not wary enough to avoid them. each attack the victims grew to be more cautious and learn from their mistakes. Each one of them would be sitting in the hospital bed afraid of these animals but still admire them to their own level.
Setting:The time the book takes place is roughly happening at the same time. The setting takes place around the world, like in Zambia with the elephants, California with sharks, in Alaska with bears. The times that these unusual attacks occur is usually during the day and sometimes go on until the night.
Recommendation:I would recommend this to any adolescent or teenager that would like to read about personal and nonpersonal struggle, perseverance and a will to live.
July 21, 2011
I liked tis book because it was pushing you to read on. When you finished a chapter you would read another and another! There are lots of scary but interesting stories of kids our age getting attacked by different animals like cougars, moose, bears, wolves, crocodiles, so on. I would recommend this book only if you want to get scared of animals. I think you should.
November 12, 2019
Young student Chad Cain is enjoying his summer until he had the weirdest dream about a shark attack. "and the water was turning dark all around me with blood...." He wakes up from his nightmare of the shark attack, startled by his friend Mick Kincaid nagging him about tomorrows trip on the boat. They are off the next day after Chad has been so scared because of his dream, but tells no one and goes on with the trip. They arrive at there boat called ¨Oh Yeah¨ and go on to start there fishing trip. Chad is very nervous from the time he gets out of the car until they get on the boat. Chad and Mick drive off to a good spot they now for fishing and is very slow on this day. The two kids are not very used to this happening so don´t think much about it. They decide to jump in and cool off but chad just isn't for it. Mick feels a change in the waves and then the shark attacks. Chad is forced to pull mick out of the water because his father is a sleep. Chad remembers the TV show and tells him to bunch the eye and nose. Mick barley escapes both bites and blood all over him while chad recognizes a shark tooth longed in his friends back helping him out.
Chad is a very nervous and shy kid, and seems to have anxiety problems. He is your typical A B student and is very kind. He has a funny and shy personality but will joke around when he wants to. He is relatively fun to be around and that why Mick and him are really good friends. Mick is the same age as Chad and have known each other for a while. Mick is a lot more hype and not as shy as Chad.
The story is mainly set in the boat on the ocean. The other location it is set in is Chads house. The boat and ocean is were the horrible incident happens with mick. Chads house is were they talk about there boat ride and tomorrows planes.
My personal favorite part of the book was when Chad had the dream and then Mick came barging in. I like this part of the book because during this part there was humor and this is more of an informative book about animal attacks so it made the story more funny. I would definitely request this for people ages 12 to 21. I recommend this because little kids should not need to know much about the horrible things that happen and elder people above 21 would already be informed about this stuff in there lifetime.
Chad is a very nervous and shy kid, and seems to have anxiety problems. He is your typical A B student and is very kind. He has a funny and shy personality but will joke around when he wants to. He is relatively fun to be around and that why Mick and him are really good friends. Mick is the same age as Chad and have known each other for a while. Mick is a lot more hype and not as shy as Chad.
The story is mainly set in the boat on the ocean. The other location it is set in is Chads house. The boat and ocean is were the horrible incident happens with mick. Chads house is were they talk about there boat ride and tomorrows planes.
My personal favorite part of the book was when Chad had the dream and then Mick came barging in. I like this part of the book because during this part there was humor and this is more of an informative book about animal attacks so it made the story more funny. I would definitely request this for people ages 12 to 21. I recommend this because little kids should not need to know much about the horrible things that happen and elder people above 21 would already be informed about this stuff in there lifetime.
April 7, 2018
It was okay. I don't really understand why they have a shark on the cover when there is only 1 shark attack in the entire book!
March 24, 2017
I like these books because they got right into the action. I thought it was amazing how people were able to survive. I wonder how Allan Zullo came upon these stories. I wonder where the most shark attacks occur?
May 26, 2016
Personal Response: I read the book Surviving Sharks by Allan Zullo. It was not just about shark attacks. The book contained a different story every chapter with different characters and a different dangerous animal. The book was good and it held my attention throughout the entire book. There were no slow points in the book, which made the book easier to read.
Plot: The first short story in the book was about an attack of a great white shark. Chad Cain and Mick Kincaid were friends ever since the third grade. The two boys loved to fish, snorkel and surf off the coast of California. Chad and Mick planned a fishing trip in Mick's dad’s thirty- foot fishing boat on a Saturday morning. Chad had a funny feeling about this fishing trip because he recently watched “Attack of the Great White” on the history channel. Chad hoped for bad weather so he wouldn't have to go. When Chad woke up on Saturday morning he saw that the weather was perfect for a little fishing. The dad and the two boys made the twenty-eight mile journey toward Catalina Island. After the boys and Mr. Kincaid have caught quite a few fish Mr. Kincaid decided to take a nap before the journey back to shore. The boys sweating from a long day decided to take the boogie boards out and go for a swim. The boys continued to swim for a little while and they were on opposite sides of the boat when Chad saw a shark. He yelled, “shark” as loud as he could when all of a sudden the shark came up from under Chad and had thrown him in the air about fifteen feet. The commotion woke up Mr. Kincaid and Mick. Chad was taken under water and tried not to breath and remember what the TV show said to do if ever in a shark attack. Chad remembered what the video said and he began punching the shark in the nose it released him just in time for Chad to get a breath. The shark didn't stop there it attacked Chad again. This time Mr. Kincaid and Mick were right there with the boat. As soon as Chad resurfaced again, they grabbed him and brought him in the boat. They called the Coast Guard and they came and picked up Chad. Chad received over two-hundred stitches and multiple surgeries. That was only one of the multiple stories in this book.
Characterization: Each short story had its own group of characters. The main characters in the story above were Mick Kincaid and his best friend Chad Cain. The two boys loved to do things outside and on the water. Chad realized the dangers of swimming in the ocean. Mick and Chad's relationship grew after that day.
Impact of setting: There is no set time in these stories. The settings were different in all the stories. There was a story that took place out in the backwoods of Main. There was a story off the coast of Australia in the bright blue ocean. Two stories took place in the Alaskan bush. One story was also in South Africa in the towns that the monkeys had taken over. The story I wrote the plot about was off the coast of California near Catalina Island.
Thematic connection: The theme of this book was that wild animals were very unpredictable. Wild animals deserved to be left alone and kept and watched at a distance. In the book when the animals attacked was when they felt pressured and their environment was being invaded
Recommendations: I would recommend this book to middle schoolers and high schoolers who like an action packed story. The book has no vulgar language, it only has some graphic images that are out in words. The book was not gender specific.
Plot: The first short story in the book was about an attack of a great white shark. Chad Cain and Mick Kincaid were friends ever since the third grade. The two boys loved to fish, snorkel and surf off the coast of California. Chad and Mick planned a fishing trip in Mick's dad’s thirty- foot fishing boat on a Saturday morning. Chad had a funny feeling about this fishing trip because he recently watched “Attack of the Great White” on the history channel. Chad hoped for bad weather so he wouldn't have to go. When Chad woke up on Saturday morning he saw that the weather was perfect for a little fishing. The dad and the two boys made the twenty-eight mile journey toward Catalina Island. After the boys and Mr. Kincaid have caught quite a few fish Mr. Kincaid decided to take a nap before the journey back to shore. The boys sweating from a long day decided to take the boogie boards out and go for a swim. The boys continued to swim for a little while and they were on opposite sides of the boat when Chad saw a shark. He yelled, “shark” as loud as he could when all of a sudden the shark came up from under Chad and had thrown him in the air about fifteen feet. The commotion woke up Mr. Kincaid and Mick. Chad was taken under water and tried not to breath and remember what the TV show said to do if ever in a shark attack. Chad remembered what the video said and he began punching the shark in the nose it released him just in time for Chad to get a breath. The shark didn't stop there it attacked Chad again. This time Mr. Kincaid and Mick were right there with the boat. As soon as Chad resurfaced again, they grabbed him and brought him in the boat. They called the Coast Guard and they came and picked up Chad. Chad received over two-hundred stitches and multiple surgeries. That was only one of the multiple stories in this book.
Characterization: Each short story had its own group of characters. The main characters in the story above were Mick Kincaid and his best friend Chad Cain. The two boys loved to do things outside and on the water. Chad realized the dangers of swimming in the ocean. Mick and Chad's relationship grew after that day.
Impact of setting: There is no set time in these stories. The settings were different in all the stories. There was a story that took place out in the backwoods of Main. There was a story off the coast of Australia in the bright blue ocean. Two stories took place in the Alaskan bush. One story was also in South Africa in the towns that the monkeys had taken over. The story I wrote the plot about was off the coast of California near Catalina Island.
Thematic connection: The theme of this book was that wild animals were very unpredictable. Wild animals deserved to be left alone and kept and watched at a distance. In the book when the animals attacked was when they felt pressured and their environment was being invaded
Recommendations: I would recommend this book to middle schoolers and high schoolers who like an action packed story. The book has no vulgar language, it only has some graphic images that are out in words. The book was not gender specific.
November 16, 2015
"Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures" by Allan Zullo was a book full of thrilling stories. There are shark attacks, bear attacks, and evan an alligator attack. All of the stories are exotic and will keep you on the edge of your heels. Their all multiple stories of kids surviving deadly animal attacks. You won't want to skip this book when your reading a non-fiction book.
Danny Mason was a trouble maker. He always skipped school and got terrible grades. Thats how he ended up in this wilderness trek. He and 7 others on this trek with 2 counselors. He was eating his breakfast when the counselors came out of their tents. They told them to stick close to them because they were going on a hike. Danny was not the fittest kid in the group, so he most affected on the long hot 30 mile hike. He barely made it. By then it was night and he was going to sleep. He was hungry and snuck some peanuts in his tent. He was advised not to leave any food out at night or else it would attract bears. Danny would regret what he did. He left the can open and dozed off. In the middle of the night he was awoken by a shuffling noise in hid tent. He thought it was one of the counselors, but when he turned on his lantern he found out it was much more. The smell of his food has attracted a full grown grizzly bear into his tent. He slowly got up and began dashing away. The bear quickly gained and jumped on him. It was clawing and growling and biting. He kept fighting the bear and eventually it got off. He ran to his backpack remembering that the counselors had given everyone an air horn in case they got lost. Danny got the air horn and blasted it. The bear froze. Just it took another step Danny blew the horn again. The bear charged this time not giving Danny enough time to blow his horn. He was jumped again. He was getting deep cuts and was beginning to think he would die. Just than the counselors came to the noise of the air horn and pepper sprayed the bear. It ran away and did not come back. The ambulance was quickly called and Danny was treated for several deep cuts on his back and legs and got stitches. A wildlife troop tracked and shot the bear. He found out it attacked him because of the food he left out during the night. Danny was returned to his home and began becoming a good child again. He will never forgot what bad grades has gotten him into.
This book is recommended to people who like action and adventure type books. It is also for people who like to read about animals and nature. If you do not like intense books, then this is not the book for you. This book is recommended for grades 7-9
Danny Mason was a trouble maker. He always skipped school and got terrible grades. Thats how he ended up in this wilderness trek. He and 7 others on this trek with 2 counselors. He was eating his breakfast when the counselors came out of their tents. They told them to stick close to them because they were going on a hike. Danny was not the fittest kid in the group, so he most affected on the long hot 30 mile hike. He barely made it. By then it was night and he was going to sleep. He was hungry and snuck some peanuts in his tent. He was advised not to leave any food out at night or else it would attract bears. Danny would regret what he did. He left the can open and dozed off. In the middle of the night he was awoken by a shuffling noise in hid tent. He thought it was one of the counselors, but when he turned on his lantern he found out it was much more. The smell of his food has attracted a full grown grizzly bear into his tent. He slowly got up and began dashing away. The bear quickly gained and jumped on him. It was clawing and growling and biting. He kept fighting the bear and eventually it got off. He ran to his backpack remembering that the counselors had given everyone an air horn in case they got lost. Danny got the air horn and blasted it. The bear froze. Just it took another step Danny blew the horn again. The bear charged this time not giving Danny enough time to blow his horn. He was jumped again. He was getting deep cuts and was beginning to think he would die. Just than the counselors came to the noise of the air horn and pepper sprayed the bear. It ran away and did not come back. The ambulance was quickly called and Danny was treated for several deep cuts on his back and legs and got stitches. A wildlife troop tracked and shot the bear. He found out it attacked him because of the food he left out during the night. Danny was returned to his home and began becoming a good child again. He will never forgot what bad grades has gotten him into.
This book is recommended to people who like action and adventure type books. It is also for people who like to read about animals and nature. If you do not like intense books, then this is not the book for you. This book is recommended for grades 7-9
May 20, 2014
I know that Alan Zullo rolls out these collections of creative nonfiction short stories every few years for Scholastic, and my struggling readers love them. I don't gravitate in that direction very often, though, so I thought I'd give this one a chance.
Zullo starts with a forward about how these stories are true, fact-wise, but he made up the dialogue and inner monologues to make the stories more interesting. Then he shares statistics about how often these kinds of wild animal attacks happen - far less than kids doing normal things like riding their bikes or driving a car. Good disclaimer.
The stories about sharks, bears, wolves, and other wild animals are good, well-crafted short stories. Although they have the suspense story formula, they are not strictly formulaic, with each starting and unfolding a different and varied way. I admire that. However, the background information shared, how to avoid or surprise an attack and how often these specific animals attack an why, were only barely part of the narrative. For me, those parts in each story felt a bit heavy-handed.
All the same, I can tell why my students (and now my daughter) enjoy these Ten True Tales series books. I may give another one a try again soon.
Zullo starts with a forward about how these stories are true, fact-wise, but he made up the dialogue and inner monologues to make the stories more interesting. Then he shares statistics about how often these kinds of wild animal attacks happen - far less than kids doing normal things like riding their bikes or driving a car. Good disclaimer.
The stories about sharks, bears, wolves, and other wild animals are good, well-crafted short stories. Although they have the suspense story formula, they are not strictly formulaic, with each starting and unfolding a different and varied way. I admire that. However, the background information shared, how to avoid or surprise an attack and how often these specific animals attack an why, were only barely part of the narrative. For me, those parts in each story felt a bit heavy-handed.
All the same, I can tell why my students (and now my daughter) enjoy these Ten True Tales series books. I may give another one a try again soon.
September 20, 2015
This book was about not only how to protect yourself from these dangerous animals, but how to prevent yourself from running into these animals. The first story is about this boy and his friend wants him to go on a fishing trip with him and his dad. After hearing that he was thinking about it he had massive headaches and stomach pains that he could not control. He was getting bad vibes about the whole thing, but he didnt want his friend to be mad at him so he decided he will go. That night he was still just not feeling right about the whole fishing trip, he didnt get any sleep at all that night. The drive there his stomach was killing him. But as the day goes on it stops and he is catching all kinds of fish and having fun. It was starting to get hot so him and his friend decided to jump in he was totally relaxed now and he had no worries. So acouple minutes in hes just chilling in the water then all the sudden he feels something swoop under his feet, he yells out its a shark!! He gets bit in the leg blood is everywhere hes rushing to get back to the boat. He finnally does and they rush him to the hospital. He ends up being fine but i think the lesson of this story is, if you are not feeling good about somethings then dont do it.
July 17, 2018
Gored, stomped on, and slashed up are what happens to many of the children in this book from wild animals. In 10 True Tales: Surviving Sharks, children have encounters with different creatures around the world and have traumatic experiences with each. The first chapter explains how fatal incidences with animals are extremely rare compared to everyday accidents or fatal encounters with the domesticated dog. Even so, this chapter explains that allowing animals to roam free in the wild, without being disturbed or harassed by humans, will allow these incidences to occur less frequently. Each chapter thereafter describes a different animal and story about how a children was badly hurt by that animal; the events that occurred before, during and after the accident. At the end of many chapters, a scientist also explains why this animal, which rarely attacks humans, would do so to the child. Many facts are given about each animal and its’ habitat, along with what to do in the event that this attack would happen to the reader.
The title, 10 True Tales: Surviving Sharks, is misleading because only the first chapter involves an encounter with a shark. The rest of the book includes stories about an elephant, a bear, a python, a wolf, an alligator, a bull, a monkey, a moose, and a cougar. The scientific and survival information given is interesting and helpful to readers which will allow them to learn new concepts about animals and nature. The reader will be shocked to read how some of these animals easily attacked a child, even ones that are not normally aggressive. There were many scenes in the book that are violent, gory and could be frightening to some. Younger readers would find the ideas behind the book appealing, however, may become extremely scared due to the content. Most suitable for ages 9 and above.
The title, 10 True Tales: Surviving Sharks, is misleading because only the first chapter involves an encounter with a shark. The rest of the book includes stories about an elephant, a bear, a python, a wolf, an alligator, a bull, a monkey, a moose, and a cougar. The scientific and survival information given is interesting and helpful to readers which will allow them to learn new concepts about animals and nature. The reader will be shocked to read how some of these animals easily attacked a child, even ones that are not normally aggressive. There were many scenes in the book that are violent, gory and could be frightening to some. Younger readers would find the ideas behind the book appealing, however, may become extremely scared due to the content. Most suitable for ages 9 and above.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2025
"Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Animals" by Alan Zullo is an exploration of some of the world’s most dangerous creatures and the strategies for surviving encounters with them. One thing you need to know before buying, is, even though the cover has a picture of a shark, there is only one shark attack story in the entire book.
What I really enjoyed about this book was its ability to balance fun and exciting true tales with useful information. The real-life survival stories were captivating and added a layer of excitement. The book is perfect for anyone interested in the wild, survival stories, or just learning more about nature’s predators.
It's a book that will definitely hold your attention and make you want to read more and more.
What I really enjoyed about this book was its ability to balance fun and exciting true tales with useful information. The real-life survival stories were captivating and added a layer of excitement. The book is perfect for anyone interested in the wild, survival stories, or just learning more about nature’s predators.
It's a book that will definitely hold your attention and make you want to read more and more.
July 28, 2021
I truly enjoyed this book. It gave me a point of view from the victims of tragic encounters with dangerous creatures. One feature that I enjoyed is that it is not only one story, but multiple. This was a great benefit so that I wouldn't have to be looking for other stories. I could find many great ones in one single book. I love this authors writing style because he includes so much detail, he basically brings the book to live in the reader's mind. This is what makes his books to fun to read. They are also good books for beginner reader. Easy vocabulary, plenty of entertainment. Overall, great book to read to pass the time.
August 3, 2025
The stories are fascinating, and of course, very action packed. Though it does teach kids about the dangers of wild animals, some stories fell into the trap of villainizing the animal. For example, in the Elephant storyline it is written in a way that puts the blame on the animal and makes them out to be terrorizing creatures, without mentioning that the loss of habitat has lead to them feeding off of villagers crops. I did like that at least the last kid does feel bad for the animal that had to get put down because of the attack, but he was the only one to show that remorse.
October 23, 2017
best book i’ve ever read
January 18, 2020
A good book about real-life stories that do with the attacks of animals at any time and how you can be aware of these things happening.
February 19, 2021
Detailed attacks by a Great White Shark, elephants, a Grizzly Bear, a Burmese Python, a Wolf, an Aligator, a Bull, Monkeys, a Moose, and a Cougar.
January 31, 2017
I think that this book is telling true tales because it seems really bealivable tales
November 30, 2015
"Surviving Sharks and other Dangerous Animals" by Alan Zulio was a very good book. A boy is bit by a shark, girls are trampled by elephants, people get strangled by pet pythons. Also wolves and moose attack pets. In another one of the stories a cougar stalks a person also a bear can mistake you for food.
This book was very good in my opinion. It shared various stories of people being attacked by wild animals. I found it very interesting and I always wanted to keep reading on.
I recommend this book to everyone. It will keep you wanting to read more and it is very interesting. You should definitely read this book.
This book was very good in my opinion. It shared various stories of people being attacked by wild animals. I found it very interesting and I always wanted to keep reading on.
I recommend this book to everyone. It will keep you wanting to read more and it is very interesting. You should definitely read this book.
December 15, 2015
The book I read was surviving sharks and other dangerous animals by Allan Zullo. This book was about 10 animal attacks. A couple of the attacks were a shark attack, a bear attack, Etc.. Most of the attacks happened as human causes.
I like to this book. I like this book because if I was in this situation with wild animals attacking me I could remember what these stories told me about surviving these animals.
I would recommend this book to whoever wants to learn more about wild attacks. Just in case they are in that situation like I just said.
I like to this book. I like this book because if I was in this situation with wild animals attacking me I could remember what these stories told me about surviving these animals.
I would recommend this book to whoever wants to learn more about wild attacks. Just in case they are in that situation like I just said.
January 8, 2013
This book is about young teens and children who have been attacked by various animals and have lived to tell the tale. In one story of this book a boy lived with his father in alaska in a logging camp. One day he is attacked by a wolf but is saved. He got many injuries from the attack. There are other stories in this book when young people who get attacked by animals but live. This is a book for anyonekids and adults who likes to read true stories.
July 15, 2014
The cover art is misleading - the book contains only one shark attack story; the other nine tales are all about the "other dangerous creatures," which range from gators to rhesus monkeys. Allan Zullo's nonfiction books for Scholastic are high interest and easy to read; perfect for upper elementary and middle school classroom libraries.
August 10, 2016
This is a short collection of true stories about people who have survived attacks by dangerous animals. A great way to introduce reluctant readers to nonfiction. The tales are not graphic, but they are entertaining.
January 19, 2015
The stories in this book are based off of true survival stories of kids and teens who survived attacks from dangerous wild animals. My favorite story was the last one titled: The Stalker. It's a story about a cougar attack. Recommended.
May 19, 2016
Well, I wasn't that big of a fan of this book. The stories sounded fake, also I was forced to read it or get a bad grade. Living near and around the wild midwest the dangers of getting attacked by a shark is great! The moose and cougars run wild. I had a hard time relating to this book. DV
December 13, 2015
A good MG non-fiction selection from the book fair. This one might be a bit graphic for younger or more sensitive readers, but those that are thrill seekers or danger junkies will eat this up. Fascinating stories with great real life tips. Probably best for grades 4 and up.
February 22, 2016
Terrifying yet thrilling stories about kids who survived being attacked by wild animals. Not only can readers learn about the kids and what they dealt with, they can also learn about how to avoid these encounters or respond to them if they ever find themselves facing similar situations.
April 26, 2016
I got this book because i like to fish and i want to catch a shark. If the shark tries to get me hopfully this book gives me some tips how to survive. AFTER:This book gave me some tips on how to survive so Im hoping to catch a shark now.
April 20, 2008
A collection of true stories of kids who survived a variety of attacks by wild animals.
December 10, 2013
I thought this book was ok. I also thought it was cool to see how they managed to survive and succeed in life after their attack.
March 15, 2016
Nice stories, well told, explaining how rare these attacks are and giving facts and techniques to deal with them.
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