The Bull Shark

Dragged from Under #1

by Joseph Monninger

Barn Whimbril is a shark-obsessed sixth grader living in Florida. When a deadly shark attack happens in a canal near his home, he heads off to the scene. As he tries to figure out what has caused these bull sharks to become more aggressive, Barn will face several hazards both in and out of the water.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2020

About the author

Joseph Monninger was an American writer and Professor of English at Plymouth State University. He lived in Warren, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to dive into the thrilling world of ocean exploration with Great White Shark Adventure! Follow Bella and Marcus as they join Fabien Cousteau on a quest to find a massive great white shark off the coast of South Africa. With a perfect balance of factual information and exciting adventure, this book will have young readers hooked from start to finish. From getting up close in a shark cage to using a robotic shark sub, the kids learn all about these incredible creatures. While some parts may be fictionalized, it only adds to the excitement and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. So grab this graphic novel and get ready for an unforgettable journey through the depths of the ocean!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the real-life adventures ocean explorers, Great White Shark Adventure follows Bella and Marcus as they accompany a fictionalized Fabien Cousteau on an expedition to find a reported massive great white shark off the coast of South Africa. A lot of factual information is mixed in with the story, although none of it is officially documented in the book and should be taken as approximately in accordance with accepted science beliefs and data. As the expedition sets out to find and tag a large great white, the kids learn about the physical characteristics of great white sharks and how they live. The kids even get inside a shark cage to observe the sharks swimming nearby. When the shark the expedition is looking for doesn't materialize, they get out a decoy to try to attract her. The next day, one of the scientists climbs inside a decoy that looks like a large seal (fiction, no scientist would do this in real life, it would be too risky). When the large shark they are looking for still hasn't appeared, they send out a robotic shark sub. While the story has been fictionalized and isn't 100% believable (if only finding treasure and enormous sharks were so easy), it does make for a fun adventure tale, especially for young readers who are fascinated by sharks. If you have a young reader in your life that enjoys Shark Week, they are bound to enjoy reading this graphic novel.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read for shark lovers. Bull Sharks can live and swim in both freshwater and saltwater. These sharks' function at fifty percent salinity. They have a different kidney function and have corresponding glands in their tails to help regulate their salt content. I honestly thought the reason the Bull sharks where there was because of a good regular feed source. Also, the canals are a great place for giving birth to their young, so they don't have as many other predators to attack them. I did forget that sharks have nose pores that use Ampullae of Lorenzini. Just wish the author had written if the solar panels and feeding actually was the main problem. Then what the after fact was.

[Mara]

I read this MG to my two youngest (ages 12 and 8) and here were their thoughts:

1. Liked the concept, but wanted more sharks

2. Pace felt slow-- lots of chapters with no sharks, but instead town meetings or general conversations

3. They hated the "crus" subplot with Barn and Margaret

4. Liked the ending, but thought something more should have happened to Barn

Overall, it was "okay" but not a big win.

[Mari Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting concept with loads of scientific facts wrapped into a great story. Will appeal to middle grade boys especially. The opening chapter is a little bit gruesome so it might bother some sensitive students. Looking forward to reading more from this author in this series.

[Anthony Buffum]

I thought this book was great! It had me at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen and what was next. It had some unexpected turning points but I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book if they like the I survived serries

[Thea · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

A little bit dark at times but a very good plot. It also helps people realizes not all stories have a happy ending and much more life lessons. It also gives lots of information

[tdadragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looked like it was going to be some weird horror book but it actually turned out pretty good! The main character is alright but I really like grandpa Lemon and Finn. I also like that it talks about how usually the sharks attack because of something humans did.

[Wylie Villa · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAKE ANOTHER BOOK PLEASE!!!!

[Martin Goranov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired me to learn about sharks. This book is cool my favorite part is when Barn falls into the water with the sharks.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about sharks, but it wasn't a non-fiction book. Good storyline.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really exciting and fun to read!

[Shelby Wainer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. It didn’t really have an exciting plot other than the ending chapter.

[Jazminn Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was exciting and also have you actually learned information about sharks! My 9 year old loved it and can't wait to read the second book!

[Thomas Cieslak · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s by far the most interesting book I have came across and I think it deserves 5 stars for its interesting storyline (mysterious shark attack) , personable characters etc.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything i wish Fins by Randy Wayne White was. Cant wait for book 2.