Swimming with Sharks

by Twig C. George, Yong Chen (Illustrator)

No TV, no friends, and a grandfather struggling with retirement from marine biology--Sarah's sure her stay in the Florida Keys will be the most boring summer of her life. That is, until she begins to take notice of the unusual-looking fish that visits her grandparents' dock every day. When Sarah discovers she's befriended a baby lemon shark, her fascination with sharks fakes roof. Before long, Sarah and her grandfather are inseparable as they spend hours tracking, observing, and swimming with sharks. The Florida summer heats up quickly with heart-pounding shark encounters and the daring pursuit of two shark-fin poachers. This is a shark-filled summer Sarah and her grandfather won't soon forget. No TV, no friends, and a grandfather struggling with retirementSarah was sure her stay in the Florida Keys would be the most boring summer of her ten-year-old life. That is, until she befriends a baby lemon shark who swims near their dock. Before long, Sarah and her grandfather are inseparable as they spend hours tracking and observing sharks. Sarahs Florida summer heats up quickly with heart-pounding shark encounters and the daring pursuit of two shark-fin poachers.

Genres: Realistic Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 1999

About the author

Twig grew up in a family of naturalists. Her mother, Jean Craighead George, has written over one hundred children's books and pioneered the genre of scientific literature for children. Twig's father, grandfather and uncles were all biologists dedicated to the study of wildlife and ecology. In the midst of this creative, scientific family Twig and her two brothers, Craig and Luke, helped raise over 173 wild animals in their relatively normal suburban house.
Twig received her Bachelor's degree from Bennington College and a Master's in Child Development from Bank Street College of Education. She has taught young children, developed curriculum and worked as Director of Education for the Center for Marine Conservation in Washington, DC. Mother of two daughters, Katie and Rebecca, she now lives in Cockeysville, Maryland with her family and a small but select group of pets. Fortunately, her husband, David Pittenger, is Director of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The Aquarium is home to over 5,000 animals so Twig and her girls enjoy the company of many more species than they could fit in their own house.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It's a chapter book, but it has a slightly bigger font and just over 100 pages, so I thought the content would be for younger children. I was glad that we decided to read this book together considering the content.

The main character in the book is a ten-year-old girl named Sarah. She's visiting her granparents for the summer and is miserable because she wants to be home with her friends. Slowly she's is drawn into her grandfather's world. A retired marine biologist, he spends much of his day in his boat on the ocean. He teaches Sarah about marine life, especially sharks.

The story becomes more dramatic when poachers (or finners) arrive on the scene. The illustration of a dead shark is quite sad and shows the brutality of the act. While the ending is quite satisfying, overall I would recommend this book for older elementary school-age students, who are likely mature enough to handle the more sensitive topics.

Overall, I thought this book was informative and engaging and our girls loved the descriptions of the fish in the ocean. They wanted to be snorkling with Sarah, too. The story has a strong environmental message about protecting the sharks, majestic creatures who have been much maligned especially in popular media. We really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Arenal · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to find a free, signed copy of this book at The Book Thing! I don't think I'd ever actually read this one of Twig's books. It was a quick read, definitely aimed at a younger audience, but I still enjoyed it.

[Peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book change my understanding of sharks. It was because I thought Sharks were dangerous creature in the sea, but if people don't do any motion to them, they don't harm. I'm going to go to Florida bay to dive someday!

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was not scary it was sort of sad how people take of sharks fins and leave them for dead

[Lynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's kind of a kids book, but anyone who has ever been afraid of sharks should read this.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 3-6