For kids young and old comes this collection of shark books. In lieu of the 30th Anniversary of Shark Week this year I am sharing a collection of both fiction and non-fiction books for kids from prepreaders through high school!

A fascination with sharks started early in our house when my son fell in love with a picture book I used to read him called, The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale. 

In this simple picture book Norvin is a very good actor, but rather plain. In fact, he looks very like a shark, and more than anything, he loves to shoot through the water like a silver arrow. But his cunning plan to clear the water at Caramel Cove badly misfires. While this book isn’t packed with facts, it’s a fun story to have as part of your shark books collection, that had us digging for more information!

Super Shark Books! Fiction and Non-Fiction for Toddler to Teen

As the years have gone on we have found many fun and interesting shark books of both the fiction and non-fiction varieties. We hope you enjoy some of these shark books as much as we have!

Shark Books – Fiction

1. Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter – A science comics book – Dive in for an intimate look at the dynamic hammerhead, infamous great white, primordial megalodon, and the gentle nurse shark, the rare species that will let a scuba diver pet them! This book is filled to the gills with jaw-dropping illustrations and razor-sharp facts that shed light on these fascinating creatures of the deep, including their undersea terrain, cunning adaptability, and staggering variety.
2. The Shark King – This is a comic done for elementary readers about a Hawaiian folk tale.  If you are teaching a unit on folk tales and myths or want another way for students to learn about other cultures in a social studies lesson, this is a good resource to add to your collection! Join Kalei on an adventure as she wanders the beach to search for food and finds more than she had bargained for. Kalei is a young woman who is saved from drowning by a mysterious man. Eventually, they fall in love and marry. Kalei is about to have a baby when the young man leaves her to make, as he tells her, “a place for our son at the bottom of the pool.” With that, Kalei discovers something surprising about her husband…
3. Shark School – This is such a cute and fun chapter book series for kids featuring Harry Hammer, a hammerhead shark with a penchant for (mis)adventure. Harry Hammer is a hammerhead shark, although he’d rather be a great white shark, or a tiger shark—anything but himself. But when a class trip to a famous shipwreck almost ends in disaster for Harry and his pals, he realizes the importance of being exactly who he is! There are currently 10 books in this series.
4. Shark Island – A boating adventure turns wild! Three friends, pre-teens, embark on a deep-sea fishing excursion. Their weathered and wise captain has just one leg—thanks to a shark attack from long ago. Nate, the first mate, dreams of treasures not yet discovered. The kids just want to do some fishing. When an unexpected storm comes along, the boat loses course, and with the high waves and furious waters, the passengers and crew are tossed into the ocean to fight for their lives. New reality sets in. They are on a deserted island, surrounded by sharks. Hence, its name: SHARK ISLAND. Legend says there is a treasure there. And Nate will do anything to find it—including putting the youngsters in harm’s way.
5. How to Survive as a Shark – provides a unique take on fish science that will entertain and educate in and out of the classroom. Full of opportunities for extended learning, this book includes fun facts hidden throughout the hilarious illustrated story – and after, a glossary of important terms and some real photos of great white sharks. If you’ve ever wondered how to think and swim like a shark, and you like to laugh while you learn, this book is for you!
6. I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916 – Chet Roscow is finally feeling at home in Elm Hills, New Jersey. He has a job with his uncle Jerry at the local diner, three great friends, and the perfect summertime destination: cool, refreshing Matawan Creek. But Chet’s summer is interrupted by shocking news. A great white shark has been attacking swimmers along the Jersey shore, not far from Elm Hills. Everyone in town is talking about it. So when Chet sees something in the creek, he’s sure it’s his imagination. . . until he comes face-to-face with a bloodthirsty shark!
7. Hark! A Shark! – the Cat introduces beginning readers to all kinds of sharks! From the smallest (the dwarf lantern) to the largest (the whale shark), the most notorious (the great white) to the most obscure (the goblin), the Cat explains why sharks have lots of teeth but no bones; how their tough skin helps them swim fast and stay clean (inspiring scientists–and bathing suit manufacturers!); how pores along the sides of their bodies help them sense prey and much, much more!
8. The Great Shark Escape – Magic School Bus Chapter Book #7 – A class trip to the aquarium winds up in the depths of the ocean as Ms. Frizzle’s class must escape the jaws of a great white shark! During their adventure, Ms. Frizzle teaches the class about different shark species, including the goblin shark, angel shark, whale shark, and others.
9. Magic Tree House Shadow of the Shark – Jack and Annie are going on vacation! Or so they think. Teddy, the young sorcerer, has promised them a relaxing time off the coast of Mexico. The magic tree house whisks them away to a beautiful sandy beach, and Jack and Annie are ready to raft on the ocean waves. But when a hungry shark attacks, their dream vacation turns into a nightmare!
10. Magic Tree House Dolphins at Daybreak – It’s sink or swim for Jack and Annie when the Magic Tree House whisks them off to the middle of the ocean. Luckily, they find a mini-submarine on a coral reef. Unluckily, they are about to meet a giant octopus and one very hungry shark. Will the dolphins save the day? Or are Jack and Annie doomed to be dinner?
11. Sharkpunk – An anthology of killer shark stories. The stories contained within are rip-roaring thrillers and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp, and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and steampunk through to science fiction, these are stories with bite!
12. Surrounded by Sharks – When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can’t wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he’s sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that No Swimming sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water — and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It’s just a matter of time…
13. Shark Trouble – Master storyteller Peter Benchley combines high adventure with practical information in Shark Trouble, a book that is at once a thriller and a valuable guide to being safe in, on, under, and around the sea. The bestselling author of Jaws draws on more than three decades of experience to share information about sharks and other marine animals.
14. Jaws – Of course our list wouldn’t be complete without this iconic book!

Shark Books – Non-Fiction

1. DK Super Shark Encyclopedia – Super Shark Encyclopedia uncovers the secrets of the oceans by exploring a remarkable array of 80 sharks and other sea creatures — from Barrel Shrimp to Blue Sharks, Starfish to Bat Fish, and Hammerhead Sharks to Sand tiger Sharks, plus surfing penguins, deep-sea monsters, rays, eels and more. Packed with jaw-dropping facts about animal behavior and anatomy, new x-ray artworks utilize cross-sections and strip layers away to show key anatomical features in detail.
2. Sharkopedia – Celebrate Discovery Shark Week all year long with Discovery Sharkopedia, the definitive visual guide to everything there is to know about sharks! With more than 400 incredible color photos of the world’s most infamous sharks, including great white, bull, and tiger sharks, Sharkopedia explores the evolution of sharks-did you know sharks have been swimming in the world’s oceans since before dinosaurs roamed the earth?-and introduces kids to almost 500 known shark species with close-up portraits of each and fun “fin facts” throughout.
3. The Ultimate Book of Sharks – (National Geographic Kids) Join this amazing underwater adventure to track the sharks of the world, from the teeniest dogfish to the everfeared great white. This ultimate book features every species of shark on the planet, with awesome photos, fascinating facts, the latest science, and firsthand stories of real-life encounters with these incredible creatures. Learn how sharks live, how they eat, the challenges they face, and whether or not you are actually on the menu!
4. Shark Lady – An inspiring story by critically acclaimed zoologist Jess Keating about finding the strength to discover truths that others aren’t daring enough to see. Includes a timeline of Eugenie’s life and many fin-tastic shark facts!
5. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Sharks & Other Predators – When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #25: Shadow of the Shark, they had lots of questions. How many teeth do sharks have? What is their favorite food? What are some other top predators? How do they keep life in balance? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts about sharks and other predators.
6. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Dolphins & Sharks – Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures.
7. Sharks – by Gail Gibbons. From the dwarf shark to the great white shark, here is information on the physical characteristics of these animals, how they differ from other fish, how they are born (some hatch from eggs, others are born alive), and how they survive in their environment. Their role in ocean life and how their survival is threatened is also discussed.
8. Uncover A Shark – takes you on a whole new learning experience, layer-by-layer to provide children with an in-depth and all encompassing understanding of the subject and its anatomy.  First the basic elements–their cartilaginous nature, teeth, fins, and gills–then more complex systems are detailed–the cardiopulmonary systems, digestive system, and the acute sensory systems. Each organ or system is intricately placed inside the book to provide a three dimensional view of its size in relation to the rest of the body. Each page is filled with interesting facts and detailed illustrations that describe each part. There is also a very similar paperback book called Explore a Shark.
9. Smithsonian Sharks – If you believe the movies and books about shark attacks, you probably think that sharks are the biggest, scariest animals on the planet. But are all sharks the giant man hunters they are so often made out to be? What do they eat, where do they swim, and what do they do on weekends? Dive in and explore one of the world’s most mysterious creatures with acclaimed science writer Seymour Simon.
10. Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks – From the enormous whale shark to the legendary great white to the enigmatic goblin shark to the small cookie-cutter shark, Slickety Quick is a delightful frenzy of shark mayhem. Mysterious species such as the camouflaged wobbegong and the elusive frilled shark share the waters with better-known blue and nurse sharks, each commemorated in a poem by Skila Brown and illustrated by Bob Kolar. Sneaky shark facts ripple through each spread to further inform the brave and curious young reader intrigued by the power — and danger — of these amazing creatures.

More Shark Fun

COMING SOON!

• Bite Into These Shark Week Resources – TONS of printables, toys, movies, and more! Everything your child could ever want to learn about and have fun with sharks!
• Shark Art with Chalk Pastels – It’s no secret that we LOVE using our chalk pastels for art.  So why not celebrate sharks with some fun art too!