November 1, 2013
Gr 3-5-Each title examines a shark species in a largely engaging fashion, covering range, physical characteristics, food, reproduction, and predators. While general facts are included, the texts do a nice job of highlighting distinct traits, such as the mako's unusual body temperature. The language isn't always smooth, but the logical arrangement and fairly simple sentence structure make the information easy to process. Photographs are more useful than exciting-most fill less than half a page, limiting the potential for dramatic visual impact. Text boxes raise questions and encourage analysis from readers, neatly bringing in Common Core concepts (e.g., "How are the feeding habits of the goblin shark different from other sharks? In what ways does this surprise you?"). Most of these are effective devices to move students a bit deeper into the topic. Though slightly less visually appealing than some shark series, this set offers a strong presentation of information through words and pictures, making it a solid choice for an always in-demand subject area.
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