Happy Shark Week!
Do some sharks glow in the dark? Do sharks ever wink? Do sharks throw up? (This one will freak you out!)*
Oh, the fun things you can learn during Shark Week! In 1987, the Discovery Channel decided to feature a week of shark programming to promote awareness and hopefully respect for sharks. I wonder if they knew shark week would become such an integral part of pop culture. Lucky for us, every week is shark week at the library! Here are a few titles you can check out to compliment your sharktastic week.
"Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks," by Juliet Eilperin.
With a reporter's instinct for a good story and a scientist's curiosity, Eilperin offers us an up-close and in-depth understanding of these extraordinary, mysterious creatures in the most entertaining and illuminating shark encounter you're likely to find outside a steel cage.
"The Encyclopedia of Sharks," by Steve Parker.
Through its lively text, spectacular photography, and charts, maps and illustrations, The Encyclopedia of Sharks will encourage an understanding of these complex creatures.
"Gilbert the Great," by Jane Clark.
Ever since Gilbert the Great White Shark was a tiny pup, Raymond the Remora stuck to him like glue. Them, one day, Gilbert wakes to find his friend has left town to live somewhere new. "It's my fault," the little shark wails. "Last week I called him a sucker!" What will he do?
"Jaws."
We had to go here, right? The classic 'I'm-Never-Going-In-The-Water-Again' story of a killer shark that has taken over the waters near a seaside community, and the three men who set out to kill it. "dun dun..."
"Shark."
Takes you down into the murky world of sharks and their relatives, reveals what motivates these fascinating creatures, and dispels some myths about their behavior.
"The Shark Chronicles: a Scientist Tracks the Consummate Predator," by John Musick.
This captivating and educational scientific exploration challenges us to rethink our relationship with sharks, leaving us with the question: Are humans the prey, or the predator?
"The Trench," by Steve Alten.
Its appetite is ravenous. Its teeth scalpel-sharp. Its power unstoppable as it smashes the steel doors holding it in a Monterey, California aquarium. The captive twenty-ton Megalodon shark has tasted human blood, and it wants more.
"The Shark Handbook: The Essential Guide for Understanding the Sharks of the World," by Gregory Skomal.
Greg Skomal is one of the world's leading shark experts: he is the "Shark Guy" on the Discovery Channel. So if you're dreaming of swimming with sharks, there's no one better to take you--and that's exactly what he does in this comprehensive, stunning field guide.
"Sharkabet: A sea of Sharks From A to Z," by Ray Troll.
A thrilling, chilling book for children of all ages. Featuring Ray Troll's spectacular fishy art, this book portrays sharks both living and extinct.
"Soul surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board" by Bethany Hamilton.
Hamilton, the teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 describes how she has coped with this life-altering event with the help of her faith, the changes in her life, and her return to the sport she loves. The Library also owns the movie.
*Answers:
1. Do some sharks glow in the dark? There are deepwater sharks that emit a glowing substance and others that have small glowing creatures that live on their body.
2. Do sharks ever wink? Yes, some sharks wink. Others also have a special lid-called the nictating-that covers the eye to protect it while it is attacking. This is why when a shark attacks it attacks without actually seeing its prey.
3. Do sharks throw up? (This one will freak you out!) When a shark feels the need to get something out of its stomach it literally pushed the stomach out of its mouth to empty it. Once the mission is accomplished, the shark pulls the stomach back in. Is that gross or what?
Source: "Do Sharks Ever...?" by Nathalie Ward. Down East Books, 1999.
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