22 Books for Kids to Read During Shark Week (or Anytime)

Hey, kids–Shark Week is coming up!! You probably want to read the best books about sharks to celebrate, am I right?

Did you know that sharks are fish?

And they have no bones — only cartilage?

Learn all about sharks to compliment your favorite Shark Week television shows.

Schedule a time to go swimming with sharks. (Just kidding!)

Or maybe you already know about sharks but want MORE books to read…

Well, here you go –books about shark researchers, shark facts, shark activities, and a few fictional shark stories, too.

These are the best nonfiction (and fiction) books for children of all ages, both boys and girls.

The Best Shark Books for Kids

Ages 4 – 9

Dude! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
(ages 4 – 8)
There’s a lot of one word in this story — I’ll give you a guess which word it is. ???? In an exercise of reading with inflection, kids will enjoy this surfing adventure story about two surfer dudes who, while on the ocean, make an unexpected new friend. Dude. Totally funny and sweet with outstanding illustrations.

So Cool! Sharks by Crispin Boyer
(ages 4 – 8)
New from National Geographic, read all the cool facts about these super predators! Plus, the photographs are SO COOL, too!

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jordi Solano
(ages 4 – 12)
Genie loved all fish, especially sharks, and wanted to be a fish scientist. Even though she lived in the 1930s when that wasn’t a regular job for a woman, Genie found work — first as an assistant, then as a researcher for the US Navy, and finally, she opened up her own marine laboratory. She focused her research on sharks, discovering more about sharks than anyone knew before.

Steve, Terror of the Seas by Megan Brewis
(ages 4 – 8)
You’ll feel empathy for this little sad fish who can’t figure out why the other sea creatures are scared of him. Poor guy! You’ll keep wondering why he’s inspired so much fear until the very end when all is revealed — and it’s so funny! (Spoiler: Steve is a pilot fish who swims next to a shark because he keeps the shark free of parasites.)

All the Fish in the World by David Opie
ages 4 – 8
Trout explains to Mudskipper what makes a fish — that it’s not just having gills and fins. In as such, Trout and Mudskipper take a colorful, illuminating journey to see the ocean’s fish. Along the way, we learn from Trout all about fish including fins, cartilage, and even the largest fish in the world. Back matter provides a key that shows what each fish is called.

What If You Could Sniff Like a Shark? by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Howard McWilliam
ages 6 – 12
Despite the busy layout, this is an engaging, informative, and relatable book of facts about ocean animals filled with photos, illustrations, and graphic designs. On the Australian Box Jellyfish page, it explains where they live and how they use their tentacles to sting, and other fascinating facts. Then it suggests that if you could sting, too, you’d be a crime-fighting superhero.

Who wouldn’t want their own shark tooth you get with this cool book? Then get the scoop on the world of sharks from the basics of their bodies to unusual features and interesting kinds of sharks. This is a well-written shark book with helpful photographs and interesting informational insets. You’ll learn a lot from this book.

Animal Adventures SHARKS
(ages 6 – 12)
This has everything for learning and playing — a book, predator fact cards, 3-D models of sharks you can build, a diorama to make with reusable stickers, and six plastic sharks. Hands-on shark fun!

Fly Guy Presents Sharks by Ted Arnold
(ages 6 – 9)
Visit the aquarium with Buzz and Fly Guy to learn about sharks in this terrific easy non-fiction reader. I LOVE how Arnold combines cartoons with photographs.

Sharks (National Geographic Readers Level 2) by Anne Schreiber
(ages 6 – 9)
Perfect for early elementary readers with comprehensible text and brilliant photographs — kids will love to read this nonfiction early reader book on their own from national geographic.

Hungry, Hungry Sharks by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Patricia Wayne
(ages 6 – 9)
This is a popular nonfiction beginning reader that will teach kids and help them practice their informational reading.

Stink and the Shark Sleepover by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
(ages 7 – 10)
I loved this adventure because it’s both exciting and includes a lot of factual information about marine life. When Stink sleeps over at the aquarium, he learns more about sharks, gets to solve a mystery, learns a ghost story, and has tons of fun. I like that kids can easily relate to the characters in the story, as well as the setting. Of course, the Peter H. Reynolds illustrations are ah-mazing.

Are You Smarter than a Shark? by David George Gordon, illustrated by Josh Lynch
(ages 7 – 12)
Funny interactions in the cartoon illustrations and dialogue bubbles provide humor throughout this excellent book about the mighty shark. You’ll read about the basics of anatomy, what makes the shark so smart, what they eat, all about the shark’s teeth, and much more. I LOVE this book and predict it to be a new favorite for elementary-age readers who love sharks or are studying ocean animals.

Great White Shark Adventure by James O. Fraioli, illustrated by Joe St. Pierre
(ages 7 – 10)
In this fiction story, Bella and Marcus travel with Fabien Cousteau and his research team to find and tag a great white shark. The author shares facts about ocean animals and other related topics either using informational insets or using adult characters who explain (pontificate?) to the young friends. The illustrations help the story and information flow well — I suspect most readers will learn a lot from this book.

Ages 8 – 12

Everything Awesome About Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures! by Mike Lowery
(ages 6 – 12)
The Everything Awesome book series continues with SHARKS! Handwriting and kid-like fonts plus lots of comic illustrations and colors make this a visual feast for the eyes. (Or distracting, it can go either way.) But, it’s filled with a wealth of facts about the ocean, underwater creatures, and of course, sharks. From information about ocean zones to prehistoric sharks and kelp forests, this book covers ocean information in a fun, often hilarious, way.

The Ultimate Book of Sharks (National Geographic Kids) by Brian Skerry
(ages 7 -12)
Gorgeous photographs, eye-catching displays, and tons of informational insets make this book a must-own for shark lovers. Kids will read about different shark species, shark life cycles, myths vs. reality, and shark fossils.

Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter (Science Comics) by Joe Flood
(ages 8 – 12)
It may be a comic book but this book is filled with as much information about sharks as any nonfiction book you’d find for this age group. There are pluses and minuses with this book — the pluses are the fantastic, colorful illustrations that add meaning and interest to the text. But the big minus is that it’s not organized like a nonfiction book meaning you can’t search a table of contents or index to find any specific topic.

Sharks! Animal Planet Chapter Book #1 by Lori Stein
(ages 7 – 10)
I like the layout and design of this beginning chapter book, the font, the photographs, and the insets of information. But, I am not totally captivated by the writing. So you decide if this book is for you. Maybe peek inside a few pages before you decide to buy this book.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart
(ages 6+)
Open the page to find — yikes — more than 35 pop-ups of prehistoric beasts of the ocean — scorpions, squid, and sharks, to name a few. Filled with facts as well as incredible artwork.

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