WorldLife Library series books are jam-packed with facts. In Sharks, author Doug Perrine dispels a lot of shark myths and pounds the reader with information. Considering there are more than 400 species of sharks, that sometimes means information overload!
    Still, amazing photos bring this “Misunderstood Monster” to life for readers. Perrine has dived and photographed sharks for more than 20 years and his knowledge is impressive—he also stresses that humans are far more of a threat to sharks than vice versa.
    Sharks are a tremendously diverse group of animals. In fact, between three and five new species of shark are discovered each year. From the whale shark to the pygmy shark, this book introduces you to one very groovy fish. And whatever you do, don’t call it a “living fossil”!

I thought the book was well-designed because it had a photograph on almost every page. There are also captions to explain each photograph.
    The topic was interesting because sharks are cool. And normally people don’t get to see them because they are underwater. The first part of the book describes sharks in general and the rest of the book describes 18 individual sharks.
    The pictures are the best thing about the book because they show the life of the shark underwater. The lighting of the photographs really make the shark images stand out. What I liked least was the amount of facts given.
I have seen a movie about sharks and I’ve read another book on sharks, but I still learned lots about them from reading this book. For example, some sharks will eat their own kind. Once, a three metre-long lemon shark was found in the stomach of a five metre-long hammerhead shark. Also, many shark species are at risk due to fishing and other human activities.
    I had fun reading the book because I enjoyed the style of writing. The words and sentences were easy to understand and linked together. The only thing I would change would be to include more non-fiction shark stories, and give less facts.
    Sharks is one of the best non-fiction books I have read. I think the book was too short, especially the part that described the individual sharks. Out of a score of 10, I give the book an 8.5. The one word I would use to describe the book is great.
    This is a great book for anyone who is fascinated by sharks. You can really sink your teeth into it.

(Originally published in the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of YES Mag.)