Gr. 3-6. Shark Shock offers a lighthearted but realistic look at the fears contemporary children encounter as they grow up. In this companion to Soccer Shock, Adam and his family head to New Jersey for a well-deserved summer vacation. Only Adam is reluctant. His friend Grayson presented a horrifying report on sharks before school was out, and now Adam fears for his life. Over the course of the summer, Adam learns that, although he can't deny his fears, he can put them in perspective just as his new-found friend Seth does. Seth, two years Adam's senior and blind since a waterskiing accident when he was 10, continues to explore and experience life in spite of his natural fears. The effective multidimensional characterization of Seth, actually a secondary character, moves this book from an optional purchase of lighthearted humor to an important one of diversity, empathy, and understanding

Share/Like this Review?