SeeMore Readers: Incredible Sharks - Level 1

by Seymour Simon

Some sharks can bite 300 times harder than a person and can hear prey in the water from 3,000 feet away. Find out more about these impressive hunters, from the tiny pygmy shark to the giant whale shark.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Seymour Simon, whom the NY Times called "the dean of [children's science:] writers," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association).

Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.

He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."

Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."

Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.

In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."

Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Liz Nealon.

You can follow Seymour on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as on his website, which offers free, downloadable Teacher Guides to his books for educators, parents and homeschoolers, as well as the popular Seymour Science Daily Blo

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i read this book i learned alot .did u know sharks eat almost every thing....but not people. more people kill sharks than sharks kill people

[Gabriella Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age range for this book is k-2. The book provides a wide variety of shark facts. It also mentions their speed, length, and dietary needs. Each page is a different colorful image of a type of shark or a magnified image of their skin. First of all I loved all the photographs they chose to include in the book. There was also a ton of interesting facts that I had never known about sharks. The book is packed with valuable information about one of the most famous sea creatures. The book is a great informational text for students who might be completing a research paper/project. It's also a great introduction to an ocean or underwater themed center.

[Katelin Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work at a childcare center and recently we have been going through our bookshelves to clean them up.

My preschoolers came across this book and I have read it EVERY DAY this week before they got on the school bus to go home. They absolutely love this story!

Their routine is: get my jacket on, get my backpack on, find this book, put it in Miss Katelin’s chair, then sit on the carpet. (And I didnt even tell them! They just love this book so much!)

[Amy Balaich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational - Interesting book with not too much information. Great read for younger kids who can't handle quite as much text.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I learned a few things, I did not know most of the facts they stated. This would be good if a student wanted to do a research project about sharks. I wish the pictures would have been labeled with which breed of shark was featured.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bo...
Interest Level
Grades K - 2
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 2.8
Lexile® Measure: 670L
DRA: 18
Guided Reading: K
Theme/Subject
Animals
Fish and Marine Life

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, picture-filled book about sharks. The narrative is simple, which is great for beginning readers. The information provided is not very detailed and the pictures are very vivid. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Rose]

E Sim

[Karen Probus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting facts. great pictures. beginning text features