All Categories
About the Author Sandra Markle is the author of numerous award-winning books for children. A former elementary science teacher, she is a nationally-known science education consultant. Markle has received many honors for her series Animal Predators, Animal Scavengers, and Animal Prey. Several titles have been named as National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)/Children’s Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, and Animal Predators was honored as a Top 10 Youth Nonfiction Series by Booklist. Markle is also the author of the Insect World series and several single titles. Her book Rescues! was named a Best Book by the Society of School Librarians International and a Recommended Title of Outstanding Nonfiction by the National Council of Teachers of English’s (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award committee; Animal Heroes was named a 2008 Lasting Connections title by Book Links. Markle lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with her husband, photographer Skip Jeffery. Product Description Top-selling science author Sandra Markle presents the story of whale sharks―the largest fish on the planet. Facing threats from commercial fishing as well as climate change, they were categorized as endangered in 2016. Find out how scientists are working to study and protect these gentle giants of the ocean. Review "Whale sharks are one of the most mysterious creatures of the oceans. Little has been known about their habits and existence. Declared endangered in 2016, they have dropped in number precipitously due to killing, climate change, and encounters with large boats and seine nets. Two juvenile whale sharks caught in a mile-long purse seine net set the stage for an exploration of the species. Whale sharks are not whales, and the author explains the differences between them. The feeding patterns, migration, and very unusual gestation of this fish are shown through full-color photographs, maps, and charts. Scientists and marine biologists studying whale sharks have made advances in monitoring their migration and life patterns and are working to protect these magnificent creatures. A time line lays out the growing information available to scientists involved in the conservation of whale sharks. The juveniles caught in the net are shown to be rescued and released with the help of divers from a whale shark rescue program. The author also makes a plea for the protection of the much-maligned great white shark. Using clear language, interesting data, and exciting photographs, the author presents information on an otherwise little-studied subject. VERDICT Well organized, clearly written, and excitingly illustrated, this highly enlightening work is an excellent addition for any nature collection as well as for the study of the environment and endangered species."―starred, School Library Journal"The largest fish in the ocean, whale sharks are threatened by commercial fishing, climate change, and lack of scientific knowledge. Once again, Markle (The Great Rhino Rescue, 2018, etc.) ably introduces a vanishing species to her wide audience. She grabs their attention with a suspenseful opening: Two not-yet-grown sharks (16 and 22 feet long) are accidentally trapped by the purse seine of a commercial fishing boat. Before she relieves readers with an account of their rescue, she has introduced the species, described their 'oceans of problems,' and explained the tools scientists have developed to investigate their 'mysterious life.' Strictly speaking, this is less about that rescue and more about the developing research that may save the species, listed as endangered in 2016, but Markle and her publisher may be forgiven the title which sets this solidly in her Science Discoveries series. As in previous entries, her clear and well-organized exposition is supported by lively design, diagrams, maps, and eye-catching photographs, including one of the trapped juveniles. Short stand-alone sections compare whale sharks to humpback