Escape from . . . the 1916 Shark Attacks - by Mary Kay Carson

About the Book

" Stay out of the water! In the blistering summer of 1916 Ed Mitchell is melting in the heat wave boiling New York City. All of the city pools are closed because of the polio epidemic, so Ed can't wait to flee to the Jersey Shore and cool off in the ocean. But during his first dip, a great white shark attacks a swimmer and sends the coastline into a panic. Ed is sent away from the shore to visit his aunt in Matawan, New Jersey, where he can stay safe and cool. In Matawan, Ed meets Mike Anders--a local boy who knows all the best spots in the nearby creek. Mike vows to teach Ed to swim, and Ed promises to help Mike read better. Little do they know, the new friends are about to have the summer of their lives. The "Jersey man-eater" the dangerous shark who keeps attacking swimmers, is headed right up the coast and into their favorite swimming spot! Will Ed and Mike be able to survive one of the deadliest shark attacks in history"--

Book Synopsis

Stay out of the water! During the summer of 1916, the "Jersey man-eater"-a great white shark-terrorized the coast of New Jersey. Based on real events, new friends Ed and Mike have to work together to survive one of the deadliest shark attacks in history!

In the blistering summer of 1916, Ed Mitchell is melting in the heat wave boiling New York City. All the city pools are closed because of the polio epidemic, so Ed can't wait to flee to the Jersey Shore and cool off in the ocean. But during his first dip, a great white shark attacks a swimmer and sends the coastline into a panic. Ed is sent away from the shore to visit his aunt in Matawan, New Jersey, where he can stay safe and cool.

In Matawan, Ed meets Mike Anders-a local boy who knows all the best spots in the nearby creek. Mike vows to teach Ed to swim, and Ed promises to help Mike read better. Little do they know, the new friends are about to have the summer of their lives.

The "Jersey man-eater," the dangerous shark who keeps attacking swimmers, is headed right up the coast and into their favorite swimming spot! Will Ed and Mike be able to survive one of the deadliest shark attacks in history?

About the Author

Mary Kay Carson is the author of more than fifty books for young people about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history. After studying biology in college, and a stint in the Peace Corps, she began her writing career working on the classroom magazine SuperScience. Her books have received more than a dozen starred reviews, as well as multiple awards, including the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Alexander Graham Bell for Kids. She's written six titles in HMH's acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, including The Bat Scientists, an ALA 2011 Notable Children's Books for Middle Readers, and The Tornado Scientist, a State Library of Ohio Choose To Read Ohio (CTRO) title for 2021-22. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband in a century-old house surrounded by urban greenspace, deer, hawks, woodchucks, and songbirds. www.marykaycarson.com