Julia and the Shark
by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Author) Tom de Freston (Illustrator)
"Deep beautiful, and true--a classic from cover to cover." --#1 New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer
There are more secrets in the ocean than in the sky... Ten-year-old Julia loves the mysteries of the ocean and marine biology, just like her scientist mother. Her family is spending the summer on a remote island where her mom is searching for the elusive Greenland shark, a creature that might be older than the trees, and so rare that it's only been seen a few times. But the ocean is reluctant to give up its secrets, and Julia tries not to worry as her mother returns disappointed at the end of each day. Determined to prove that the shark is real, Julia sets off on a quest to find it herself, armed with a set of coordinates, a compass, and her trusty rain jacket. She soon realizes that there are some journeys you shouldn't go on alone. As Julia comes face to face with the dark and wondrous truths of the sea, she finds the strength to leave the shark in the depths and kick up towards the light. Through a unique blend of poetic prose and stunning illustrations, Julia and the Shark tells an unforgettable story full of dark depths and starry skies, courage and hope. This lyrical, deeply moving middle grade novel about one family's fierce love and resilience is perfect for starting conversations about mental health and how it's okay to not be okay.
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Publishers Weekly
A tempest-tossed race to locate an ancient Greenland shark upends a family in a heart-wrenching novel reminiscent of The Line Tender. Ten-year-old Julia, whose family cues as white, is spending her summer on the Shetland island of Unst while her programmer father automates an old lighthouse and her marine biologist mother attempts to study a recently sighted Greenland shark. After the family travels from Cornwall and arrives at the damp lighthouse, Julia quickly befriends Kin, a local boy who experiences bullying around his Indian heritage. When the shark evades discovery and her mother's grant applications are met with rejection, Julia begins to see her mother's boundless passion and impulsivity in a new light, as well as experience increased tension and desperation within the usually tight-knit family. Plagued by dreams of a phantom shark and swept up in her parents' conflicts, Julia takes drastic and potentially dangerous action. Wry first-person prose by Millwood Hargrave (The Way Past Winter) drives Julia's burgeoning, age-appropriate understanding of her parents as fallible but wholly lovable people in a story that explores bipolar disorder, dementia, and varying kinds of knowledge. Sparse illustrations from de Freston render Julia's experiences in shades of black, gray, and a bright, emotive yellow. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"Julia and the Shark is deep, beautiful and true. The art shines and the writing soars—a classic from cover to cover." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer
"Truly extraordinary. . . it will redefine what a children's book can look like, in a way that adults will ooh and ahh over, and children will love because the story is wonderful and the art is amazing. It is the kind of book that you will want to have on your shelves and treasure. I can't wait for the world to fall in love with Julia and the Shark!" —Katherine Webber Tsang
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV039240 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Depression & Mental Illness
Parent and child
Islands
Summer
Action and adventure fiction
Bipolar disorder
Children of mentally ill mothers
Greenland shark
