About the Holiday
To the sorrow of many, Shark Week is coming to a fin-ish, but it’s never too late to indulge your love of these awesome marine animals! These denizens of the deep, and especially the Great White, are endlessly fascinating. Their toothy power, instantly recognizable fin, and the lore which has grown up around them, make them fearsome and awesome subjects for study and stories any time of the year. Today’s book—the first in an exciting new series—will satisfy all shark and adventure fans!
Thanks to Scholastic for sending me a copy of this book for review!
Max Beast: Sharknado Warning
By Maddy Mara
As Max manned the boat while his parents explored the wreckage of a superyacht that recently sank, he suddenly found himself fighting for survival against a massive shark that charged their boat, sending Max into the churning sea. Just before he went under, though, Max caught a glimpse of an unusual marking on the shark’s belly. Where had he seen that image before? There was no time to think about that, however, as the massive beast was about to attack. Max braced himself. But instead of rushing at him, the shark began thrashing, and Max could see that the strange marking was an infinity symbol.
It began pulsing red then ripped itself from the shark’s chest. The silver pendant floated in the water for a moment, and Max realized he’d seen this charm around the neck of a teenager, Hector, who’d barged in front of him and his parents in the dive shop where they’d gotten their snorkeling equipment. Suddenly, it “flew through the water toward Max like a magnet to metal” and “sank into Max’s skin.” Then things really started to happen. As the shark began losing its fearsome features and sprouting arms, legs, and a shock of hair Max recognized as Hector’s, Max was undergoing the opposite transition. In a moment, he was longer, stronger, had hundreds of teeth, sharper vision, and a fin and tail.
This transformation changes everything, and even thought Max and Hector don’t like or trust each other, they’re linked—not only because they’re both trying to locate the superyacht (Hector to loot it, and Max to stop him and find his parents) but because they can read each other’s thoughts. This ability comes in handy as they battle Hector’s cohorts and their spearguns, a giant squid, a dive cage, and other explosive underwater menaces as well as time, itself. Will Max achieve his aims and become a boy again, or will Hector win out? It’s time to dive in and see for yourself!
With nonstop action amid a dangerous setting and mysterious circumstances, Maddy Mara’s Max Beast: Sharknado Warning introduces readers to an appealing young hero who embraces his new persona and uses his intelligence and wits, while staying true to his principles as he overcomes adversity and solves a mystery. Fast-paced plotting, compelling characters, high stakes, and gripping dialogue sprinkled with humor as well as exhilarating black-and-white illustrations by Khadigah Khatib make this a book that will thrill all readers. They will eagerly look forward to Max’s next adventure in Max Beast: Tiger Terror.
Ages 7 – 10
Scholastic, 2026 | ISBN 979-8225002770
About the Authors
Maddy Mara is the pen name of Australian creative duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger. Hilary is a writer and former publisher; Meredith is a writer and teaches English as a second language. Together they have written or created many bestselling series for kids, including Dragon Girls, Dragon Games, and Forever Fairies. Dragon Girls has over 1.5 million copies in print and is available in multiple countries and languages. They live on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong people in Melbourne, Australia. Their website is maddymara.com.
Shark Week Activity
Shark Organizer Jar Craft
Are some of your favorite things scattered here and there? Would you like to be able to get a good clamp on them? Then here’s a craft you can really sink your teeth into! This shark organizer jar is easy and fun to make and a fin-tastic way to keep your stuff tidy!
Supplies
- Wide-mouth plastic jar, like a peanut-butter jar
- Gray craft paint
- White craft paint
- Black craft paint
- Paint brush
Directions
- Find a point in the middle of the jar on opposite sides of the jar
- Mid-way between these points on the other sides of the jar, find a point about 1 1/2 inches above the first points
- From the first point draw an angled line up to the higher point and down again to the lower point to make the shark’s upper jaw
- Repeat Direction Number 3 to make the shark’s lower jaw
- With the gray paint fill in the jar below these lines to make the shark’s head
- Along the jawline, paint jagged teeth with the white paint
- Add black dots for eyes on either side of the shark’s head
- Let dry
You can purchase Max Beast: Sharknado Warning from these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop
Picture Book Review
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