Not Quite Narwhal and Shark Lady: the true story of how Eugenie Clark became the ocean's most fearless scientist were the final two in this year's March Book Madness. We watched a video of Shark Lady in some classes this week, and the students really enjoyed seeing this book come to life. This picture book biography about the life of oceanographer Eugenie Clark was beautifully illustrated and demonstrated the struggles that Clark had pursuing a career in zoology as a woman born in 1922. She didn't listen to her professors that told her that women should be secretaries or housewives, and she didn't listen to all the people who thought that sharks were mindless monsters. She discovered new species of fish, and she was also the first person to train sharks which proved they were quite smart. I loved how some of the students couldn't wait to check out the other shark books we had in
our collection. 
But it could not edge out the very popular Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima. In this story, Kelp wonders why he is different from all the other narwhals in the sea. It is not until he is washed up to the shore one day that he realizes maybe he is not a narwhal after all. But would his narwhal friends still like him? It is a great story about friendship and how creatures who are different can still get along. And who doesn't enjoy a book with a unicorn character?
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