Cover of The Great White Man-Eating Shark

The Great White Man-Eating Shark

by Margaret Mahy

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Virginia Readers' Choice

The Great White Man-Eating Shark by Margaret Mahy is assigned in US schools at grades k–3. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Great White Man-Eating Shark is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades K–3
Age range
Ages 5–8
Pages
32
Reading time
about 35 minutes (est.)
First published
1989
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780803707498

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

About this book

Greedy to have the cove where he swims all to himself, Norvin, who looks a bit like a shark, pretends to be one, scaring off the other swimmers and leaving him in happy aquatic solitude--until he is discovered by an amorous female shark.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Great White Man-Eating Shark→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on sharks and greed; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

sharks · greed · avarice · selfishness

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is The Great White Man-Eating Shark?
The Great White Man-Eating Shark is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read The Great White Man-Eating Shark?
It takes about 35 minutes to read The Great White Man-Eating Shark (32 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Great White Man-Eating Shark?
The Great White Man-Eating Shark appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Great White Man-Eating Shark banned in schools?
The Great White Man-Eating Shark does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does The Great White Man-Eating Shark explore?
Central themes in The Great White Man-Eating Shark include sharks, greed, avarice, selfishness. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades K–3 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

Keep browsing