What grade level is The Great White Man-Eating Shark?

The Great White Man-Eating Shark is listed for grades K–3. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

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. See the banned books list by state.

What themes does The Great White Man-Eating Shark explore?

Central themes in The Great White Man-Eating Shark include sharks, greed, avarice, selfishness.

The Great White Man-Eating Shark

Name: The Great White Man-Eating Shark
Availability: InStock
Author: Margaret Mahy
ISBN: 9780803707498

by Margaret Mahy · Grades K–3 · Realistic Fiction

The Great White Man-Eating Shark by Margaret Mahy is on US reading lists at grades k–3. It appears on 1 list: the Virginia Readers' Choice, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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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

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.

Reading level at a glance

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

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades k–3. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on sharks and greed; cited on the Virginia Readers' Choice.

Themes

sharks · greed · avarice · selfishness

Where this book is recommended

Virginia Readers' Choice

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Common questions

What grade level is The Great White Man-Eating Shark?: The Great White Man-Eating Shark is listed for grades K–3. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does The Great White Man-Eating Shark explore?: Central themes in The Great White Man-Eating Shark include sharks, greed, avarice, selfishness.

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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.