SHARK TEETH, by Sherri Winston, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Jan. 16, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 9-12)
A girl struggles to keep her family together in Shark Teeth, a new middle-grade novel by Sherri Winston.
Sharkita “Kita” Hayes is always waiting.
Waiting for her mama to mess up.
Waiting for social services to be called again.
Waiting for her and her siblings to be separated.
Waiting for her worst fear to come true.
But Mama promises things are different now. She’s got a good job, she’s stopped drinking, stopped going out every night-it’s almost enough to make Kita believe her this time. But even as Kita’s life is going good, she can’t shake the feeling that everything could go up in flames at any moment. When her assistant principal and trusted dance coach starts asking questions about her home life, Kita is more determined than ever to keep up appearances and make sure her family stays together-even if it means falling apart herself.
As the threat of her family being separated again circles like a shark in the water, the pressure starts to get to Kita. But could it be that Kita’s worst fear is actually the best thing that could happen to her family . . . and to her? —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
At the center of Shark Teeth is Kita, a girl who has multiple rows of extra teeth, aka shark teeth. Kita is bright and quick on her feet. She’s the “responsible” one in her family, always making sure her siblings are taken care of. But that means Kita doesn’t really have anyone looking out for her, or so she thinks.
Kita isn’t as alone as she thinks. As she settles in at school, she finds friends and administrators who are as invested in her future as her mom should be.
Shark Teeth is a compelling read. Author Sherri Winston does an excellent job of exploring childhood neglect, anxiety and panic attacks. As the reader, you truly get a sense of Kita’s mixed feelings about her mom and her desperation to keep her family together.
Shark Teeth is a fast-moving contemporary novel that should appeal to tweens looking for a story about accepting insecurities and empathy for those around them.
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