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Almost without exception during a school visit, a teacher or media specialist will approach and tell me how the faculty and students have been reading my books and learning about marine animals in preparation for the author visit.

Since my books encourage children to read, write and get involved in science and conservation, and my author visits often coincide with events such as National Reading Week or ocean/marine-related activites, I thought it would be a good idea to create basic study guides containing questions for each of my titles. These questions cover material from the books and can help evaluate reading skills and serve as a springboard for more in-depth learning and other acitivities.

Feel free to use these in your classroom programs. Furthermore, if you have other great ideas concerning activities for the books, please let me know and I will post them here for other teachers to beneifit as well.

Fishy Friends:

1) A dolphin is a mammal. What’s a mammal?

2) Why are sea turtles endangered?

3) Why is it important for the conch shell to have such a strong shell?

4) Why is the clownfish called a “clownfish?”

5) Why do silver fish called scads live in large schools?

6) Why does the weedy scorpionfish have such a strange disguise?

7) Why is the frogfish part of the “Terrible Swimmers’ Club?

8) Are moray eels fish or snakes?

9) Why is the octopus so special?

10) How are sharks like lions and tigers?

11) Why are sharks fished in such large numbers by people?

12) Why is it important to have lots of sharks in the oceans?

13) What does the leatherback turtle eat?

14) What’s a remora?

15) What’s the meaning of the word “extinction?”

16) What kind of fish makes a lot of sound and likes to “talk” about everything?

17) What are some tricks the coral goby uses to survive in the ocean?

18) What’s the meaning of the word “camouflage”?

19) How does the stick pipefish use camouflage?

20) Why does the decorator crab use anemones to hide?

Let’s Explore Sharks:

1) Why are sharks part of the ocean’s clean-up crew?

2) What gives the white shark its name?

3) What gives the white shark its explosive energy?

4) Are white sharks mean just because they hunt seals?

5) What’s the “killing zone” and why must seals go through it everyday?

6) The tiger shark is affectionately called the “garbage can of the sea.” How come?

7) Is the whale shark dangerous to people?

8) How can the hammerhead’s strange head help it hunt and turn?

9) How are the hammerhead and the stealth fighter similar?

10) Why are the nurse and sandbar sharks called the ambassadors of the deep?

11) What rowdy shark can be compared to a teenager?

12) How do underwater photographers photograph sharks?

13) How do sharks let you know they are grumpy and should not be messed with?

14) On average, what’s more dangerous to a person, a shark or a dog?

15) What physical characteristics make the sandbar shark different from other sharks?

16) What do nurse sharks eat and where do they like to hang out?

17) What’s the largest fish in the sea?

18) Why do you think female sharks are bigger and stronger than male sharks?

19) How can you tell the tiger from all other large sharks?

20) Why are fur seals and other marine mammals high-energy snacks for sharks?

Let’s Explore Sea Turtles:

1) How can hawksbills change the appearance of the reef and why is this important?

2) What are some reasons sea turtles are endangered?

3) What do green turtles do to escape sharks?

4) How long does it take for green turtles to mature?

5) The leatherback nests in remote places like Gabon, Trinidad, Suriname and Guyana. In what continents are these countries located?

6) Why is the leatherback one of Nature’s biggest marvels?

7) What makes the loggerhead so tough?

8) Where is Oman located?

9) How many sea turtle hatchlings, on average, make it to grow into adults?

10) What are the “lost years.”?

11) Why do sea turtles need turtle hospitals and why is it so important people volunteer to help them out?

12) Why are sea turtles keystone species?

13) What special adaptation does the green sea turtle have in order to survive cold winters?

14) In how many countries can green sea turtles be found?

15) What is the leatherback’s favorite food?

16) What are some predators that eat baby loggerheads on the beach?

17) Where do loggerhead hatchlings spend most of their youth, and what do they eat?

18) Why do you think sea turtles have been around for so long?

19) How can leatherbacks stay warm while swimming in places like Alaska, Greenland and New Zealand?

20) Do you think it is worth the effort to protect sea turtles?

Let’s Explore Coral Reefs:

1) Why is the coral reef called the “cradle of life”?

2) How many types of fish can be found in the coral reef?

3) How many types of coral can be found in the coral reef?

4) What is limestone?

5) Can astronauts see coral reefs from space? How come?

6) Why are coral reefs called “cities in the sea”?

7) What are some animals that are around during the “day shift”?

8) What are some animals that are around during the “night shift”?

9) Who’s the boss of the coral reef and why?

10) Why are reefs important to us all?

11) Sponges are helping us to find a cure to what deadly disease?

12) Why should we never take more fish than we need from the oceans?

13) How big can the tiger shark get and how big is his mouth?

14) In how many countries can coral reefs be found?

15) What does the word “succulent” mean?

16) Can you guess why the star-eye hermit crab lives in a shell?

17) How many arms does the octopus have?

18) Why is the tiger shark called “tiger shark”?

19) Why is a coral reef a divers’ paradise?

20) Why is it important to never throw garbage in the sea?