Shark Week!
Everyone loves Shark Week. Here at HATM we love it because one of our best watch parties we ever had was when we did Jaws back in 2022. That night, maybe more than any other reinforced to me one of the lessons I’ve learned in the six years we’ve been doing this: people love movies they have a relationship with.
That doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t talk about new films—Horizon and Twisters are both right around the corner for the pod—but ultimately people want to talk and listen about movies that have affected them personally. Where they were when they saw it, who they were with, how it made them feel. And everyone remembers the first time they saw Jaws.
Now that we have the YouTube page going we are releasing pods from the archive so that people can see them for the very first time. I like this idea because you get to know the guests a little bit better when you see us on camera. And this week is the perfect time to revisit Jaws with my friend Melissa Cristina Márquez. Melissa is a shark researcher finishing her Ph.D. in Australia where she now lives permanently. She’s a wealth of knowledge and we talk about her work as a marine biologist, the effect of Jaws on shark populations, and our favorite moments from the film. If you haven’t heard the pod, you can watch it below. Hope you FINish it. (Sorry, had to.)
About our guest:
Known as the "Mother of Sharks," She is a Latina marine biologist who has a lot of labels: science communicator, conservationist, author, educator, podcaster, television presenter. You might have seen her on Discovery Channel's Shark Week, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, heard my TEDx talk or read my Scholastic books.
She writes about sharks, the diverse people who work with them, and why both matter. As founder of The Fins United Initiative, a program that teaches audiences shark conservation and education, she finds it vital that we learn to co-exist with these oceanic predators. That's why she does all that she does, and why her PhD (and outreach) revolves around human-shark interactions.
Melissa also has some really terrific books for the young readers in your lives. Here are some links:
As the sun sets over another gorgeous day at la Playita Del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli doesn't want to go home. She loves the ocean more than anything, and with only five minutes left at the beach, she knows exactly where her last stop should be: the tidal pools. They are small universes of their own teeming with critters and creatures of the ocean. While looking into the pools, she meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny: to become the Mother of Sharks.
Blending the autobiographical with the fantastical, Melissa Cristina Márquez shares her incredible story not only to dispel myths about these misunderstood creatures but also to pave the way for Latinas in STEM. Paired with Devin Elle Kurtz's vibrant, emotive illustrations, this picture book is an irresistible journey through the wonders of the ocean and, above all, a rallying cry for marine conservation. (I bought this for my goddaughter.)
Maren the whale shark loves her life as the biggest, brightest fish in the sea. She spends her days exploring the water around her and finding fresh new snacks as she travels. But one day, the ocean goes dark and Maren’s adventures come to a halt. With only the glow from the scales on her back and her best friend, Remy the remora, by her side, Maren sets out on her greatest quest yet—to cross the ocean and ask the Aztec goddess Huixtocihuatl about the darkness and to figure out how to bring back the light. Along the way she meets new friends and exemplifies the power of sharing!
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree, globally renowned shark scientist, and author of Mother of Sharks, is back to introduce a variety of fish and other fun sea creatures in this picture book celebrating community, friendship, and supporting others in times of need. Brought to life by Rocío Arreola Mendoza’s stellar illustrations, this ocean adventure is sure to educate and excite young readers about the sea while passing along positive lessons to be used on land.
Alright, that’s enough to keep you busy for today. Hope you’re having a great week. HATM birthday party is this Sunday. Hope you can make it!
Great work, as usual. 👍
My *Jaws* story -
I had read the book, and my soon to be fiancé asked me on our first date to see the movie. I knew he was a real tease and warned him not to try to spook me during the scary scenes. But in one of the scenes not in the book, the head drops out of the hole in the sinking boat. I screamed and grabbed my date! Lots of laughs about it over the forty-seven years we’ve been married, and we watch it at every opportunity.
I’m a retired school librarian and find most movies based on books don’t live up to the source, some seem only to use the title. But in this case the movie is definitely better than the book.