Shark Teeth (novel)
| Author | Sherri Winston |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Publication date | January 16, 2024 |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 9781547608508 |
Shark Teeth is a 2024 middle grade novel by Sherri Winston. It won the Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Readers in 2025.
Plot
After having been sent to separate foster care over the summer homes due to neglect, twelve-year-old Sharkita 'Kita' returns to her mother and is reunited with her siblings, five-year-old Lilli and eight-year-old Lamar, who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Bullied due to her hyperdontia and anxious over her mother's irresponsible actions, she finds solace in the school's baton twirling team.[1][2]
Reception
Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews gave the book starred reviews.[1][2][3] Kirkus Reviews dubbed the book "an outstanding depiction of the impact that family stressors can have on a household’s youngest members", while Publisher Weekly described it as a "harrowing, compassionate read".
| Year | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Readers | Won | [4] |
| Kirkus Prize for Young Reader's Literature | Finalist | [5] | |
| Schneider Family Book Award - Middle Grade | Finalist | [6] | |
| 2024 | Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Books of the Year | Included | [7] |
| School Library Journal Best Books of the Year | Included | [8] |
References
- 1 2 SHARK TEETH | Kirkus Reviews.
- 1 2 "Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- ↑ Sherri, Winston. "Shark Teeth". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ "Announcing Our 2025 Walter Award Winners!". We Need Diverse Books. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- ↑ "Finalists for the 2024 Kirkus Prize Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- ↑ "American Library Association announces 2025 Youth Media Award winners | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- ↑ Williams, Monisha Blair, Kristin Brynsvold, Tracy Cronce, Mariah Smitala, Ashleigh. "Best Middle Grade Books 2024 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Best Books 2024: Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-08-01.