Boy vs. Shark — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- Scary contentSupporting
- Race & cultureBrief
- Gender rolesCentralChallenges traditional roles
- Gender & orientationBrief
Not found
- Violence
- Religion
- Profanity
- Climate
- Sexual content
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
Get the full theme breakdown in the app
Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
Download for iOSExample theme card
Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn't have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David.
And then Jaws comes to town.
Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven't seen it, not only are you missing out, you're also kind of a wimp.
Needless to say, Jaws leaves young Paul a cowering mess, and underlines the growing gap between him and David as well as the distance between where he stands and the world's expectations of a boy's "manliness."
And when Jaws himself becomes a kind of macho Jiminy Cricket for Paul, what is a scared and overwhelmed boy to do?
Frequently asked questions
Is Boy vs. Shark appropriate for a 7-year-old?
Paul is terrified by the movie Jaws and is haunted by an imaginary shark that appears in his closet, a pool and a drinking fountain, though the movie scenes are shown as comic balloon animals. One reader's review warns of racist bullying in the story; Paul's friends are described as an Asian American boy and a Black boy.
Does Boy vs. Shark have violence?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Boy vs. Shark have scary content?
Found (Supporting): Paul is terrified by the movie Jaws and is haunted by an imaginary shark that appears in his closet, a pool and a drinking fountain, though the movie scenes are shown as comic balloon animals.
Does Boy vs. Shark have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Boy vs. Shark have race & culture?
Found (Brief): One reader's review warns of racist bullying in the story; Paul's friends are described as an Asian American boy and a Black boy.
Does Boy vs. Shark have profanity?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Boy vs. Shark have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Boy vs. Shark have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Boy vs. Shark have gender roles?
Found (Central, Challenges traditional roles): The story is about what a boy is expected to be: a shark and an older boy push Paul to act tough, and his dad shares ideas about manliness.
Does Boy vs. Shark have gender & orientation?
Found (Brief): One reader's review warns of homophobic bullying in the story; no LGBTQ+ characters or relationships are described.
