Julia (white) and her parents are spending the summer far from their Cornwall home, at the Uffle-Gent lighthouse on the island of Unst in Shetland, Scotland. Her dad will be automating the lighthouse, while her scientist mum is in search of a Greenland shark. Remarkably slow moving and long living, these sharks—Mum thinks—could hold the key to a breakthrough dementia treatment for humans. Missing home, Julia is happy to find a new friend in local boy Kin (South Asian). When Mum’s funding dries up without a shark sighting, though, Julia begins to sense mounting tension between her parents. Fixated on the sharks, Mum buys an extravagant camera and a rickety old boat without consulting the family first. Julia admires, even idolizes, Mum, but soon even she cannot ignore Mum’s erratic behavior; Mum is ill, and her manic episode takes a nearly fatal turn into a severe depression. Determined to salvage things by tagging a Greenland shark for Mum, Julia recklessly takes to the sea in Mum’s boat, making her way toward the coordinates of a reported sighting. Beautifully written, the story is honest in its depiction of the impact of parent’s severe mental illness on a child. Moody black and white illustrations evoking fog, water, and billowing clouds are shot through with splashes of brilliant yellow. (Ages 9-13)

"Deep beautiful, and true--a classic from cover to cover."
--#1 New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer

There are more secrets in the ocean than in the sky...
 
Ten-year-old Julia loves the mysteries of the ocean and marine biology, just like her scientist mother. Her family is spending the summer on a remote island where her mom is searching for the elusive Greenland shark, a creature that might be older than the trees, and so rare that it’s only been seen a few times.  
 
But the ocean is reluctant to give up its secrets, and Julia tries not to worry as her mother returns disappointed at the end of each day.  
 
Determined to prove that the shark is real, Julia sets off on a quest to find it herself, armed with a set of coordinates, a compass, and her trusty rain jacket.
 
She soon realizes that there are some journeys you shouldn’t go on alone. As Julia comes face to face with the dark and wondrous truths of the sea, she finds the strength to leave the shark in the depths and kick up towards the light.  
 
Through a unique blend of poetic prose and stunning illustrations, Julia and the Shark tells an unforgettable story full of dark depths and starry skies, courage and hope. 

This lyrical, deeply moving middle grade novel about one family’s fierce love and resilience is perfect for starting conversations about mental health and how it’s okay to not be okay.