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For the aspiring marine biologist on your list, pair Peter Benchley's Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea with Michael Capuzzo's Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916. Peter Benchley, author of mega-bestseller Jaws, writes about his true experiences diving with and studying sharks and other sea animals. Michael Capuzzo blends history with science in his book about a real rogue shark that terrorized beaches in New Jersey. Both are adapted from adult books and both are appropriate for tweens and middle schoolers. For younger marine biologists, consider Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne. It's a gorgeous biographical picture book.


Future astronomers may enjoy The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto by Elizabeth Rusch. Pair it with Peter Sis's gorgeous biography of Galileo, Starry Messenger. Those are both appropriate for upper elementary students. For the little ones, consider Bob Barner's Stars, Stars, Stars! for a colorful, rhyming book about stars and planets.
Need more ideas? Check out the rest of my 12 Days of Giving posts!