Kids are fascinated by sharks; the bigger the teeth, the better.  Plus, sharks this past summer have been in the news almost daily because of attacks on beach-goers.  By page 40 of Surrounded by Sharks, I had goosebumps and was scared for the main character, a 13-year-old boy named Davey.  Davey and his family were on the first day of vacation on a small island off the coast of Florida.  An early riser, Davey gets up and leaves the room while the others are sleeping.  Thinking he’d do some exploring and quiet reading, he finds a secluded beach which fits the bill.  There is a No Swimming sign posted, but Davey just wants to wade in to his knees and feel the warm water.  As waves splash him, he decides to go a little farther since he’s already wet.  He’s up to mid-chest but still touching the bottom, when he realizes the beach is farther away than he thought.  He turns to go back towards shore, but the riptide is carrying him out farther and farther.  No matter how hard he swims, he cannot get closer, until finally the current carries him out to sea.  Meanwhile he parents and brother have awakened and are searching for him, becoming more desperate with each passing minute.  Where could he be?  The obvious is on everyone’s mind–sharks–but no one had the courage to speak it out loud.  The suspense in this book is unbelievable–frantic swimmer, frantic parents, makes you want to scream Hurry!  Hurry!  Get a boat!  This is a real nail biter and should be a huge hit with the intermediate age readers.