Book Trailer Premiere: Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating & Marta Alvarez Miguens

Hey book nerds. 

I'm so happy to be here today to debut the trailer for my upcoming book, Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist. To thank Mr. Schu for hosting me, I thought I would give him a break and ask myself some questions, so he can have a break! I’m donning some plaid today and doing my very best Schu-impression!

John Schu: Hi, Jess! I love your plaid shirt and the book you're holding. :) 

I wrote the questions in red (and I also wrote the answers!) Take it away, Schu-alike!

Eugenie Clark was AMAZING! Not only was she a brilliant woman in science, but she was also a curious, passionate and had a fierce love of discovery and animals. She was a huge inspiration to me growing up, and I want everyone to know about this incredible woman.

My favorite shark is the great white! I just love how immense and powerful they are, and we are learning new things about these big beasties every day. Confession: I used to pretend there were great white sharks in our swimming pool growing up—it was fun for about twelve seconds, until it started to freak me out. I was afraid they would magically appear there because I thought about them!

Marta Alvarez Miguens is so talented, it makes me want to dance! When we were first looking for an illustrator for this book, it was important to me that we represented the material responsibly (especially since this book is about a real person, who did real science!) Marta’s work was so spot-on, and she worked hard with the design department at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky to make the best book ever. I was overjoyed when I saw the final art—it’s a perfect blend of showing off her amazing talents and staying true to the story itself.

The book trailer for Shark Lady was sort of emotional for me to make! If you’ve read any of my other books, you know that I’m a bit of a goofball at times, and I always make time for jokes and humor. But in this case, I wanted the trailer to really capture all the feelings I have about Eugenie. I wanted it to be touching and heartfelt, because Eugenie (the real life person) means so much to me, and to a whole generation of women and scientists out there!

Wow, Jess. I just want to take a minute to say how incredible this John Schu impression is! It might be the best I’ve ever seen! You should take this on the road! Why, thank you, Johnny! I do love a good plaid shirt, so I’m happy to be you here for a day!

Let’s get back to Shark Lady. Everyone should read this book because it is a book about being misjudged, underestimated, and staying courageous no matter what. As a biracial woman in science, Eugenie faced so many obstacles. Many people thought she wasn’t smart enough to be a scientist, or brave enough to explore. Likewise, many people also had the wrong idea about sharks: they thought they were mindless killers. Eugenie proved everyone wrong, both about herself, and her beloved sharks. (Also, the book is gorgeously illustrated and full of science, which is always fun!)

Let’s wrap up with my favorite question. Mr. Schu, you should have asked me when Shark Lady is coming out! I am happy to say that it will be out just in time for Nerdcamp! I can’t wait to see my nerdies, and hope they all enjoy reading this book as much as I loved writing it! (PS GO NERDS!)

Thanks for having me, Johnny!

Thanks for being here! -The REAL John Schu

Look for Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist on June 6, 2017.