R.L. Stine continues his tradition of delivering scary stories. With his newest title, Shark Night, reading the story will not keep you up at night. It is though a fast paced adventure with twists and turns along the way.
Liam’s mom makes documentaries and her newest creation is about sharks. Once filming is completed the finished product will be broadcast on the Danger Channel.
When the original actor/diver is injured just before the shoot, a reluctant Liam is chosen as the replacement. This means getting into a tank with a hammerhead shark- one of the safest shark species and this old girl has no teeth. But when the shark is lowered into the water Liam realizes this is not a Hammerhead but a real man (boy?) eating shark.
That scene occurs about 30% of the way through the story. No more spoilers here as each of the 51 chapters sends readers to the ocean, an island resort, and a boat captained by two suspicious looking characters, Sully and Ernie. Also along for the adventure is Liam’s rather irritating little sister who is constantly urging her brother into challenges he does not want.
Shark Night is more goof ball fun than scary, but Liam makes for a great main character, one that young readers will enjoy. He just can’t figure out what is going on and why his mom is not rescuing him. Frequent illustrations add to the appeal. Shark Night is an entertaining read with appeal to boys and girls.
A Few Questions for R.L. Stine
Why did you decide to write scary books? Was there a certain movie or show that inspired you?
I always liked scary movies and books. When I was about eight or nine, I started reading scary horror comic books. They were called VAULT OF HORROR and TALES FROM THE CRYPT. My brother and I went to every scary movie. We didn’t get scared– we always LAUGHED!
How many books have you written in total?
It sounds crazy, but I’ve written over 330 books so far. (Maybe I AM crazy!) Right now, I’ working on new Goosebumps titles, new Fear Street titles, I’m writing comic books for Marvel, and I’m writing picture books for little kids with my friend Marc Brown (of Arthur fame).
Do you ever get writer’s block and if so, what do you do to get rid of it?
I never get writer’s block. Mainly because I do so much work before I start to write. I do complete chapter-by-chapter outlines of every book. And I make a list of all the characters– what they look like and their personalities. And I always figure out the ending BEFORE I start the book. That’s a big head-start and keeps me from having writers block.
(For more about R.L. Stine be sure to visit his author web page.)
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Always in the Middle... 
I didn’t know he was still writing! My library actually has this one.