Three kids become involved in an effort to thwart shark poachers in this middle-grade spinoff of White's long-running Doc Ford series for adults.Following an incident with his stepfather, Luke Jones, a white boy from Ohio, has moved in with his aunt, Hannah Smith (herself star of a companion to the Doc Ford series), on Sanibel Island. Sisters Sabina and Mariel Estban, refugees from Cuba, have also recently arrived on Sanibel. The three kids find themselves working under Doc Ford, a white marine biologist who's tagging blacktip sharks in an attempt to determine the cause of declines in the overall population. As the kids become more proficient, they name themselves Sharks Inc. and begin tagging on their own. However, thanks to the popularity of shark fin soup, poachers have found their way to the island to net the migrating blacktip sharks. Little do the kids know that exploring too deeply into the mangroves will lead them into danger and force them to work together in order to simply survive. The narrative puts a lot of focus on the three children and their personal histories. It does not shy away from difficult issues like losing a parent, abuse, being a refugee, and the conditions that may cause forced migration, but it examines how a difficult past can give strength and shape an intentional present.This well-paced, exciting series opener will keep readers on their toes. (Adventure. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In the first of the new Sharks Incorporated series, Doc Ford (of the adult Doc Ford series) recruits some preteens to assist with his shark research. Luke has just relocated to Florida after his mom's death, while sisters Maribel and Sabina have emigrated from Cuba. The three learn how to tag sharks, an important task since the shark population faces poachers who want their fins for soup. When Sabina, seeking attention, lies about seeing poachers and the kids appear on the local news, they are put in danger, as the bad guys think the kids are witnesses to their illegal behavior. White's knowledge of fishing and the environment comes across in the technical aspects of the story; however, some suspension of disbelief may be necessary to be OK with preteens taking a boat out alone to tag sharks. White does a good job writing diverse, relatable characters. Luke, struck by lightning before the book opens, develops synesthesia, while Sabina struggles with her English skills. Give to readers looking for science-based mysteries.

The author of the Doc Ford series for adults makes his middle grade debut in this series launch set on that marine biologist's home turf of Sanibel Island, Fla. After his mother's death, sixth grader Luke moves from rural Ohio to live with his sea captain grandfather on the island, where a lightning strike imbues him with a "sixth sense" that gives him telescopic vision, extraordinary hearing, and the ability to gauge others' moods via the colorful auras he sees surrounding them. White works this premise into the story when Doc Ford hires Luke and two sisters, Maribel and Sabina, who recently emigrated from Cuba, to help tag sharks for a research project. The boy uses his powers to locate the elusive fish and help track down a member of a poaching ring that's been capturing sharks to peddle their fins. Despite the plot's underlying tension, its pace is thwarted by undue repetition of background facts and jargon, and the tiresome grumbling of the pugnacious younger sister. Yet the tempo accelerates as the kids crack the mystery, after which White caps his novel with a heartwarming finale. Ages 8--12. (Mar.)