My youngest son developed a passion for sharks early. By the time he was 18 months old, he could identify at least 150 of the 500 known sharks through photographs in a guidebook. His interest only intensified as he grew. By the time he entered school, he could recite innumerable facts about these creatures.
I encouraged his interest at every turn, purchasing books and videos and decorating his room with artifacts like megalodon and shark teeth. We even mounted a plaster cast of a shark’s head on the wall that his preschool teacher had given him.
No matter where we ventured on a family vacation, we always visited the nearest aquarium and were…
