The Sands of Shark Island

April 15, 2017
The second School Ship Tobermory installment finds the MacTavish twins cementing friendships and solving mysteries in the Caribbean.The book opens at the beginning of a school holiday for the diverse student body of the School Ship Tobermory--a sailing ship based in Scotland that is also a boarding school. Twelve-year-old white twins Fee and Ben MacTavish are preparing to spend their holiday at home with their marine-scientist parents when they realize that three of their friends live too far away to go home. In their warmhearted fashion, the twins invite the three to their home. A dangling storyline that will no doubt be picked up in a further installment ensues. Back onboard Tobermory post-holiday, the students and their teachers set sail for the Caribbean. In Antigua, they meet Mike, a black, 13-year-old islander who has had to give up his education to help support his family after his fisherman father mysteriously disappeared two years previously. A cozy mystery instilled with wholesome values, intelligence, and action follows. While Ben and Fee figure prominently, McCall Smith, in his assured third-person narration (with the occasional second-person popping up) branches out and lets other characters drive the plot. McIntosh's black-and-white illustrations follow the same format as the first book and are just as effective. A comfortable, wise tale that is more than anything a story of friendship. (backmatter) (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-School-age readers who dream of attending classes full-time on a boat that sails around the world will appreciate the second book in this series by the author of the popular adult mystery titles "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." In this sequel, the brother/sister duo Ben and Fee lead their schoolmates on yet another adventure, this time to the Caribbean. The book begins by reintroducing all the main characters from the first entry (making it easy for readers to jump into the series) and explaining all the details of the ship and its crew. The first adventure takes place on land during the schoolmates' two-week vacation when they rescue Tanya from being retaken from her cruel aunt and uncle (a story from the first book). Then they set sail for the Caribbean Islands. Each day is filled with regular school lessons in the morning and afternoon sessions on seafaring. It's almost perfect except for clashes with William Edward Hardtack and his gang, who always seem to get away with bullying and cheating. When the Tobermory docks in Green Bay Island, a new mate, Mike, comes aboard, and the crew are led into more dangerous journeys. Readers will love the fast-paced tale and fascinating locations. As an added bonus, instructional details of seafaring are woven seamlessly into the plot. Graphic-style illustrations by McIntosh supplement the text. VERDICT New readers and students familiar with the first volume will enjoy this sequel and be eager for the next installment.-Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Grades 3-6 Twins Ben and Fee MacTavish continue their adventures on the school ship Tobermory, along with their friends Badger, Thomas, Poppy, Tanya, and Angela, while avoiding troublemakers William, Geoffrey, and Maximilian. When the friends return to the Tobermory after the holidays, they sail to the Caribbean, where they meet a young boy named Mike who saves Badger's life. In return Badger helps Mike enroll in school on their ship. When Mike is unjustly accused of theft, however, he leaves the Tobermory to join the crew of Bert Thorn's ship, which was headed to Shark Island. When the friends learn Thorn might be a pirate, they set out to help bring Mike back home. Told in a steady, calm pace but with plenty of action and adventure, this is sure to be a hit with fans of sea stories, not to mention those who loved the first book in the series. Accompanying illustrations of the characters and some of the events further add to the detailed world of the story. A fun, enjoyable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
The sequel to School Ship Tobermory follows the diverse international boarding-school ship as it sails from Scotland to the Caribbean. The children befriend and help a local boy and all work together to thwart modern-day pirates. Bullies and bad guys exist at sea and on land in the rollicking sailing adventure reminiscent of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)