The Sands of Shark Island Synopsis

After successfully thwarting a dastardly plan to steal rare marine animals from the sea around the Scottish island of Mull, Ben and Fee MacTavish feel they can relax and continue learning all about nautical life on board School Ship Tobermory. But it's not long before their everyday routine is interrupted by an extraordinary event. Ben, Fee, their fellow students and the crew of the Tobermory find themselves embroiled in another adventure that leads them thousands of miles from Mull to a small island in the Caribbean, where they learn extraordinary details about Captain Macbeth's past and come face to face with modern-day pirates.

The Sands of Shark Island Reader Reviews

Some of our Lovereading4kids Reader Review Panel were lucky enough to read and review School Ship Tobermory, the first in this series. You can read their full reviews by clicking here.

• Daniel Bisland age 8 & Alexander Bisland age 10 - 'We think you should CAST OFF AND SET SAIL ON THE TOBERMORY! This book was slow to start but had an exciting finish and we enjoyed it.'
• Emily Yates, age 9 - 'The most fun, informative book I have ever read!'
• Tomasz Hawryszczuk, age 10 - 'Lots of adventure contained in this book...I can't wait for the next book in this series.'
• Alex Hall, age 9 - 'Ben and Fee both go to the School Ship Tobermory to learn to be sailors...I liked this book because of the descriptions which made me smile and made me use my imagination.'
• Elliot Bateman age 7 - The School Ship Tobermory was easy to read but not much happens for ages so I got fed up.'
• Edward Macklin, age 10 - 'School Ship Tobermory is an incredible book where Fee and Ben are joining the Tobermory and everything is great-except for Hardtack, Shark and Flubber, the school bullies...it is sheer perfection and deserves to win a gold medal.'
• Emily Golding, age 8 - 'I enjoyed this book because of the excitement, the joy, the fear and most of all the way the author worded it perfectly and the illustrations were also perfect.'
• Erica Motoc, age 9 - 'I very much enjoyed reading School Ship Tobermory...The setting attracts your imagination and is another reason why it makes you want to be a part of the book.'
• Beatrice Whithear, age 8 - 'I really loved reading the School Ship Tobermory, I was a bit sad when I finished it and want to read it again already.'

The Sands of Shark Island Press Reviews

'There must be something about taking to the high seas, and writing for children, that has brought Alexander McCall Smith back to his best. The book bounces along charmingly' - Press and Journal, Book of the Week

'A lively adventure with an unusual setting' - Julia Eccleshare, lovereading4kids.co.uk

'Beautifully written ... This is a book we would strongly recommend to those looking for a story to read to their children or grandchildren, or for a book for slightly older children to read for themselves' - Undiscovered Scotland

'Exciting without being scary, this had me wishing I'd spent my schooldays on board a ship setting sail for the Caribbean!' - 4.5 STARS, The Book Bag

If you loved this, you might like these...

All versions of this book

ISBN: 9781780274416
Publication date: 13/07/2017
Publisher: Birlinn Ltd an imprint of Birlinn General
Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781780273945
Publication date: 04/08/2016
Publisher: Birlinn Ltd an imprint of Birlinn General
Format: Hardback

Book Information

About Alexander Mccall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith has written more than fifty books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children's books. But he is best known for his internationally acclaimed No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, published in the US in 2002 and 2003. The first installment, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, received two Booker Judge's Special Recommendations upon its U.K. publication in 1998, and in 2003 received The Saga Wit Award (commonly known as the "silver Booker" for authors over the age of 50). The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series now numbers a total of five books (he is working on ...

More Books By Alexander Mccall Smith