LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Twins Ben and Fee will be the envy of children everywhere: their school is a tall ship and alongside ordinary lessons they learn seamanship and how to sail. No surprise therefore that there’s plenty of opportunity for adventure, which in this latest episode actually takes place on land, although in Australia, the end point of their latest voyage.
The action is pretty well non-stop, and in a satisfying sub-plot, some of the threats come from the actions of an unprincipled group of fellow-students. This is another thrilling adventure with an underlying message about fair-play and doing the right thing.
Reviewed by Andrea ReeceAndrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece About Race to Kangaroo Cliff
Ben and Fee MacTavish and the rest of the School Ship Tobermory crew head down under to take part in a tall ships race, but after a good start the Tobermory runs aground after it drops out to rescue a local boy, Kimba, stranded on the rocks. When the ship's dog Henry disappears, Kimba helps Ben, Fee and their friends find him. But as the trail leads them deeper into the Outback, they begin to realize that a missing dog is the least of their problems.
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Race to Kangaroo Cliff Synopsis
Ben and Fee MacTavish and the rest of the School Ship Tobermory crew head down under to take part in a tall ships race, but after a good start the Tobermory runs aground after it drops out to rescue a local boy, Kimba, stranded on the rocks. When the ship's dog Henry disappears, Kimba helps Ben, Fee and their friends find him. But as the trail leads them deeper into the Outback, they begin to realize that a missing dog is the least of their problems.
Who are the mysterious couple claiming to be flying doctors, and why are they interested in an abandoned mine?
About This Edition
Press Reviews
Alexander Mccall Smith 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
Author
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 the sixth) and has been optioned for feature film. The series has become an international bestseller, with more than 3.5 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe (formerly called Southern Rhodesia) and was educated there and in Scotland. He became a law professor in Scotland, and it was in this role that he first returned to Africa to work in Botswana, where he helped to set up a new law school at the University of Botswana. He was for many years Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, and a visiting professor at a number of other universities elsewhere, including ones in Italy and the United States (where he has twice been visiting professor at SMU Law School in Dallas, Texas).
In addition to his university work, he was for four years the vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the UK, the chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee, and a member of the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO.
Alexander McCall Smith currently lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elizabeth (an Edinburgh doctor), their two daughters Lucy and Emily, and their cat Gordon. His hobbies include playing wind instruments, and he is the co-founder of an amateur orchestra called "The Really Terrible Orchestra" in which he plays the bassoon and his wife plays the flute.
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