The Race to Kangaroo Cliff By Alexander McCall Smith, £6.99, BC Books 8/10

Alexander McCall Smith, the prolific Scottish author best known for the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series continues his foray into children’s literature with the latest instalment in the adventures of the School Ship Tobermory.

Comhghall says: “I really liked the story. At the start it was a bit boring but then I got involved in the book. It is about a schooling boat called The Tobermory that enters a race with other schooling ships from around the world. The finish is at Kangaroo Cliff in Australia. I enjoyed it because it was thrilling at times.”

Mum says: “My nine-year-old is a confident reader and loved this book once he was gently persuaded to stick with it! It does stray from his usual diet of stories about a certain young wizard and science fiction. This is the third book in McCall Smith’s School Ship Tobermory series and the story and characters reminded me of traditional children’s tales such as the Secret Seven or Hardy Boys albeit with a distinctly Scottish flavour. His trademark gentle humour comes through in this tale that manages to combine adventures on the high seas with a crew of interesting characters and far-flung locations.”

As The Tobermory makes inroads into the Tall Ships Race, it drops out to rescue a local boy stranded on the rocks. He then joins the crew on the hunt for the ship’s dog on an adventure that leads them deeper into the Outback where the plot thickens.

The recommended reading age is eight plus. Review by Comhghall Adamson (age nine) and Nora McElhone (slightly older).