Robbie is seriously upset about having to leave his idyllic cottage in a Scottish glen to live in a dark basement flat in Edinburgh. He is sure his tortoise, Herman, won't like it either. The move and Robbie's feelings are described in detail, and his early days at his new school confirm his worst fears. His mum, trying to be sympathetic, explains that none of them like the move, but his dad has lost his job on the farm, and they must go where the work is. He misses his best friend and the small country school desperately, but when some of his classmates begin to show an interest in Herman, things are looking up. Then Herman is kidnapped..... This short novel for beginning-to-be-confident readers has plenty of interest and action, and the emotions are thoroughly believable. Soft, pencil drawings enhance the story.