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allicatca's review
4.0
3.5-4 stars. I like the story a lot but wasn't in love with the dialogue or writing style.
Still, the book is very "Sherlock-Holmes-ish" and I think it's great for kids to learn about solving mysteries by being observant and using deductive reasoning. I like that the book has a young main character who is smart and uses advanced vocabulary. The male main character is upstanding and doesn't mind being friends with girls or boys. That's great too.
Still, the book is very "Sherlock-Holmes-ish" and I think it's great for kids to learn about solving mysteries by being observant and using deductive reasoning. I like that the book has a young main character who is smart and uses advanced vocabulary. The male main character is upstanding and doesn't mind being friends with girls or boys. That's great too.
pzpelleriti's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mlindley's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
sallyavena's review
4.0
Fun retelling of the original Sherlock Holmes with a spunky 9 year old girl making a name for herself as a super sleuth.
sarahanne8382's review
3.0
A solid middle grade re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes, with our master detective as a precocious 9-year-old girl named Shelby.
In this book 11-year-old John Watson has just moved to New York City after years of traveling around the country as his parents moved from army post to army post. Now that his parents are divorcing and his mother is out of the army, the two of them are going to put down roots in NYC. The first person close to his own age that he meets is Shelby. While she's clearly strange, following her around their neighborhood certainly isn't boring. When their classmate's dog is stolen, John discovers he really wants to help Shelby find the thief.
I reacted to to this similarly to a regular Sherlock Holmes story. Not something I'd go out of my way for, but once I got into it, I had to know how the story ended. Mystery fans will love this.
In this book 11-year-old John Watson has just moved to New York City after years of traveling around the country as his parents moved from army post to army post. Now that his parents are divorcing and his mother is out of the army, the two of them are going to put down roots in NYC. The first person close to his own age that he meets is Shelby. While she's clearly strange, following her around their neighborhood certainly isn't boring. When their classmate's dog is stolen, John discovers he really wants to help Shelby find the thief.
I reacted to to this similarly to a regular Sherlock Holmes story. Not something I'd go out of my way for, but once I got into it, I had to know how the story ended. Mystery fans will love this.
reddyrat's review
4.0
Such a cute story! I picked this up mainly because I love all of Elizabeth Eulberg's books and I was curious to see her foray into middle grade. Plus, I'm a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories. And this book was just what I expected.
Shelby is a pretty typical modern Sherlock Holmes. A cold genius who is hiding a loneliness deep under her gruff exterior. So much so that she doesn't realize that she needs John Watson until they've been hanging out for awhile. John is also pretty typical, but he's more of a happy-go-lucky, let's be buds type. Not as gruff as the BBC John - but of course he's a kid. Rather than John being a former army doctor, it's his mom. They just moved to New York, so John is eager to discover the city and to make friends. Like all iterations of John Watson, he's a simply, nice guy - not overly exciting. Shelby/Sherlock is the one meant to stand out.
The mystery was very cute. A classmate's dog has been kidnapped only a few days before it's supposed to appear at an important and valuable dog show. I also liked the references to the other cases Shelby has solved. They were fairly mild (no murders), but definitely some crimes you'd have police investigating. Shelby has real skill as a detective already. The big mystery at hand was written well. There were several twists and turns. I did guess the culprit, but it wasn't super obvious and I'm guessing a younger reader would be surprised.
My only complaint about this book is that the way John talked to other boys didn't sound realistic to me. It sounded like the way 18 or 19 year old guys would talk to their buddies. Not the way 11 year old little boys would talk. But then I haven't been around a lot of 11 year old boys, so perhaps I'm wrong. Or perhaps Ms. Eulberg hasn't been around many 11 year old boys either... So it's not necessarily a valid criticism, because I do not have an area of expertise - but it took me out of the story whenever it happened (thankfully it wasn't often).
It looks like this is going to be a series, and I'm definitely excited to read more.
Recommendation: Buy for younger readers and Borrow for yourself
Shelby is a pretty typical modern Sherlock Holmes. A cold genius who is hiding a loneliness deep under her gruff exterior. So much so that she doesn't realize that she needs John Watson until they've been hanging out for awhile. John is also pretty typical, but he's more of a happy-go-lucky, let's be buds type. Not as gruff as the BBC John - but of course he's a kid. Rather than John being a former army doctor, it's his mom. They just moved to New York, so John is eager to discover the city and to make friends. Like all iterations of John Watson, he's a simply, nice guy - not overly exciting. Shelby/Sherlock is the one meant to stand out.
The mystery was very cute. A classmate's dog has been kidnapped only a few days before it's supposed to appear at an important and valuable dog show. I also liked the references to the other cases Shelby has solved. They were fairly mild (no murders), but definitely some crimes you'd have police investigating. Shelby has real skill as a detective already. The big mystery at hand was written well. There were several twists and turns. I did guess the culprit, but it wasn't super obvious and I'm guessing a younger reader would be surprised.
My only complaint about this book is that the way John talked to other boys didn't sound realistic to me. It sounded like the way 18 or 19 year old guys would talk to their buddies. Not the way 11 year old little boys would talk. But then I haven't been around a lot of 11 year old boys, so perhaps I'm wrong. Or perhaps Ms. Eulberg hasn't been around many 11 year old boys either... So it's not necessarily a valid criticism, because I do not have an area of expertise - but it took me out of the story whenever it happened (thankfully it wasn't often).
It looks like this is going to be a series, and I'm definitely excited to read more.
Recommendation: Buy for younger readers and Borrow for yourself
caitlin_lore's review
5.0
You could say I've been in a Sherlockian mood, but ever since we finished the most recent (final?) season of Sherlock I've been at a loss.
•
Needless to say, there are some great retellings out there and I feel as if Holmes himself is getting a revival! This time via a spunky 9-year-old!
•
Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader! She's the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen, solving crimes with logic and pluck, and she's barely four-feet-tall. When eleven-year-old John Watson moves in downstairs, Shelby finds something she's never been able to before: a friend. The two of them are swept into a mystery when a classmate's famous dog goes missing, and it's up to The Great Shelby Holmes and her new partner Watson to crack the case.
•
This was an absolutely, adorable middle grade mystery that swept me away in the story. Eulberg does a fabulous job characterizing the famous Watson and Holmes, clear down to the nitty gritty quirks. Only in this retelling, everything is kid friendly! •
Complete with a few red herrings, this mystery will have readers guessing until the very end, unless they've picked up on Shelby's skills of deduction.
•
There are also black and white illustrations spread throughout the story which only add to the fun and the reader's imagination! If you have a reader who might be just a bit young for the classics, they will surely enjoy this sweet new twist!
•
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery, friendship tales, and series!
Book two hits shelves in September!
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
📚 Ages 8-22
📚 Clean content
📚 Sherlockian retelling
•
Needless to say, there are some great retellings out there and I feel as if Holmes himself is getting a revival! This time via a spunky 9-year-old!
•
Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader! She's the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen, solving crimes with logic and pluck, and she's barely four-feet-tall. When eleven-year-old John Watson moves in downstairs, Shelby finds something she's never been able to before: a friend. The two of them are swept into a mystery when a classmate's famous dog goes missing, and it's up to The Great Shelby Holmes and her new partner Watson to crack the case.
•
This was an absolutely, adorable middle grade mystery that swept me away in the story. Eulberg does a fabulous job characterizing the famous Watson and Holmes, clear down to the nitty gritty quirks. Only in this retelling, everything is kid friendly! •
Complete with a few red herrings, this mystery will have readers guessing until the very end, unless they've picked up on Shelby's skills of deduction.
•
There are also black and white illustrations spread throughout the story which only add to the fun and the reader's imagination! If you have a reader who might be just a bit young for the classics, they will surely enjoy this sweet new twist!
•
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery, friendship tales, and series!
Book two hits shelves in September!
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
📚 Ages 8-22
📚 Clean content
📚 Sherlockian retelling
brandypainter's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I'm very much over Sherlock Holmes adaptations as a whole personally, but at least this one is going to an audience that hasn't been saturated with them. And it's pretty adorable. This is perfect for readers who are still fairly new to MG books. It's short, fast paced, and, while it uses some large vocabulary, is incredibly accessible to many levels of readers. There is always a need for a new, fun mystery series and this has the added bonus of having a diverse cast of characters.
I'm very much over Sherlock Holmes adaptations as a whole personally, but at least this one is going to an audience that hasn't been saturated with them. And it's pretty adorable. This is perfect for readers who are still fairly new to MG books. It's short, fast paced, and, while it uses some large vocabulary, is incredibly accessible to many levels of readers. There is always a need for a new, fun mystery series and this has the added bonus of having a diverse cast of characters.
channywax's review
Cute MG about a girl with Sherlock Holmes talents. My kids will love this and I'll read the sequel for sure.