Scan barcode
bookstacksamber's review
3.0
This was a cute mystery for kids. Sherlock and his robot Watson were really entertaining. I didn't understand any of the Malay words so I was confused about a lot of things. I realized after I finished the book that there was a glossary at the end with explanations for all of that, along with character descriptions. It would have been nice if those were at the beginning of the book, or at least a note at the beginning to notify readers that they are at the end.
plexbrarian's review
2.0
A fat kid who is teased for his weight by his family and robot, but is still OBSESSED with food, solves a mystery in between visits to restaurants.
Well that was disappointing.
Well that was disappointing.
librarianbeck's review
5.0
Benji says he liked the mystery and the characters. He wants to read the whole series!
abbyaroza's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Kid detective genre. Auntie Gift Giving: Except for one disappointing moment where the main character and his dad joke about keeping secrets from the mother and a few unnecessary jokes from some characters about the main character eating too much, the book is a lighthearted adventure that would be a good fit for kids getting into chapter books. Food and appreciation for food are part of the fun of the book. The book is set in Singapore, yet will be completely relatable for readers in the U.S..
jessicabeckett's review
4.0
| Blog | Twitter | InstagramAs a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Now that one of my best friends' daughter is at an age where she is beginning to develop her own interests in entertainment, I was more than ready to pick out some children's books for her to enjoy with the help of her mother. She is not quite at the age where she can read on her own, but she is certainly a curious mind--and when I was sent a galley of Sherlock Sam's first two novels, I was thrilled to give it a go and pass it on to my friend. The first thing you should know is that it is an incredibly warm and mysterious take on Sherlock--it's not quite a retelling, instead it embraces qualities of the iconic character's crime solving skills and adapts them sweetly for a younger audience. The Missing Heirloom in Katong is fresh and sweet and will leave children feeling satisfied that they walked right into solving the mystery with our lead character.
The most important part about Sherlock Sam is that it doesn't treat its audience like it is oblivious nor does it indicate the mystery is for children. Parents will fall in love with the overall sweetness and diversity of it and, in fact, learn a thing or two themselves. Sherlock Sam is diverse and beautifully told, simple and to the point in a way that will leave kids giggling. It's smart enough for adults to not go mad while reading it and it's silly enough to keep anyone on their toes. Who can resist a food-obsessed boy and his pet robot (yes, Watson is a robot!) solving the greatest mystery of his day--a missing cook book!
Continued: BOOKEDJ
Now that one of my best friends' daughter is at an age where she is beginning to develop her own interests in entertainment, I was more than ready to pick out some children's books for her to enjoy with the help of her mother. She is not quite at the age where she can read on her own, but she is certainly a curious mind--and when I was sent a galley of Sherlock Sam's first two novels, I was thrilled to give it a go and pass it on to my friend. The first thing you should know is that it is an incredibly warm and mysterious take on Sherlock--it's not quite a retelling, instead it embraces qualities of the iconic character's crime solving skills and adapts them sweetly for a younger audience. The Missing Heirloom in Katong is fresh and sweet and will leave children feeling satisfied that they walked right into solving the mystery with our lead character.
The most important part about Sherlock Sam is that it doesn't treat its audience like it is oblivious nor does it indicate the mystery is for children. Parents will fall in love with the overall sweetness and diversity of it and, in fact, learn a thing or two themselves. Sherlock Sam is diverse and beautifully told, simple and to the point in a way that will leave kids giggling. It's smart enough for adults to not go mad while reading it and it's silly enough to keep anyone on their toes. Who can resist a food-obsessed boy and his pet robot (yes, Watson is a robot!) solving the greatest mystery of his day--a missing cook book!
Continued: BOOKEDJ
booksandbosox's review
3.0
An early chapter book mystery, it's cute enough. Simple and straightforward. I like that it's set in a different country.
lilyn_g's review
4.0
I decided to check out this book from Netgalley because the seven-year-old is in a robots phase. There’s not exactly a plethora of those books to find, so I was delighted to see this. Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom of Katong is a pretty good kids mystery, all things considered. It teaches kids simple problem solving techniques. There wasn’t much of a mystery involved, but it’s perfect for beginning chapter readers who fancy themselves mini-sleuths .
I liked the smart-mouthed Watson, and the way he interacted with Sherlock. Some of his lines will probably sail over younger kids heads, but older kids and parents will appreciate them. On the other hand, parents need to be careful here. The other characters’ (robot included) teasing about Sam’s weight and eating habits is a bit bullying. It’s fine to read it in a book (to an extent), but impressionable kids might think its okay to do.
Overall, it’s a fun, simple story with non-white characters that is a great introduction into mystery/detective stories for young readers. The teasing is a bit much, but with discretion its fine. My seven-year-old had no problem telling me that saying that stuff to people in ‘real life’ was not appropriate, even if it was funny to read. We look forward to reading more in this series together.
For this and other kids books reviews, as well as many science fiction and horror reviews, please visit Sci-Fi & Scary.
I liked the smart-mouthed Watson, and the way he interacted with Sherlock. Some of his lines will probably sail over younger kids heads, but older kids and parents will appreciate them. On the other hand, parents need to be careful here. The other characters’ (robot included) teasing about Sam’s weight and eating habits is a bit bullying. It’s fine to read it in a book (to an extent), but impressionable kids might think its okay to do.
Overall, it’s a fun, simple story with non-white characters that is a great introduction into mystery/detective stories for young readers. The teasing is a bit much, but with discretion its fine. My seven-year-old had no problem telling me that saying that stuff to people in ‘real life’ was not appropriate, even if it was funny to read. We look forward to reading more in this series together.
For this and other kids books reviews, as well as many science fiction and horror reviews, please visit Sci-Fi & Scary.
hzboy's review
4.0
I read Bahasa Indonesia version and this review is written in Bahasa Indonesia
Awalnya melihat buku ini ketika sedang berkunjung ke Toko Gunung Agung, tetapi aku tidak terlalu memperhatikan hingga salah seorang anggota grup Facebook Sherlockian Indonesia mengunggah informasi tentang buku. Tertarik, aku cek fanpage resminya dan ternyata buku ini adalah buku anak-anak dari penulis Singapura.
resensi lengkap
Kalau mau membelikan buku ini untuk saudaramu yang masih di Sekolah Dasar, kamu benar sekali! Tetapi jangan lupa jelaskan pada mereka kalau buku ini berlokasi di Singapura sehingga memiliki perbedaan dengan nilai-nilai yang ada di Indonesia. Tapi, kalau kamu mau membacanya sebagai seorang dewasa, buku ini bisa jadi opsi untuk mencari hiburan dan bacaan yang super ringan karena Sherlock Sam gembul yang hobi makan dan Watson yang suka membocorkan rahasia.
Awalnya melihat buku ini ketika sedang berkunjung ke Toko Gunung Agung, tetapi aku tidak terlalu memperhatikan hingga salah seorang anggota grup Facebook Sherlockian Indonesia mengunggah informasi tentang buku. Tertarik, aku cek fanpage resminya dan ternyata buku ini adalah buku anak-anak dari penulis Singapura.
resensi lengkap
Kalau mau membelikan buku ini untuk saudaramu yang masih di Sekolah Dasar, kamu benar sekali! Tetapi jangan lupa jelaskan pada mereka kalau buku ini berlokasi di Singapura sehingga memiliki perbedaan dengan nilai-nilai yang ada di Indonesia. Tapi, kalau kamu mau membacanya sebagai seorang dewasa, buku ini bisa jadi opsi untuk mencari hiburan dan bacaan yang super ringan karena Sherlock Sam gembul yang hobi makan dan Watson yang suka membocorkan rahasia.
More...