Scan barcode
ki4eva's review against another edition
3.0
A cute mystery for young kids. I liked the play on characters from the Sherlock Holmes stories.
mtnofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The Great Shelby Holmes is almost exactly what you think it is... a juvenile fiction spin on Sherlock Holmes. Shelby, with the help of her new neighbor John Watson, is on the case of a missing dog. Shelby is the quirky sleuth. Watson is the straight sidekick. Overall cute read for kiddos.
guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Grade: B-
An e-galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Sherlock is big in YA these days, and now middle grade is no exception. It was refreshing to read a middle grade Sherlock remixing, mostly because most YA adaptations end up being just so dark and heavy. Of course, not everything is light in The Great Shelby Holmes, but overall, it was a fun romp that I could see many middle grade readers loving.
I especially liked Watson. He was just so great and normal, and I thought his voice was strong. Shelby grated on my nerves just a little, but not Watson. I enjoyed the references to other Sherlock things. Overall, though, there was just that lack of connection that I need to love a book. The writing does read pretty young, which was a little disappointing.
As far as mysteries go, this one was pretty simple and for some reason, I assumed there would be multiple dog-nappings which I think I would've preferred to the actual plot line. That would've made the book a lot longer, though, and perhaps too complicated for a middle grade book, but I don't know if I could say that for certain.
The Great Shelby Holmes was very clean across the board.
The Verdict: It was good. I'm just not the target audience, so I didn't love it as much as I would've liked to.
An e-galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Sherlock is big in YA these days, and now middle grade is no exception. It was refreshing to read a middle grade Sherlock remixing, mostly because most YA adaptations end up being just so dark and heavy. Of course, not everything is light in The Great Shelby Holmes, but overall, it was a fun romp that I could see many middle grade readers loving.
I especially liked Watson. He was just so great and normal, and I thought his voice was strong. Shelby grated on my nerves just a little, but not Watson. I enjoyed the references to other Sherlock things. Overall, though, there was just that lack of connection that I need to love a book. The writing does read pretty young, which was a little disappointing.
As far as mysteries go, this one was pretty simple and for some reason, I assumed there would be multiple dog-nappings which I think I would've preferred to the actual plot line. That would've made the book a lot longer, though, and perhaps too complicated for a middle grade book, but I don't know if I could say that for certain.
The Great Shelby Holmes was very clean across the board.
The Verdict: It was good. I'm just not the target audience, so I didn't love it as much as I would've liked to.
sarrie's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 *s
This was a great middle grade adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes structure. There isn't a whole lot you can say about a kids book but there were a lot of good things about this. I liked the diversity of the story, the setting, and how well the structure was adapted down to Sherlock/Shelby's addiction (in this one sugar).
The little sneers and references to the actual Sherlock stories were very funny as well.
This was a great middle grade adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes structure. There isn't a whole lot you can say about a kids book but there were a lot of good things about this. I liked the diversity of the story, the setting, and how well the structure was adapted down to Sherlock/Shelby's addiction (in this one sugar).
The little sneers and references to the actual Sherlock stories were very funny as well.
pussreboots's review against another edition
5.0
Like Elementary it's set in New York City. That gives a familiar city for Watson to adventure in with Shelby, while removing it from the clichés that pop up when set in London.
http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2017/comments_01/great_shelby_holmes.html
http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2017/comments_01/great_shelby_holmes.html
kendallbridgete's review against another edition
4.0
John Watson has moved around plenty in his life; after all, that’s what you do when your mom is a military doctor! However, this most recent move is different. John’s mom has left the military and she and John are settling in in their new apartment in New York—without John’s dad (the Watsons have just gotten divorced). Now John finds himself all alone in a big, strange, new city…that is, until he meets kid detective Shelby Holmes, his upstairs neighbor. Shelby has quite a reputation around their Harlem neighborhood for solving mysteries. When one of their classmate’s (note: classmate, not friend—Shelby’s never had any friends) prize-winning dog disappears right before the big dog show, it’s up to Shelby to try to solve the mystery. Will Watson (as Shelby now calls him) become Shelby’s detective partner—and maybe her first-ever friend? Who “dog-napped” the missing dog, Daisy? Will they find her in time for the big dog show?
I really enjoyed this book--particularly how the story is told from Watson's point of view and the relationship dynamics between Watson and Shelby. I can't wait to add this book to my school's library collection!
I really enjoyed this book--particularly how the story is told from Watson's point of view and the relationship dynamics between Watson and Shelby. I can't wait to add this book to my school's library collection!
darthchrista's review against another edition
3.0
This was a wonderful delight to read. Perfect to pass to my riding 5th grader and even the rising 8th grader to introduce keen observation. This would also make a fun read aloud and see which character we are most similar to. strong theme of friendships, not making snap judgements, and loyalty. A nice twist on Holmes and good jumping off point for people to dive in.
jayce's review against another edition
5.0
Such a pleasant surprise. I was not particularly drawn to this book, but it was so fun.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
Young adult author Elizabeth Eulberg (Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Take a Bow, Better Off Friends) makes her middle grade debut with this modernized elementary school retelling of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories. With many nods to the original tales, Eulberg builds a world where nine-year-old Shelby Holmes is the perceptive, observant, yet socially awkward solver of crimes, and new kid John Watson is her friend, assistant, and biographer. Together, Shelby and John help solve the mystery of a show dog who is stolen just days before an important competition. The writing in this book is great, but sadly, the ideas are tired and cliched. There are already so many missing dog stories in children's fiction that one more almost seems like a joke. Also problematic is the fact that this is a children's spin-off of a series of books too complex for most kids in the target age range to appreciate. They won't get the jokes until they read the original books, and when they read the original books, something of the experience will have been spoiled by reading this first. The setting and characters are spot-on, and I hope Eulberg will write more middle grade. I just hope for an original set of characters in a fresh new plot for her next book.