Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Series: The Great Shelby Holmes, Book 1
Release date: September 6, 2016
Published by: Bloomsbury USA
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Meet spunky sleuth Shelby and her sports-loving sidekick Watson as they take on a dog-napper in this fresh twist on Sherlock Holmes.
Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader. She's nine years old, barely four feet tall, and the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen--always using logic and a bit of pluck (which yes, some might call "bossiness") to solve the toughest crimes.
When eleven-year-old John Watson moves downstairs, Shelby finds something that's eluded her up till now: a friend. Easy-going John isn't sure of what to make of Shelby, but he soon finds himself her most-trusted (read: only) partner in a dog-napping case that'll take both their talents to crack. (Summary from Goodreads.com)
My thoughts: This was so darn fun. I can't wait to try the next 2 in this series that are out now. I adore Elizabeth Eulberg, and not just because she's a WI girl. (But I do love her for that.) I adore her because she's one of the most friendly authors I have met. It means a lot to a little school librarian to have an author take 5 minutes to visit with them at a ginormous conference with so many other obligations.
Anyway, back to the book...When John Watson moves to New York City with his mother his life is in the middle of a big transition. His parents are divorcing so this is the first time he is living in a house without his dad, his mom has left the service and they are not living on a base for the first time, AND the biggest one is that his mom keeps telling him this is a forever home. Watson is the narrator and I really enjoyed his point-of-view as he discovers his new environment and his new upstairs neighbor. This new neighbor is Shelby Holmes, who has the classic power of observation that fascinates us all. She enters his life with an explosion, literally, and soon becomes his closest friend. The setting is nicely done along with all of the characters who surround them in their pursuits of the truth. This is a middle grade book, and you really notice it. That's exactly what I was hoping for though. It's perfect for any middle school or elementary school library. I will be promoting it to 3rd-6th graders like crazy! I especially loved her dog, Sir Arthur. The illustrations here and there were fantastic as well. There aren't many, but that's ok since the ones you get are so well done.
My final thoughts: This is absolutely worth the read. Cute and savvy. Grab this one off the shelves for any mystery fan 7th grade and under. I'm curious to see what happens with their friendship when they start school (academy) for the year and can't wait to get my hands on book 2.
What did you think of this one?
Comments
Post a Comment