(3) K-3 This story, translated from the Spanish, is a fictionalization of the early-twentieth-century incident when young cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths took photos of (what they claimed were) fairies in the woods of Yorkshire, England. Fanciful multimedia illustrations catch the mood of the story, engagingly (and a bit unreliably) narrated by Frances. An endnote discusses the historical event.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. In 1917 Cottingley, England, young cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths produced what they claimed were photographs of real fairies. Arthur Conan Doyle featured them in The Strand, giving the girls more attention than they'd probably bargained for. With a crisp and engaging style, Nobleman relates this fascinating story. Incorporating the original photographs, Wheeler's lively mixed-media illustrations have an Edwardian sensibility and a sepia-dominated palette. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(4) 4-6 Gadgets and Gears series. Illustrated by James Hamilton. Walter and his faithful dog, Noodles (the narrator), enter London's underbelly to help new friends find the master criminal Tick Tock. Playful spot illustrations and interesting secondary characters (such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) draw readers in, but frequent definitions of terms, while educational, drag the pace of this third installment. Unexpected acts of kindness allow for a warm conclusion.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson series. Adapted by Murray Shaw. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach & JT Morrow. Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novel–style adaptations of Holmes's adventures may appeal to middle graders not quite ready for Conan Doyle's originals. The dialogue, though over-explanatory, is easy to follow; appended "How Did Holmes Solve It?" pages spell things out even further. The illustrations are atmospheric but a little too caricaturish (check out Holmes's chin). Reading list, websites. Review covers these Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson titles: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of Black Peter and Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson series. Adapted by Murray Shaw. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach & JT Morrow. Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novel–style adaptations of Holmes's adventures may appeal to middle graders not quite ready for Conan Doyle's originals. The dialogue, though over-explanatory, is easy to follow; appended "How Did Holmes Solve It?" pages spell things out even further. The illustrations are atmospheric but a little too caricaturish (check out Holmes's chin). Reading list, websites. Review covers these Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson titles: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of Black Peter and Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. Two men die from what evidence suggests is a plague; the cause is in fact killer bees. That solved, fourteen-year-old Sherlock must catch the miscreants, aided by his tutor and a scrappy, streetwise sidekick. While the book is more thrill-packed action-movie than cool deductive mystery, Sherlock Holmes fans will delight in numerous in-jokes, and adventure readers will thrill to the high-stakes storytelling.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson series. Adapted by Murray Shaw. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novel–style adaptations of Holmes's adventures are well suited to middle graders. The dialogue is reminiscent of Conan Doyle's writing yet easier to follow. The illustrations' cartoon characters are appealing, but the heavy black lines and dark palette are sometimes intrusive. Reading list, websites. Review covers these On the Case with Holmes and Watson titles: Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange, and Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Gem.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson series. Adapted by Murray Shaw. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novel–style adaptations of Holmes's adventures are well suited to middle graders. The dialogue is reminiscent of Conan Doyle's writing yet easier to follow. The illustrations' cartoon characters are appealing, but the heavy black lines and dark palette are sometimes intrusive. Reading list, websites. Review covers these On the Case with Holmes and Watson titles: Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange, and Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Gem.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: On the Case with Holmes and Watson series. Adapted by Murray Shaw. Illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novel–style adaptations of Holmes's adventures are well suited to middle graders. The dialogue is reminiscent of Conan Doyle's writing yet easier to follow. The illustrations' cartoon characters are appealing, but the heavy black lines and dark palette are sometimes intrusive. Reading list, websites. Review covers these On the Case with Holmes and Watson titles: Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange, and Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Gem.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Boy Sherlock Holmes series. Sherlock Holmes is here imagined as a hyper-intelligent, lonely thirteen-year-old outcast, the son of a Jewish scientist father and a blue-blood mother whose family disowned her. Holmes tackles his first case: the stabbing of a beautiful woman in a seedy London alleyway. Peacock effectively evokes Conan Doyle's London, and his young Sherlock is a compelling and poignant character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars series. Illustrated by Greg Ruth. Mack and Citrin flesh out the role of Sherlock Holmes's ragtag band of boys known as the Baker Street Irregulars as they help solve a circus family's murder. Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Professor Moriarty make appearances, and Ruth's drawings are appropriately dark and sketchy. Appended "facts and practicals for the aspiring detective" include a cast of characters, slang glossary, and historical context.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) YA Oxford Portraits series. This evenhanded, readable biography examines the life of doctor-author-spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle, famed for--and eclipsed by--his creation, Sherlock Holmes. Well-researched chapters include excerpts from Conan Doyle's letters and autobiography, lengthy passages from his stories, and quotes from magazine reviews of his work. Black-and-white photographs and historical reproductions round out the volume. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA World Writers series. Quotes from diaries, letters, and interviews (but no excerpts from his fiction) pepper this readable account of Doyle's childhood, medical training, writings, political activities, and interest in spiritualism. Sherlock Holmes fans may be surprised to learn of Doyle's distaste for his creation, which, ironically, was the source of his livelihood. An adulatory conclusion leans a bit too closely to the side of sentimentality. Black-and-white photos accompany the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger