Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Retold by Alex Woolf
Genre: classic mystery
Similar books:The Baker Street Peculiars by Roger Langridge
The Baker Street Four by Olivier Legrande
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Join world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his ever-loyal sidekick Dr. Watson as they embark on a daring adventure.
When the Countess of Morcar's priceless blue jewel is stolen, a former thief is charged with the crime, but is he really guilty? Never fear: Sherlock Holmes is on the case, and the truth will out!
Hilton Cubitt is worried. Drawings of "dancing men" keep appearing
around his house and they're frightening his wife, who seems to know
what they mean. Can our brilliant hero solve the mystery of these
drawings before disaster strikes?
The whole of London is shocked and baffled by the murder of Ronald
Adair. It seems like an impossible crime! Can our sensational sleuth
solve the mystery of how Adair was killed before the murderer strikes
again?
My opinion: Sherlock Holmes can be compelling reading but the original text can be difficult to follow. For kids who are still working on reading comprehension the old fashioned highly descriptive language of Doyle's original work is too much and adaptations are often necessary. Woolf's version is quite simplified. The writing is stripped down to really only the basics needed to follow the mystery. There is little in the way of description or reflection. We get facts and some basic dialogue, no character development or exploration of motivation. For quite young readers this adaptation series is probably sufficient. For slightly older kids who are trying to puzzle through Doyle's original works, this series could work as a supportive text, helping them to understand the heart of what they have read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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