Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

The Engineer's Thumb by Stephanie Baudet

The Engineer’s Thumb (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #14)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapted by), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

An engineer comes to Holmes with a terrible story to tell. He was lured to a house in the middle of the night and attacked, and his thumb was cut off! Holmes and Watson listen to his story with horror, and they quickly get the police on the track of the criminals, but only Holmes can make sense of the strange circumstances.

A Scandal in Bohemia by Stephanie Baudet

A Scandal in Bohemia (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #11)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapter), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

When the royal family of Bohemia needs help, Holmes is on the case tracking down a photograph being used for blackmail. The blackmailer is the beautiful Irene Adler, and she might be the only person to ever fool Holmes and beat him at his own game.

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Classic Book Review: A Study in Scarlet

The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle, Vincent Mallié (Artist),Mike Kennedy (Editor)

5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Watson is searching London for affordable rooms and his old colleague mentions that Sherlock Holmes is looking for rooms too. They are introduced and decide to become roommates at 221B Baker Street. Watson quickly discovers that Holmes is eccentric in many ways, and they are soon hot on the trail of a murder mystery. Holmes has a unique way of tracking down clues, and Watson is eager to help.

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Series Review: Sherlock Academy

Sherlock Academy by F.C. ShawWatson's Case by F.C. ShawThe Holmes Brigade by F.C. ShawSherlock Academy by F.C. Shaw

Sherlock Academy
by F.C. Shaw

4 out of 5 stars

Rollie and his best friend, Cecily, have just been accepted into the prestigious Sherlock Academy. They have to solve clues to figure out their class schedule, learn the art of disguise, decode secret messages to find out their assignments, and analyze fingerprints in the class roster. But there is a deeper mystery hidden in the library of Sherlock Academy! Throughout each book, Rollie and his detective friends work to stop the evil mastermind, Herr Zilch, who leads Moriarty’s old underground ring of criminals.

I loved everything about these books! The characters, the plot, the mystery, the action, the school, the writing style… everything is wonderful!
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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

Bangzo Books Wholesale

Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

by Stephanie Baudet

5 out of 5 stars

These Sherlock Holmes mysteries are retold and simplified for children ages 7-13. Each story follows exactly the same story line as the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with much of the same dialogue and narration. Holmes and Watson are the same beloved characters that we know, and the mystery is just as suspenseful and thrilling as the original.

I loved how the writing style is simple, but is still vivid and energetic! The text is large, and there are a few definition boxes that explain terms or historical items that may be unfamiliar.

I loved the black and white illustrations that pop up every few pages.

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Book Review: The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye

The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye
The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye by Nancy Springer

My rating: 0 of 5 stars

A perfect conclusion to this wonderful series! Enola is once again on the case, this time tracking down the missing Duquessa, while avoiding her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft. All those mysteries that have been niggling at me for the entire series are finally resolved. Why did Enola’s mother run away with gypsies? How will Enola repair her relationship with her brothers without losing her freedom?

I was very glad to see more of Sherlock in this book, especially since the dialogue between him and Enola is priceless!
Enola is spunky and serious-minded and brave. She’s so resourceful and imaginative! I just love her character. She has a no-nonsense attitude, a kind compassionate heart, and an extra helping of independent spirit. Continue reading

Book Review: Las memorias de Sherlock Holmes

Las memorias de Sherlock Holmes
Las memorias de Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Of course I love, love and adore, any story with Sherlock Holmes, but this translation is not the best. First of all, it uses some archaic words, weird sentence structure, and it also has typos and misspellings. It was a little difficult to read at times, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
It’s so sad rereading “The Final Problem” (“El Problema Final”), and it’s just as pathetic and distressing a story in any language.
I adore this book, and will be rereading it many times in the future, in English and in Spanish!
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Por supuesto que me encanta, con mucho amor y adoracion, cualquier historia con Sherlock Holmes, pero esta traducción no es el mejor. En primer lugar, utiliza algunas palabras arcaicas, estructura de la oración raro, y también tiene erratas y faltas de ortografía. Fue un poco difícil de leer a veces, pero lo disfruté, de todos modos.
Es tan triste releyendo “El problema final”, y es igual de patético y angustiante una historia en cualquier idioma.
Adoro este libro, y estaré releyendo muchas veces en el futuro, en Inglés y en Español!

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Book Review: A Sherlock Holmes Devotional

A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God
A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God by Trisha White Priebe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore this devotional based on lessons from the works of Sherlock Holmes! Each chapter focuses on a particular quote, or a quality of Holmes and Watson, or one of their adventures, and weaves a similarity between that concept and the Christian life. Although Conan Doyle was not a notable Christian and Holmes is somewhat ambiguous about his beliefs, there are still lessons to be learned from the stories! Continue reading

What I Read in November

These are the books I read in November! Eleven books in eleven minutes- I tried to keep the video as short as possible, but I get excited talking about books!

Just because a book is mentioned here does NOT mean that I recommend it. Some of these were great, some not so good, and some I didn’t even finish b/c they were just that awful.

Books mentioned in order:
The Storm Before Atlanta- Karen Schwabach
The Writing Life- Annie Dillard
The CaseBook of Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Young Joan- Barbara Dana
Eidi- Bodil Bredsdorff
Things Not Seen- Andrew Clements
Knit One, Kill Two- Maggie Sefton
The First Two Lives of Lukas Kasha- Lloyd Alexander
Shadow Bridge- Gregory Frost
For Darkness Shows the Stars- Diana Peterfreund
Same Kind of Different As Me- Ron Hall and Denver Moore