However, what I found was that it is the actual story, adapted for a younger audience and with lots of illustrations that provided additional information along with humor. I initially had thought it was a new detective story aimed for kids with Sherlock Holmes featured. That’s when I truly looked at what I had selected. So, when I selected A Study in Scarlet from Netgalley it wasn’t until I started reading the first chapter that I realized I have read this before – more than once. There are some titles that get stuck in my memory perhaps due to a show or movie where they are referenced, or if it was required reading in high school, such as The Hound of the Baskervilles was.

To be perfectly honest I have read several or many Sherlock Holmes books, but I don’t generally remember all the titles.

But other than that this was a really Top Notch effort!!Ī terrific way to introduce young children to one of the most famous detectives ever – Sherlock Holmes. Second, while the drawings are good and do help visualize things, they are rather flat. First, it would have been better to have had a few chapter divisions in the book as there are none and it would help a reader to have chapters. I found the book easy to read, and proper for the age level that it was intended and on the whole I am hoping in the future that there will be more of these books because they are great reads for middle school children who can develop a lifetime of love for Sherlock Holmes and his successors! Two drawbacks. The editing required to make this a Children's Collection was well done with all the major points of Sherlock and Watson and their first adventure all being very well presented to readers who are not aware of these stories. I was intrigued by this title because I have always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories, and wondered how this would be presented for a Middle Grades reader. Thanks to NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

A Study in Scarlet by Stephanie Baudet