Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Bohemia

November 15, 2010
Grades 4-6 The On the Case with Holmes and Watson graphic-novel series opens with this spirited caper. The king of Bohemia hires the detective to locate a photograph of himself with the actress Irene Adler that he fears she will use to ruin his upcoming marriage to another woman. Holmes finds the photo all right but also finds a rare instance in which he gets truly outsmarted; forever after, he would admiringly refer to Adler as the woman. A few spurts of action liven up the panels, which are otherwise mostly occupied by talking faces, and although Rohrbachs scratchy style is simplistic, it gives the characters plenty of personality (Holmes rolling his eyes as he sees through a clients thin ruse says more about the detective than pages of exposition could). This story is an inspired choice for a series opener not just because it was the first Holmes short story published (following two novels) but also because it establishes right off the bat something that may surprise readers: a fallible Holmes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
Also adapted by M. J. Cosson. These graphic novelstyle 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.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)