This is solid stuff. Sherlock Holmes has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I started out watching the old Jeremy Brett series on PBS’ Mystery! which I’m certain eased my transition into reading adult Victorian-era fiction in Jr. High and High School. I have a 9yo who reads almost at a high school level and loves mystery stories, but Conan Doyle is just a little above her head yet.

Enter Match Wits With Sherlock Holmes, where Murray Shaw adapts popular mysteries and adds the pertinent clues and Holmes’s reasoning after the story. The language is simplified, but not overly, and it’s a true adaptation; not a sniff of a Cumberbatch, Downey Jr., or Miller to be found. (2 of those 3 I actually like, so I don’t say that terribly snootily)

There are 4 volumes of 2 stories each in the series (that I’m aware of, at least) I did find one story pretty gory for my young reader (The Adventure of the Cardboard Box), so we’ll hold off on that for a couple of yrs, but I’m thrilled to be able to provide her with quality reading material and set the stage for a satisfying future as a fan of Sherlock Holmes. ( )