Review Detail

I read this book to preview before putting in my class library and it did not disappoint! Several of my sixth graders have read it now and insisted I add the rest.

Enola Holmes is a very engaging character and those who are familiar with Sherlock Holmes may be concerned that the story would be hokey and formulaic and depend too much on its inspiration, but Enola is a character in her own right and the Sherlock mythos is just enough to add overall atmosphere to the story. The plot moves very fast especially at the end-and it wraps up neatly, but that is perfect for my middle grade readers.

What I liked best about the story was the character of Enola. She wasn’t an automatic genius, but she was clearly smart and depended more on her own grit and attitude than anything else which I feel makes her a great example character. Overall, I enjoyed the book and my students have as well.