The Great Shelby Holmes Girl Detective by Elizabeth Eulberg, illustrated by Matt Robertson
Shelby can solve any crime. But when she meets John Watson, Shelby finds the answer to a mystery that’s always puzzled her – friendship. Suddenly, New York’s prize pooch is stolen and Holmes and Watson are swept up in a dog-napping case that’ll take teamwork to solve!
John Watson has had a nomadic existence in life so far. His mother is an army doctor and changing military posts regularly has meant lots of moving. When they arrive at 221 Baker Street he’s looking forward to finally settling down somewhere for a change. However it’s not great as it might be – his parents have split up and he’s without his Dad. Thankfully, distraction comes in the shape of the tiny but terrifying Shelby Holmes, who makes herself known after a mishap with an explosive experiment in the apartment above the Watson’s! John is not sure what to make of Shelby, especially when she demonstrates her seemingly psychic deductive powers.
But being on your own in a new home is no fun. With his Mum at work and three weeks until he starts school, John finds himself drawn to this strange, rambunctious girl and soon he’s helping her investigate a serious case of dog-napping. Shelby has the perfect opportunity to put her amazing deductive powers to good use and find the missing dog. It soon becomes clear that John isn’t the only one who needs help; Shelby doesn’t have many friends of her own. John realises not only does he hope to help Shelby with the investigation, her can help her make friends too.
This is a fun and quirky mystery story inspired by the great Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Set in vibrant New York City, there’s a host of diverse characters from the pizzeria man to the pampered pooch Daisy! Our young hero is John Watson; a laid back thoughtful eleven year old and quite brave when it comes to meeting new people – but as he points out he’s had lots of practice! The heroine, Shelby Holmes, is a brilliant know-it-all nine year old and a little irritating at first; but you do warm to her when you realise she’s a just a very smart young girl struggling to fit in. Young readers will enjoy the dog-napping mystery focused on the wealthy Lacy family – who could have possibly stolen Daisy just before the most important Dog Show of the year?!
Supported by great illustrations throughout, the narrative gives a humorous nod to the original Holmes (“Seriously Watson? You think a real detective would wear a cap and smoke a pipe?!”). All in all Shelby Holmes is fun take on a classic, great for children aged 8+, that may well inspire new interest in the ‘real’ Mr Holmes himself!
To find out more visit: www.elizabetheulberg.com and @ElizEulberg or www.matttheillustrator.com and @drawingmatt
With thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me this book to review.
Spy Toys by Mark Powers, illustrated by Tim Wesson. 
Mark Powers has been making up ridiculous stories since primary school and is slightly shocked to find that people now pay him to do it. As a child he always daydreamed that his teddy bear went off on top secret missions when he was at school, so a team of toys recruited as spies seemed a great idea for a story. He grew up in north Wales and now lives in Manchester. Spy Toys is publishing in January 2017!
oasting by the fire.
Kat Ellis grew up in North Wales and studied English with Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is an active blogger and amateur photographer. Kat has had short stories published and wrote Blackfin Sky last year after trying her hand at sci-fi. Her first published novel, Blackfin Sky will also be released in the US next autumn.
Reader’s question from the children Warden Park Academy: we sometimes have to correct our creative writing. How do you feel when you have to make corrections to your work? Before I share a story with anyone else, I read it over and over, looking for mistakes and polishing it to make it as good as possible. But – and I don’t think I’m alone here – I inevitably reach a point where I can’t look at my own work objectively, and I might miss a mistake that’s obvious to someone reading it for the first time. That’s why I’m always grateful to work with editors; they offer me expert guidance to make my stories flow better, and make my writing more polished. Writing is a skill you never stop learning and honing, so it’s great when you have someone helping you to improve.
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