Book Review: The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match by Elizabeth Eulberg is the second book in the Shelby Holmes series. The first book sets up the characters and relationship between Shelby and the world, however I think most readers would be able to catch on to the series ideas pretty quickly, even if starting with the second book. 

Being friends with a super sleuth isn't easy, especially when she's nine years old and four feet tall, and full of attitude. But for eleven-year-old aspiring writer John Watson, being friends with Shelby Holmes is just the adventure he's looking for.In the few weeks since moving to Harlem with his mom, Shelby has been training John in the art of observation-a skill that comes in handy on the first day of school. John's new teacher, Mr. Crosby, is acting suspiciously, and Shelby knows this is a mystery worth investigating. But as Shelby and John dig deeper, they discover that there may be someone unexpected involved--someone who may have Shelby beat.

The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match is another great book by Eulberg that makes the Sherlock tropes and themes assesable to the younger generations. I love that the characters are unique, but still share bits of the characteristics of the Sherlock cannon. Shelby is the socially uninterested genius, with a little too much pride and confidence in her abilities. When she works with Watson they become the perfect team, with the book, observational, and social smarts to do just about anything. I got a kick out of the introduction of Shelby's nemesis, and the way they work with Lestrade and Crosby. I loved the twists and turns, and the inclusion of extra bits of struggle, like family issues and John's diabetes, make the story even more relatable to a variety of readers. I think the mystery is well built, and the methods of Shelby and James, and how they interact with each others and those around them, is extremely well done. I love the layers to all the characters, and the combination of real life and Sherlock themes makes for an entertaining and engaging.

The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match is a great middle grade mystery with a diverse group of characters that feels completely organic rather than forced, which is sadly happening with more and more books. I highly enjoy this series and hope to continue it, and add it to my elementary school library as soon as I can.