Death Cloud: A Thuthful and Exciting Young Sherlock

Death Cloud: Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane

Why did I read it?

Because Sherlock Holmes is awesome!! Whether its Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Arthur Conan Doyle's classics or Andrew Lane's clever prequels, the character is too awesome to pass up :)

What happened?

Fourteen year old Sherlock wasn't looking for trouble. He wasn't looking to put himself in danger's way. In fact, he was expecting a loathsome summer vacation living with his estranged relatives. But, that wasn't what he found. Near the Holmes Manor, two men die of mysterious symptoms reminiscent of the plague.

Assisted by a local street urchin named Matty, Sherlock begins investigating their strange deaths and realizes that they were not natural demises. But each time he gets closer to finding the truth, a strange man, referred to as the Baron, tries to stop him at any cost.

In order to survive, Sherlock will have to depend on the advice of his older brother, Mycroft, his resourceful American tutor Amyus Crowe, and his growing powers of deduction and logic.

What did I like or not like?

Because it felt like a feasible beginning to the Sherlock Holmes mythos. As Lane mentions in some interviews, Doyle didn't flesh out the childhood of his protagonist, but he did leave some clues. Lane uses these to write a compelling story of a Sherlock Holmes that is still discovering who he is and what he can do.

Apart from the clever and truthful adaptation, the story itself is solid, interesting, well-written, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes, or just a good action-filled mystery.

Picture Book, Movie, or Novel?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Why did I read it?

This is a book that has caught my eye for a couple years now. I heard it was a combination of text and pictures to tell the story, but I never found the time to read it. So, when one of my Master's classes required me to read all the Caldecott Medal winners from 1990-2009, I got to read it (it won the medal in 2008).

What happened?

Hugo works on the clocks at a Paris train station, without anyone realizing it is him. Technically, it is his drunken uncle who is supposed to be keeping the clocks ticking, but his uncle disappeared a while back. So, now its just Hugo, and the automaton that belonged to his father. Several years before, Hugo's father died in an accidental museum fire, and Hugo believes his father has left him a message in the automaton. Striving to get the automaton working again, Hugo steals from an old toy maker, who eventually catches him and takes the notebook that he was using to rebuild the automaton. Why did the old man want the notebook? Is there more to this old toy maker than Hugo knows?

What did I like or not like?

This was a fascinating book to read. In addition to mixing text and pictures, it also had elements of a graphic novel, picture book, novel, and a black and white movie. Apart from the interesting way it is written, the story itself is an interesting examination of dreams, purpose, film, magic, and family. I really enjoyed it!