Nobody gets the better of Shelby Holmes, or do they? It is a new school year and there is a new case to solve. There is a teacher in distress and a new arch enemy on the scene. New York's youngest detective and super stealth will need all her brain power, and the help of her best and only friend Hohn Watson, to solve the case and get to the bottom of this one. And, who knows, mabye Shelby and Lestrade will become friends (probably not)!

I definitely recommend this book because it is funny and very gripping. It will get the reader involved and inspired, so I think if you haven't read it before, you go and read it now!!!

I really want to like these books more, but I can't get over the fact that they're set in Harlem and the majority of the characters are Black, except for Shelby, the savior of the stories. Why couldn't Shelby also be Black? And the books don't directly address how much more at risk of harm John is than Shelby in all the scenarios Shelby forces them into, because he's a Black boy and she's a white girl.

Synopsis: It’s been three weeks since eleven-year-old John Watson moved to Harlem with his mom and met their nine-year-old genius neighbor, Shelby Holmes. It’s also the first day of school at Harlem Academy of the Arts, where they are both starting the sixth grade. While John is trying to settle in, get a handle on his homework, and spend at least a little time playing basketball or video games with some other guys, Shelby senses a mystery that needs solving. Someone needs her help, and John is immediately in for the adventure (and the material for his writing class). It quickly seems he’ll get more than he bargained for, as the case is more complicated than it appears, and it looks like there might be someone in the world who is a match for even the great Shelby Holmes.

Review: Like the first book, this novel is told in first person from the perspective of John Watson, an eleven-year-old African-American boy who has recently moved to New York. After a lifetime of moving from base to base as a military brat, he is adapting to life in a city apartment with his mom and adapting to life apart from his dad, who has remained in Kentucky. He has a strong narrative voice, witty and often self-deprecating, an average kid who finds himself in some not-so-average situations. He is a likeable, friendly kid, and his friendship with Shelby – which could seem very unlikely indeed – is understandable when seen through his eyes.

The story is peppered with Canonical references, from character names to plot twists. As an adaptation of the Holmes stories for kids, this is a knock-out. The characters are more diverse, the setting is modern, and the cases tend to involve fewer murders, but Holmes and Watson remain Holmes and Watson. Eulberg nails the friendship between Shelby and John, making it clear why these two opposites will always come back to each other.

Personal Thoughts: I adore this series. A third book is said to be in the works; I can’t wait!

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.

The Great Shelby Holmes books are so much fun and a great read! I would recommend these books to kids who like mysteries and are ready to graduate from Magic Tree House or Nate the Great. The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match is fun, light-hearted but also emotional at times. Overall the Great Shelby Holmes is really great mystery series for kids that keeps it light and fun and not scary but also with a little danger and lots of friendship. I highly recommend them.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

Elizabeth Eulberg's The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match (The Great Shelby Holmes #2) is a middle grade-sized Sherlock DELIGHT! I loved the way that Elizabeth Eulberg wrote her middle grade characters and their ties to the Sherlock Holmes originals--Holmes, Moriarty, and Lestrade as female roles; Watson as the downstairs neighbor with an online blog--just all so connected to originals but bringing them to a middle grade audience with a modern flair.

Fans of the first book, The Great Shelby Holmes, get excited . . . we meet MORIARTY! Can't wait for the future adventures of Shelby and Watson.

I will definitely purchase this title and recommend it to my 5th grade students.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bloomsbury, for providing me with a copy of The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match in exchange for an honest review.

When an author sets out to adapt Sherlock Holmes for a young audience I'm always interested to see what changes they will make. Some of Eulberg's adaptations are quite clever. Shelby's sugar obsession instead of Sherlock's drugs for instance. Others, like Moira's jealously. seem like too much of a stretch. In short, it's a decent adaptation.

What a fast paced, down to earth adventerous ride! Can't wait to reccomend this to everyone I know!

If your students love a mystery this is a great series. I loved the theme of friendship in the story and I know many of my students will relate to the characters. A great book for a 4th grade classroom to introduce mystery-at a good reading level.

The Great Shelby Holmes is an great introduction to mystery for middle grade. I was so happy to see a female protagonist that would appeal to female and male readers alike. I was so happy to see a sequel to this first great book.
Shelby is a 9 year old who has skipped two grades at her Harlem School for the Arts. Shelby and John Watson are trying to navigate the difficult world of elementary school together. This book did a great job of showing the difficulty of choosing friends, making friends and keeping friends. The story is narrated by John (through an online journal for a writing class) so we get an interesting perspective on how Shelby operates. (And she isn't that different from the rude and pompous Sherlock that we all know and love).
When Shelby and John start school, there is something fishy about his new Science teacher. As the two investigate, they get in deeper than they could have imagined. I do not want to spoil the story by giving anything away but, for all you Holmes fans, you can probably guess who the great opponent is.
This book can be read as a stand alone without having read the first book and is perfect for middle grade readers.

The first book in this series meets its match as its sequel shines.

The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match by Elizabeth Eulberg picks up shortly after the first book with a new case for Watson and Shelby. With a new school year afoot, there’s also new classes, new friends, and new mysteries waiting to be solved. This time, a new teacher’s watch disappears and Watson and Shelby are on the case! However, Shelby’s skills are soon questioned after she makes a mistake that comprises the case.

I read an eARC of the first book in this series last year, and I enjoyed it despite a few issues, so I was excited when the second book appeared on NetGalley (see my review of the first book here). In the first book, I really liked the main character in this series, Watson, and the book’s unique take on a mystery frequent in middle grade novels. However, I didn’t like how difficult the clues were for younger readers and Shelby’s almost cartoonish personality. I was happy that the sequel contained elements I enjoyed from the first book, but also worked on areas that needed improvement from the first book.

I think the highlight of this series definitely remains within the main character. Watson is a great character who not only grows as a character throughout the novel, but serves as a great role model for readers. Sometimes in books, authors treat mental illnesses or medical conditions as a “quirk” instead of an issue that the character struggles with everyday. However, Elizabeth Eulberg doesn’t do this with Watson’s diabetes. Readers get a good picture of what it’s like to live with diabetes since it greatly affects the plot line. Additionally, Watson is an all-around good guy. After an incident in the novel, Shelby starts a rumor that Watson is the hero, not her, because she’s afraid it will hurt his ego. Watson, however, not only declares this untrue, but proceeds to tell everyone the truth that Shelby is the real hero. I like how Watson is confident in who he is as a person and doesn’t conform to traditional male stereotypes.

I also enjoyed Shelby’s character more in this novel. In the first novel, all of her behavior felt too cartoonish and there weren’t enough moments to see her as a multi-dimensional, real character. However, Shelby’s character grows tremendously throughout this novel since everything she believes about herself is questioned. Shelby learns that even though she is intelligent, she can still make mistakes. Additionally, she starts to rely more on other people for help which further develops her friendship with Watson and helps her express herself more emotionally. I liked how Shelby’s character grew throughout this novel because it showed she can be strong through her intelligence, but through her emotions as well.

As for the case in this novel, I have mixed feelings. One aspect of this case that I liked was there were more details that younger readers could point out so they would feel more involved in the case. Since Watson is learning to pick up clues better, younger readers have the opportunity to do this as well. On the other hand, this case didn’t seem as well though out as the case in the first novel and the mystery is solved about halfway through the novel. Since the case isn’t the main focus, however, readers see a lot more character development from the two main characters. Therefore, if you’re looking for a more intricate mystery, I’d look towards the first book. If you’re looking for more complex characters, I’d look towards the second book.

Overall, The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match is an enjoyable read with likable characters and a decent mystery. I would recommend this book for any fan of the first book or anyone looking for a cute middle grade mystery. I give The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match four out of five stars.

Summary: In the sequel to "The Great Shelby Holmes" John Watson is adjusting to his life as the the new kid at 221 Baker Street.  He is getting used to living alone with his mother, attending a new school, and becoming acquainted with his new neighbor "The Great Shelby Holmes".  Shelby is a genius and a super sleuth who is teaching John the art of observation as he help her solve cases. Since the start of their association Shelby's lessons have been limited to solving the mysteries of their classmates but when John and Shelby uncover a blackmail plot against their new teacher they team up to solve their biggest mystery to date.

Review: This modern take on the classic Sherlock Holmes story  is the perfect book for middle grade mystery lovers.  Shelby and John are the perfect Holmes and Watson with her being brilliant about everything except how to deal with people and him being the only one who really understands how her mind works.  The mystery of who is blackmailing their teacher feels like a classic Holmes mystery but Eulberg filled the book with little contemporary touches (Watson is now African American with a father in the military, the story is based in NYC, Watson has diabetes) that make the book relatable to today's young reader.

Bottomline: This is a must read mystery for young readers filled with adventure and intrigue but also shows the importance of friendship.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

This is a great book that takes the idea of Sherlock and Watson and puts them in a snarky schoolgirl and her new friend in an elementary school setting. Shelby Holmes is EVERYTHING I expected when reading a Sherlock Holmes based book. She is socially awkward and incredibly intelligent. Watson is also just as I expected. He is Shelby's balance and keeps her grounded. Anyone who wants a quirky mystery will love this book. I can't wait to tell kids about this.

I loved this book so much. It was a lovely sequel to the first book in this series. I loved the way this story really focused on Holmes and Watson friendship. I loved both the case and the characters that came into the story. It def was a step up in from book one. I loved the adorable illustrations and also who the "villian" was in this story. I also really enjoyed the how the mystery was developed and how it really effected the main characters. It was such a fun read and grew to love John even more!

I’m admittedly a big fan of Holmes from his incarnation under the adept hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the various iterations that have dotted across literary and media history throughout the years.

This variant is one of the cuter ones and definitely perfect for the younger generation coming up in a world that is daring to go beyond the long held beliefs on gender.

Eulberg, in her second book of this series, turned Holmes into a girl who is so smart (obviously) she’s been moved up a couple of grades in school where she meets a new sidekick and seemingly only friend – Watson. Like his predecessor Dr. John this young child is responsible for narrating the life of Holmes so we can be clued in to how she operates in the world. In this story we even get to meet the infamous Moriarty in the form of yet another gender different character.

The fun and ingenious ways she uses deductive reasoning is on full display complete with the detached, almost borderline rudeness, of the classic Holmes personality.

Unlike Elementary, Sherlock or other current iterations of the original Holmes character this one is much more appropriate for the younger audience when it comes to level of mystery, character interaction, and dialogue.

My only complaint is that unlike all the other books, tv shows or movies I’ve read/watched this version of the Holmes’ personality came off on the irritating side.

As egotistical as the character of Holmes could be there was always something endearing that made you feel impressed by his abilities and wishing he was real because maybe our crime rate would decrease, lol.
Shelby just comes off egotistical without the endearing quality as if she has this constant need to show off her intellect and prove she’s superior to everyone around her. I don’t think it has anything to do with her being a kid because recently I read The Baker Street Peculiars, The Baker Street Four and Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries which all use kids as their focus. Plus I grew up with Encyclopedia Brown.

My issue with her character is more than likely not going to be shared by children who have had as much exposure to Holmes variations the way I have so I wouldn’t let my opinion on that sway you away from this book. It’s so hard to find decent material for kids of this age range you should definitely give yours a chance with this.

If you haven’t read the first I wouldn’t be too worried about it because it fits very well as a standalone.

This is a very cute series, and my children love it. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable. The size and pacing are good for the age group. And the mystery is intriguing enough, with a good twist. We will definitely be reading more of this series. I would recommend it for any young mystery lovers or aspiring sleuths.

Shelby Holmes continues to be a slice of Middle Grade perfection.

My kids loved the first book in this series, which I picked up at a Scholastic Book Fair, and I was so excited when I saw the chance to read the second one. They were too! The book stands alone, so kids who haven't read the first will do fine reading it. But it also continues to develop the relationship between Shelby and Watson nicely. The parallels to the original story are very fun, but one doesn't need to know anything about the original to enjoy it. All around very fun. I hope there are more!