Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock

Title: Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock
Author: Linda Bailey
Major Themes: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, Detectives, Authors, England
Synopsis: From when he was very young, Arthur Conan Doyle loved stories, and eventually created the most-loved detective in literature—but did he enjoy his popularity?

I have an upper teenage son who loves reading Sherlock Holmes. A few weeks ago, I handed him the book Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock, and suggested he might enjoy it. Well, he sat there reading it and laughing. I think he laughed through most of the book. Then, I read it to my seven-year-old last evening. She loved it, and when my 10-year-old heard some of it he wanted to read the book himself. As is true with good picture book biographies, this is another one that appeals to all ages.

Arthur Conan Doyle had rather a rough beginning in life. With a mentally ill father, there was never enough money to go around. The young boy found his escape from reality in books, and I had to laugh when I read about the new rule the library had to make because of his voracious appetite for books.

As a newly trained doctor, Arthur did not have a lot of patients to keep him busy, so he passed the time writing stories. Most of his stories were rejected, but when he hit upon the idea of a series of short stories about a detective, his writing career took off. But, what happens when stories become very popular, but the author gets tired of his character? The answer might take you by surprise.

Anyone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes will love Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock. It’s a fun story for anyone else too, though. With a fun story, and beautiful pictures, my younger children who have never read Sherlock Holmes and wouldn’t understand it yet, enjoyed the story almost as much as the older ones. This is another beautiful picture book biography to add to our list of many we’ve enjoyed.

I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

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