Graphic Novel, my dear Watson

Recommended grades 9-12.  The illustrious consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is back in action, or graphic!  Adapted by author Ian Edginton and artist I.N.J. Culbard, A Study in Scarlet (Sterling, 2010) chronicles Sherlock Holmes's first adventure with his mild-mannered partner, Dr. Watson.  Culbard's illustrations take readers from colonial Afghanistan to Victorian London to frontier Utah.  Characters are drawn in pulp comic style, with particular detail on facial features-- Holmes has the strong chin of a Superman, while Watson bares the round nose of a lovable oaf.  Scenes in Mormon Utah are colored in sepia, fitting with the flashback narrative, while the rest is illustrated in rich, though dark, colors.  Culbard maintains most of Conan Doyle's original language- reminding readers that although the story has been adapted in comic form, it is not necessarily an easy read.  The dialog is peppered with advanced medical terms, Victorian dialect, and, of course, the quick wit of Sherlock Holmes.  The language in the book is definitely better for more advanced reading.  The graphic novel captures much of the original, and Holmes aficionados will be overjoyed that so much has been maintained.  Recommended, ***.

Retro Mystery- American Girl Style

Recommended grades 4-6.  The American Girls have gone far out with Julie, a girl living in San Francisco during the groovy 1960's and 70's.  In The Secret Guitar (American Girl Publishing, 2011), part of the Julie Mystery Series, Julie and her friends must find a stolen guitar that belonged to (fictional) rock star, Danny Kendricks.  The guitar is part of a charity auction for a recent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay that is devastating the marine life.  Author Kathryn Reiss drew her inspiration from her own childhood, though as a piece of historical fiction, it is unconvincing.  Reiss creates fictional versions of people and events (Jimi Hendrix, the Exxon oil spill) instead of using their real life counterparts.  This is confusing, and ultimately doesn't achieve what great historical fiction should do- teach readers about actual historical time periods using a combination of fact and fiction.  Reiss's words capture feeling and fiction, and she includes a quick historical afterword connecting the story to history.   Ultimately, the story would have been much more valuable to readers had she written within the true 1960s instead of creating a fictional parallel.  Additional Selection, **