SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

September 5, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Take 5: It’s Elementary (YA Fiction for fans of Sherlock)

September 5, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS   8 comments

While reading The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I couldn’t help but think that fans of the BBC Sherlock (or the CBS show Elementary) would enjoy reading it.  Which got me thinking: What other YA books would Sherlock fans enjoy?  Below is a list of 10 titles that fit the bill and I recommend.  You may have your own recommendations, so please feel free to join the discussion.  P.S., in case you didn’t know, I am absolutely obsessed with Sherlock.  I am also convinced that the BBC has some of the best television happening right now.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

Cassie is a natural born profiler, enlisted in a special FBI program that seeks to hone the special talents of teens.  The Naturals get drawn into an active case when a package shows up at their dorm making it clear that this case is personal.  Cassie is no longer safe and she doesn’t know who to trust.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (Mary Russell #1) by Laurie King

“You cannot help being a female, and I should be something of a fool were I to discount your talents merely because of their housing.”

 
The retired Sherlock may have met his match in the form of one teenage girl named Mary Russell. Soon she is his pupil and they two are put to the test by a new, elusive villain.

A Spy in the House (The Agency #1) by Y. S. Lee

“Calmly, slowly, she reached behind with her left hand and came up against — yes, fabric. Fine linen, to be precise. So far, so good: she was inside a wardrobe, after all. The only problem was that this linen was oddly warm. Body warm. Beneath the tentative pressure of her palm, it seemed to be moving…”

Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is the cover for an all female investigative unit called The Agency.  Mary Quinn is given one assignment: infiltrate a rich merchants house to find missing cargo ships.  Is there anyone in the house Mary can trust? Want more historical fiction with female spies? Check out Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

“Keep calm and carry on.
Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.”

Rory arrives in London the day a serial killer starts taking lives in a way that eerily resembles Jack the Ripper.  Rory spotted a man she thought was the killer, but she seems to be the only one that saw him.  Now, as the only witness, will she be his next victim?

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

“Maybe there is something when it all ends. Maybe there is memory, memory of the person you loved, when you lived. Maybe this is the white-light-tunnel deal, and I’m pressing toward it, and it’s pressing back, until we become the same thing.”

Since her brother disappeared, Lo’s desire to collect things has turned into obsession.  When she discovers a butterly pendant, it may be a clue to help her find her missing brother.

Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan

What happens when Momento and Mullholland Drive meet M Night (but when he was still considered good)? This happens. Daniel is dragged to a camp/resort/vacation spot with his father.  He feels drawn to the mysterious Lexi, but wonders why her bruises keep getting worse every time he sees her.  A dark figure stalks them both and Daniel has to solve the mystery of Lexi before it is too late.

Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock

“You can’t lose what you never had.”  

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

When her best friend dies, Mackenzie vows to hunt her killer – a white werewolf.  In this world, werewolves live in plain sight. But there are dangerous secrets lurking in Hemlock that may make it hard for Mackenzie to keep her promise.

Eye of the Crow (The Boy Sherlock Holmes #1) by Shane Peacock

Granted, putting a young Sherlock Holmes title on the list may seem like cheating.  But it is good and you should read it.  Also, I feel like that is all I really need to say about this series: Young. Sherlock. Holmes.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce #1) by Alan Bradley

“I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Flavia de Luce is an 11 year old aspiring chemist that has a passion for poison.  Don’t they all? First there is a dead bird with a postage stamp on its beak.  Then there is a dead man in the cucumber patch.  To Falvia the investigation is the stuff of science. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

“I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.”

Technically, Code Name Verity is not a mystery.  It is, in fact, a marvelous piece of historical fiction full of friendship, spies and female pilots.  But you’ll have to pay attention while you read because the little things matter and you will be stunned by the amazing way Wein pulls all the pieces together to tell the details of this story – much like Sherlock solving a case.

Also, check out these programming ideas to celebrate all things Sherlock.

I know you have some titles to add to the list, right?  Please share in the comments.

Filed under: Collection Development, Mysteries, Reader's Advisory, Sherlock

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2013

It's a Mystery, how to find mysteries with an inspriational message

by Karen Jensen, MLS

October 2014

Five by Five: 5 Speculative Fiction and 5 Contemporary Fiction Books that Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fans Should Read

by Karen Jensen, MLS

October 2014

Take 5: Karen's TBR Pile (I'll Show You Mine if You'll Show Me Yours)

by Karen Jensen, MLS

October 2014

Take 5: Hazing

by Karen Jensen, MLS

October 2014

Take 5: YA Horror 2014

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#181)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

That Flag: An Interview with Tameka Fryer Brown

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Value of Innocence for BIPOC Students, a guest post by David Mura

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Looking Ahead: Our 2023 Preview

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Duke MDs’ Prescription for Schools? Masks, with Enforcement, and Psychological Support for Teachers, Students.

Board Book Evolution: No Longer 'Just for Babies'

21 Books About Children and their Names

Pronouncing Kids’ Names Correctly Matters. Here’s How to Get it Right.

37 Kidlit and YA Titles in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Betsy Powell says

    September 5, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    This is probably another cheat, but Andrew Lane has a young Sherlock Holmes series. The first book is Death Cloud. I've only listened to the audiobook, but it was very good.

  2. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    September 5, 2013 at 6:11 pm

    A great recommendation, thank you.

  3. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    September 5, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    See also the YA series about Sherlock's sister, Enola Holmes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enola_Holmes_Mysteries

  4. Bridget R. Wilson says

    September 5, 2013 at 8:02 pm

    Great list! I would add the following:

    Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd
    Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
    Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
    novels by Kate Morton (especially The Forgotten Garden & The House at Riverton)
    Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy L. Sayers (especially those that include Harriet Vane as a character)

    And of course the original Sherlock Holmes novels and short story collections by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

  5. Jen Phillips says

    September 6, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    I second this book and the series. Love it so much my sister bought me books 4 & 5 from amazon UK. I cannot wait for book 6!

  6. Deborah Starling says

    October 29, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  7. Deborah Starling says

    October 30, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    Oooo I love YA mysteries 🙂 Thanks for letting your readers post their suggestions. I am sure I will find some really exciting reads. I have to recommend YA thriller and mystery “The Riddle of Prague” by author Laura DeBruce (http://theriddleofprague.com/about/). The lead character, 18 year old Hana Silna, is forced into the adventure of a lifetime when she travels to Prague to reclaim her families home “The Rockery.” She finds a notebook in the basement from an infamous alchemist that is filled with clues and riddles leading to the elixir of immortality! She is not the only one who knows about this and Hana is stuck in the middle of an epic power struggle to rediscover the elixir. She partners up with fellow teenager Alex and they have to solve the mystery and find the elixir before the bad guys find them first! I found this book hugely entertaining and I can’t wait for the next book, “The Temple of Paris”!!

Trackbacks

  1. The Best Books To Read For Fans Of Sherlock Holmes - Book ScrollingBook Scrolling says:
    January 31, 2018 at 7:03 am

    […] Teen Librarian Toolbox […]

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023