Title: Baker Street Academy: Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diamond
Author and illustrator: Sam Hearn
Publisher: Scholastic Fiction

Teacher review

Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diamond, by Sam Hearn, is the first book in an exciting new mystery series which will test the skills of aspiring young detectives.

John Watson has only been at the Baker Street Academy for five minutes when he meets the eccentric, super-brained mind reader Sherlock Holmes. True to form, Sherlock manages to deduce John’s name, what he’s had for breakfast and the fact he has just been on a long journey. Bemused but intrigued, John finds that being friends with Sherlock inevitably leads to being caught up in dramatic adventures. So, when a diamond goes missing during a school trip to the museum, our determined duo find themselves with a case to solve.

Capturing all the essential components of a Sherlock mystery, it contains plenty of nudges to the original stories to satisfy the most ardent of fans. Hearn manages to keep you entertained, scattering throughout a number of red herrings to confuse and distract you from uncovering the true culprit.

Told in a graphic-diary format, and packed with doodles, jokes and detective notes, this is a wonderfully accessible book which will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. A lively, engaging read that will appeal to key stage 2 children, it has already proved to be a huge hit with the children at my school.

Jo Clarke is school librarian at Whitchurch Church of England Primary, in Hampshire. She writes a book blog, and tweets as @bookloverJo

Pupil reviews

‘Gives clues along the way’

Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diamond was a great book. I liked it because of the layout and the illustrations, which made it easier and more interesting to read - it is a bit like a comic.

The book builds up excellent suspense so you never know what is going to happen. My favourite character was Sherlock Holmes because he gives clues along the way. As a reader that makes me feel a bit like I’m going to solve the mystery, too!

Izzy, age 10

‘Great page-turner’

Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diamond is a great page-turner! I love Sherlock Holmes’ mysterious character, who is always one step ahead of everyone else.

The pictures are amazing, especially the shiny front cover. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping mystery.

Katie, age 10

‘Peculiar antiques’

I really enjoyed reading this book because of all the interesting ways that the author has used different styles of writing, which for me made it easy to read.

The author managed to build suspense throughout the story, and you only discover what has happened to the Alpine Star diamond right at the very end.

The illustrations are particularly helpful to help you understand what is going and what it is actually like in the museum. My favourite part of the book was when the three main characters (but not the dog) went rummaging in Martha’s attic to find things for their Victorian topic at school, because they found lots of interesting and peculiar antiques that belonged to the Victorian time, as the house was Victorian.

I would recommend this book to both boys and girl aged 10 and over.

Edie, age 10

‘Nothing not to like’

I would give this book five stars! I enjoyed it because it was a mystery and also the fact it was written as a diary.

My favourite character was Daz because he’s always losing things. The best part of the book is when they’re in a museum and the lights go out followed by the burglary of the Alpine Star diamond.

There is nothing not to like about this book - it is ace!

Archie, age 10

If you or your class would like to write a review for TES, please contact Adi Bloom on adi.bloom@tesglobal.com

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