50 best Sherlock Holmes kids books: children’s collection
Books that teach critical thinking
If you are wanting your children to enter the world of intrigue and suspense while developing critical thinking and investigative skills, these children’s adaptations of British writer, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle will have them hot on the trail of curious criminals and their deadly secrets.
These are a simplification of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories so they are not the genuine adult versions. The original versions are typically recommended for older children often from around 12 years of age due to the fact they contain content that may be objectionable for some families such as drug use, references to prostitutes, evolutionary references etc.
While these are children’s versions, there are still vampires and other questionable characters along with some grisly demises for some of the victims. As always, please preview the books before you decide whether or not they are suitable for your family. The following book recommendations are suitable for reading age 7+.
One of the great benefits of following characters they learn to love, is that there is always another crime to be solved in these large collections. As they gain practice in observation by following the mysteries in the books, children will gain confidence in their ability to foretell what may happen or who may be guilty as they learn to become observant, remember even the small details and then assess the information presented to them.
Many of the faithful characters form Doyle’s full texts are retained. Mr Robert Ferguson in the Sussex Vampire, Mr Ronder in The Veiled Lodger and Jabez Wilson in The Red Headed League all feature in their respective roles.
A great introduction to classic literature, these children’s books will have your amateur detective working alongside Mr Sherlock Holmes and his ever-loyal sidekick Dr. Watson as Holmes attempts to solve a mysterious murder, discover the source of mysterious noises or embark on a midnight stakeout. For young fans of mystery books, the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson will provide plenty of cases to solve. As well as the most popular books and collections of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes stories, I have also listed some games and a podcast to listen to before they begin reading; a great way to help them hone important critical thinking skills.
BOOKS
Solve It With Sherlock Holmes adds an extra dimension to the excitement of crime solving, long after the stories are over. Kids can come alongside our brilliant hero in a great introduction to logic with 35 puzzles and mysteries. In Stepping Stones’ Mysteries of Sherlock Homes, solving mysteries is all in a day’s work in these short stories. Two more children’s versions portraying the police work of Holmes and Watson are Classic Adventures’ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Classic Starts’ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Crack the puzzles to solve thrilling mysteries - Age 8+
Go on a puzzle adventure with the masterful Sherlock Holmes. Step into the world of the famous sleuth and help him with his detective work by cracking the 38 captivating puzzles, codes, riddles and other mind-boggling quizzes.
Age 6+
Adapted from three of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales of suspense (The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, and The Red Headed League) these thrilling mysteries are made accessible to young readers in this fabulous easy to read edition.
Age 7+
Crack the case with Sherlock Holmes in three familiar tales, now written with young readers in mind: “The Red-Headed League,” “The Speckled Band,” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
Classic Adventures brings action-packed adaptations of favorite classics to early readers.
Age 7+
These easy-to-read Sherlock Holmes stories provide the perfect introduction to the super sleuth and his friend and assistant, Dr. Watson.
BOOK SETS
Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer, with each book in the 16-book set Sherlock Holmes Retold for Children and Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection being an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. Typically, Sherlock Holmes novels are recommended for age 12+ but with access to the children’s collections, young children from the age of around 7 years can also enjoy these easy classics.
Titles of children’s books about this world-famous detective include The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Speckled Band, The Red-Headed League and The Blue Carbuncle, making this iconic detective fiction accessible to younger readers. Each of these books is a cleverly reworked text of character Sherlock Holmes and his best friend and fellow sleuth, Dr Watson. Published by Sweet Cherry Publishing, each book set contains 10 volumes or you can buy the complete set of 30 volumes altogether.
Sherlock Holmes Retold for Children
Age 6+
Told with wit and panache, these tales have been adapted by award-winning children's fiction author Alex Woolf with lively illustrations throughout. The cleverly reworked text retains many of the original turns of phrase, while simplifying and clarifying the language and plots to make stories accessible to children.
- Titles included:
- A Study in Scarlet
- The Speckled Band
- The Reigate Squires
- The Red Headed League
- The Blue Carbuncle
- The Valley of Fear
- The Musgrave Ritual
- A Scandal in Bohemia
- The Sign of Four
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- The Naval Treaty
- Silver Blaze
- The Final Problem
- The Empty House
- The Dancing Men
- The Six Napoleons
The Sherlock Holmes’ Children’s Collection
Shadows, Secrets and Stolen Treasure - Age 7+
This ten book set includes A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, The Naval Treaty, The Sussex Vampire, The Red Headed League and The Three Students.
Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection Set 1:
- A Study In Scarlet
- The Sign of the Four
- The Blue Carbuncle
- The Speckled Band
- The Red Headed League
- The Reigate Squires
- The Naval Treaty
- The Sussex Vampire
- The Veiled Lodger
- The Three Students
Mystery, Mischief and Mayhem - Age 7+
Includes: A Scandal In Bohemia, The Copper Beeches, The Six Napoleons, The Engineer’s Thumb, Charles Augustus Milverton, Silver Blaze, The Bruce-Partington Plans, The Musgrave Ritual, The Stockbroker’s Clerk, The Final Problem.
Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection Set 2:
- A Scandal In Bohemia
- The Copper Beeches
- The Six Napoleons
- The Engineer’s Thumb
- Charles Augustus Milverton
- Silver Blaze
- The Bruce-Partington Plans
- The Musgrave Ritual
- The Stockbroker’s Clerk
- The Final Problem
Creatures, Codes and Curious Cases - Age 7+
Sherlock and Watson - Facing beastly creatures, catching curious criminals and uncovering deadly secrets from beneath the sea are all in a day's work for this world-famous detective and his faithful biographer, Watson, as they face their final (and most dangerous!) cases.
Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection Set 3:
- The Empty House
- The Solitary Cyclist
- The Dancing Men
- The Dying Detective
- The Beryl Coronet
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- The Devil’s Foot
- The Creeping Man
- The Second Stain
- The Lion’s Mane
Sherlock Holmes Children’s 30-Book Collection
Age 7+
A collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless Sherlock Holmes stories, adapted and illustrated to introduce children aged 7+ to the classics.
GAMES
Age 8+
Unravel Mysteries with Masterful Deduction! Detective Game for Kids and Adults, 2-4 Players, 30 Minute Playtime, Lucky Duck Games.
Deluxe Version - Age 10+
The Sherlock Holmes Master Detective Game - 200 Intriguing Adventures.
2-6 Players
Age 14+
Captivating Mystery Game for Kids & Adults, 1-8 Players, 90 Min Playtime.
PUZZLES
Age 10+
SPOT FAMOUS CHARACTERS, crime-solving clues, and historical figures as you build the puzzle. Hunt for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most memorable characters, from the hound at Baskerville Hall to Moriarty, Dr. Watson, Mycroft and more, as well as real historical figures from the era.
PODCAST
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