The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall (Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall #1)
by Ali Standish (Author)
"A tantalizing playground for inquisitive minds." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A well-paced, exciting story in which stalwart heroes attempt to outwit inscrutable villains...Readers who love period mysteries and adventure stories are sure to enjoy the experience." --ALA Booklist (starred review)
"A bold and thrilling reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle's early life, filled with students and teachers who the world would later come to know so well, including Dr. Watson, James Moriarty, and, of course, Sherlock Holmes." --The Conan Doyle Estate
An Amazon Best Books of the Month pick for September!
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection pick!
From the critically acclaimed author of Yonder and The Ethan I Was Before, Ali Standish, comes a thrilling middle grade tale featuring hair-raising adventures, new friendships, secret societies, and the mind behind one of the greatest detectives of all time: Sherlock Holmes.
When young Arthur Conan Doyle is offered a spot at Baskerville Hall, a secret school for extraordinarily gifted children, he is elated at being chosen--and being given a chance to turn his family's fortunes around. There, Arthur makes quick friends with Irene Eagle, a girl who boldly strides into action, and Jimmie Moriarty, a boy whose brilliance rivals Arthur's own. Together, they discover that their new school is a peculiar place, home to leaning towers and unexplained explosions, prowling wolves and extinct birds.
Arthur quickly makes enemies, too-- deadly foes who wants him expelled . . . or worse. When Arthur and his friends are invited into a powerful secret society called the Clover, they must pass three challenging tests to be accepted. But along the way, Arthur uncovers a mystery that will lead to grand adventure . . . and even greater danger.
"A delightful twist on the Sherlock universe. Hand this to any young reader and watch the pages turn." --Scott Reintgen, New York Times bestselling author of the Talespinners series
"At the top of the most intriguing school list, with Hogwarts and the School for Good and Evil." --Kathryn Lasky, Newbery Honor author
"Ali Standish's expansion of the Sherlock Holmes-verse more than fulfills the promise of its delightful premise. With its engaging cast of kid characters, tantalizing boarding school setting, and intriguing mystery at its heart, this is a book to lose yourself in." --Anne Ursu, author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy
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Kirkus
A satisfying mystery shrouded in layers of scene-setting details.
ALA/Booklist
Publishers Weekly
In 1868 Edinburgh, Arthur Conan Doyle is a boy who notices things, and his observations are "almost never wrong." An unexpected scholarship to Britain's prestigious Baskerville Hall is Arthur's ticket to making something of himself. Upon arrival, though, a chance to join a powerful secret society tests his integrity, while break-ins lead Arthur and his friends on a perilous investigation. So begins this meta mystery series starter written in partnership with the Conan Doyle Estate and Working Partners, which imagines the Sherlock Holmes author as the hero of his own childhood capers. In a narrative voice that melds wry humor with convincing period detail, Standish (Yonder) situates Baskerville Hall against the vivid backdrop of Victorian society on the cusp of great cultural and scientific change. The mix of canonical characters and fresh faces will appeal to Conan Doyle fans as well as newcomers to the author's genre-spanning universe. Throughout this tautly constructed tale of suspense, adventure and academic exploration are central pillars of young Arthur's unusual education--as Baskerville Hall's headmaster tells the young protagonist upon his arrival at school, "risks must be taken in the service of knowledge." It's a tantalizing playground for inquisitive minds. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 8-12. Agent: Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary. (Sept.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV016000 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | General
