The Pirate's Blood and Other Case Files (Saxby Smart, Private Detective #3) by Simon Cheshire –ADVISABLE

Cheshire, Simon and Illustrated by Alley, R.W. The Pirate's Blood and Other Case Files (Saxby Smart, Private Detective#3) 272 pgs. Roaring Brook Press 2011. $12.47. (Violence: G, Sexual: G, Language: PG –uses the word ‘Swear’ to step in for expletives).
Saxby is a young detective who takes much inspiration from Sherlock Holmes. He is frequently approached to solve mysteries. This book features three mysteries. In the Pirates Blood Saxby tries to figure out if a pirate display of artifacts at the local museum is haunted. Luckily he has some handy friends to help out –Muddy and Izzy. Relying on his keen perception and intellect, Saxby unravels complex situations.
Overall a wholesome and intelligent detective book for elementary students that features the stereotypical cadence of any holmes story. One problem is that the characters are age ambiguous. Younger students (drawn in by the illustrations) will find the text a bit too challenging, while older students will be off put by the illustrations showing quite young characters. I am not sure if the age thing was an intentional vagueness but it detracts from the book. Second, although this book could easily function as a stand alone, the frequent and unnecessary plugs for the other books get a bit annoying.
Elementary – ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate & Author.