This new edition offers not only a greater range of Doyle's output but also more cartoonists to interpret the writing. Yes, Holmes is here: Rick Geary delivers an image-driven retelling of The Copper Beeches and Rod Lott and Simon Gane take on Holmes in The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb. But Doyle wrote a lot besides detective stories: J. B. Bonivert offers an adaptation of the author's sf story The Los Amigos Fiasco; Peter Gullerud and Pomplun rework The Ghosts of Goresthorpe Grange; and Pomplun takes on Sharkey, a tale about pirates. Roger Langridge, Milton Knight, Antonella Caputo, and Nick Miller are also among the contributors to this black-and-white collection, which showcases as many drawing styles as story types. An excellent book, recommended for most high-school collections, even those with the first edition.

Gr 8 Up-Doyle's prose and poetry are brought to life in this exciting volume. It has some overlap from the first volume (Eureka, 2002), but also includes some truly outstanding new tales. In The Ghosts of Goresthorpe Grange, a man believes that his house is occupied by spirits and seeks out the help of a medium. Ultimately, he is drugged and swindled, and the dreamlike style of the art reinforces this mood. In Two Great Brown-Pericord Motor, two men create an invention and become fiercely jealous and protective of it, until disaster erupts. This volume also contains two Sherlock Holmes stories and thrilling tales of sea adventures. Though each one is illustrated by a different artist, the writing ties the collection together nicely. Unlike the earlier volume, this one utilizes a consistent comic format throughout. The artists have deftly captured the themes and moods of each piece in the black-and-white illustrations done in a wide range of styles and techniques. This assortment of tales may attract new readers to Doyle's work. Jennifer Feigelman, Plattekill Public Library, Modena, NY

When most people think of Arthur Conan Doyle's work, they probably only consider the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote a number of other excellent and entertaining stories, however, including other series such as the adventures of Brigadier Gerard. This volume of the Graphics Classics series features two Sherlock Holmes stories, The Engineer's Thumb and The Copper Beeches, and six other stories, including one of the Brigadier Gerard stories in which the colorful French Brigadier relates how he once defeated an evil Baron. The tales range from ghost stories to pirate tales, and of course, mysteries, and vary in length from more than twenty pages to just one. Also included are brief notes about each author and illustrator. Each black-and-white story has a different artist and adaptor, so the art varies wildly, and some are noticeably better than others. Rick Geary's excellent art for The Copper Beeches mystery matches the text wonderfully. Peter Gullerud's art for The Ghosts of Goresthorpe Grange fits the convoluted narrative well but is so cluttered and twisted that the text is hard to read in places. Overall the art and adaptations serve the original text well, and it is quite fun to read. Teens are certainly drawn to anything in a graphic format, and by including some of Doyle's lesser-known writing, perhaps this book will lead them to seek out more of his work.-Teresa Copeland.