What age/ability to read Sherlock Holmes?

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

I've not read it so no idea. It's for ds.

TIA.

Lynne Reid Banks. The Indian In The Cupboard books are certainly worth reading.

He's done alot of the 'do penguins feet freeze' type books and some poetry (benjamin Zephaniah/spike milligan etc)

Thankyou for all the suggestions. It's very much apreciated and I've written them all down so to hunt them down.

I had an adult reading age at 10 and was given the roam of the adult library. Bryce Courtenay is v good, as is Orson Scott Card (both feature gifted and empathetic children in alot of their books, as well as rather good story lines).

I still read some children's books as an adult (used to work in a bookshop and saw it as beneficial to be able to recommend to teens; but the habit's stuck) and in addition to the Alex Rider type books my absolute favourite are the Robert Muchamore Cherub series. The main protagonist is a young teen who is very talented at maths and is recruited by the child branch of the MI5. Absolutely brilliant, and you wish the whole set up was true. Some of the later books have more adult themes, so you may want to have a flick through them first.

I read the Sherlock Holmes books at the age of about 12 and found them fine.

Has he also read the Arthur Ransome (swallows and Amazons) books, or Professor Branestawm? My ds loved all of those (he is 8, but also a good reader).

What about Isaac Asimov, I would have thought he was ideal for a 10 yo.

Also the Father Brown books by GK Chesterton, and the Saint books. I can't in any way guarantee either free from racism/sexism/general bigotry, but I do remember loving them at that age.

I also read adult books early and a lot of 'inappropriate' stuff just went way over my head (I used to read a lot of my parents books, and remember being very confused by Tom Sharpe), I think it is worth being a bit careful - I read a lot of Dick Francis that my grandad lent to me, but I'm not in retrospect convinced that they were really ideal for an 11 yo girl!

I read The Hound of the Baskervilles aloud to ds (8) and dd (12) earlier this year. They both enjoyed it, and they both understand that it was written a long time ago, so the author's attitudes will be coloured by his times.

Dd had also read a fair few Agatha Christies by age 11 but found them relatively dull (well, they are).

Haven't recommended Henry Treece (if he is the one with the viking stories) as the anachronisms and complete ignorance of all things Scandinavian get on my nerves. Rosemary Sutcliff has been quite a hit with dd though.

I started reading Agatha Christie at 11. Sherlock Holmes a bit later - around 13

The person who was floating in and out of my mind last weekend was Leon Garfield - again, I've not seen anything of his in print recently, so it's more a prowl through your library's holdings/shared holdings with other libraries & see what they have. Holborn Jack (or is it Jack Holborn?) was a (grisly) favourite of mine - dead pirates gazing out to sea with the pike that killed them still lodged between the shoulderblades, etc. I liked grisly.

Smith gets good press too, though I thought it a bit thin when I read it as an adult. But just worth trying everything, and how lovely to have a child who wants to try everything!

I've not heard of most some of these author's I've given him a copy of the entire works of sherlock holmes, briefed him that I will find him some very nasty jobs around the house should he come out with a sexist/racist remark, however, I am willing to discuss the appauling attitudes to women/other races with him. He tends to use me as a walking dictionary for any words/phrases he's not heard of before which is OK with me.

I do find it really hard coming from a home with no books to having my own house with hundreds. I've no idea where to start, he's ahead of me

Thankyou so much for all the suggestions. We're going to the library tomorrow.

Ds a bit older nearly 14 avid reader And I am looking for books that are a bit of a crossover from teen to adult though he still needs teen books as well.
He did all pullman and mortal engines ages ago and has tons of books, but I dont see all the books he gets from the library, they are in and out quickly. Is reading The Book Thief now and I just bought the new one from same author Markus Zusak, Also a book called 'The knife of never letting go' by patrick ness,
Has he tried Mallory Blackman very good? he has read Dracula.
I am trying to start ds on Titus Groan next.
I also think reading them yourself first is good idea, in fact when I go to the library now I look for books I think he might like and read them, I picked up Sherlock Holmes recently for precisely this reason and will surely give it to him.