Basil of Baker Street

By Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (Illustrator)

Book #1 in the The Great Mouse Detective series

A detective must solve the mystery of the missing twins and save the town from the Terrible Three, a gang of notorious criminals.

5.3/7 Bookroo expert·3.9/5 Goodreads · 2,876 ratings

112 pages· 10,010 words· Est. 2 hour read

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Basil, the clever mouse detective living beneath Sherlock Holmes's house, faces his toughest case yet: the disappearance of twins Angela and Agatha. With scant clues and time running out, Basil must use all his sleuthing skills to unravel the mystery and rescue the twins. Can he outsmart the kidnapper and save the day, or will this case prove too puzzling even for him? Dive into a world of intrigue and adventure as Basil races against the clock in this thrilling tale of mouse-sized detective work.

"But Basil, of course, was far from ordinary. Even before the kidnappers' note came, his keen mind had deduced what the criminals really wanted."

— from the book

From the publisher

Named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed over as a Kid” by Buzzfeed.com and the inspiration for a hit Disney film, the masterful Great Mouse Detective series is now available to a whole new generation of readers!

Basil—the famous sleuth of mousedom—lives in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes’s house. A devoted admirer of the great detective, he has learned his craft by listening at the feet of Holmes himself. But will it be enough to help Basil solve his most baffling mystery yet?

The Mystery of the Missing Twins is one of the strangest cases in Basil’s career. With only a few crumbs of clues with which to find answers, how is he ever going to figure out where Angela and Agatha are being kept—and, of course, who mouse-napped them! Will Basil’s mouse sleuthing skills be up to the task of finding the twins before it’s too late?

At a glance

Format
Pages: 112
Words: 10,010
Reading age: 6–9
Audience: Juvenile Reader
Lexile: 730L

Themes & topics

Books about detectives Books about kidnapping Books about jobs and careers Books about sleuthing Books about inspired by classic literature

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Serious Subject Matter

This detective story does include a kidnapping.

After the last page

Talk about it together

Due to the kidnapping aspect of the story, the book clarifies that children should be safe around strangers. You might use this as a great talking point for explaining stranger safety.

Basil, the detective and main character, is a great example of honesty, kindness, and smarts, a positive role model you can discuss with young readers.

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.3

out of 7

5.3

“This intermediate read will put your sleuthing and detective skills at work!There are a few illustrations throughout, and it's a fun, quick read. This would be a great read-aloud, too.”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one