SAXBY SMART: A CLASSROOM PERSPECTIVE

I visit schools a lot. A LOT. It's quite a rare week when I'm not dashing for a train or bleeping postcodes into the sat-nav. So, like many children's authors, I get regular updates on what's popular in my books. And one thing that's emerged very strongly over the past couple of years is something that's been a complete surprise to me.

I started writing my Saxby Smart detective stories, about a schoolkid private eye, several years ago. I was very keen to make them different in some way, to give them a unique angle for readers to engage with: so I eliminated the sidekick role. Most fictional detectives have their sidekick – Sherlock Holmes has Dr Watson, Hecule Poirot has Capt. Hastings – but, as I say, I wanted to do something fresh. So Saxby has nobody trailing around after him, asking relevant questions.

I leave that up to the reader. Saxby's narrative directly addresses the reader at all times, and literally stops to ask the reader questions about the case at regular intervals. I liked the idea of the stories being interactive, with readers being able to attempt to solve the crime at the same time (or before!) the hero of the story.

When the books started to be published over here in the UK, I assumed that this interactive element would make them more of a 'personal' read, not something you'd find on whole-class reading lists. But it's turned out that I was totally wrong.

Wherever I go, I meet teachers who tell me that the Saxby stories are perfect for reading to a class of 8-12 year-olds, or for the whole class to read along together. The interactive element means that everyone can get involved in unravelling the mystery. I've been delighted to find that students' literacy lessons have been full of Saxby-style puzzle-solving!

Now that the books are starting to come out in paperback over in America, I'm finding that they're beginning to have the same impact in US schools. I'm looking forward to logging on during my regular Skype sessions with overseas classrooms and finding Saxby fans from coast to coast!

 - Simon Cheshire