Shirley and Jamila's Big Fall

Shirley & Jamila #2

by Gillian Goerz

For fans of Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson, this middle grade graphic novel series tells the story of Shirley and Jamila, two girl detectives on a mission to stop their school's biggest bully once and for all

As Jamila settles into the rhythms of classes and after-school basketball practice, Shirley has a new mystery on her mind. Her old enemy Chuck is up to his usual tricks: He's been blackmailing kids all over school, and Shirley knows that she and Jamila can put a stop to it.

They hatch a plan: They'll break into his house late one night and recover all the notes Chuck's been using to blackmail innocent kids.

But while Shirley and Jamila are at the house, another intruder arrives--an intruder who can help them put a stop to Chuck's crimes once and for all.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Friendship, Comics

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2021

About the author

Gillian Goerz (pronounced like Jillian Gertz) is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, and graphic recorder.

Her first book Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer - a middle grade graphic novel - is out now.

Praise for Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer

“Goerz is a master of character development, making no one into a villain and no one into a saint and giving each a fascinating role to play. . . . An action-packed graphic novel about finding—and forgiving—our closest friends.”
—Kirkus, starred review

“This well-executed graphic novel strikes a balance between a focus on meaningful relationships and just plain fun; it’s a great choice for fans of both the ‘Cam ­Jansen’ books and Raina Telgemeier.”
—School Library Journal

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s fall and the girls are back in school. Jamila gets heavily into basketball, to her delight, playing on school and community teams. She meets and bonds with another girl, then feels a bit guilty about what this means for her friendship with Shirley. She also feels uncomfortable with how this girl sees Shirley as weird.

Shirley, meanwhile, is still helping kids, and pulls Jamila into a difficult case of a well-organized bully in grade six who has been blackmailing numerous kids. The girls know they have to stop this guy from hurting anyone else.


The artwork is dynamic and expressive, and I liked the focus on bullying and the costs upon the bullied individuals’ mental health. Jamila gets to expand her ideas about friendship, and the two girls get up to some derring-do as they deal definitively with the bully.

The story of these very different girls continues to be entertaining, and I like how though it’s a riff on Holmes and Watson, Jamila is not a sidekick. She’s a full participant, in their endeavours and though she may not have Shirley’s type of intelligence, Jamila’s smarts, kindness and sense of right and wrong balance Shirley’s more cerebral approach.

I hope there are more adventures in store for this pair.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one! 5th grade detectives working to defeat the school bully. This was the first one I read and was able to follow along easily!

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute quick read! Team work! Guess I'll read the first one now.

[Stephanie Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful follow-up to the first graphic novel in this series. I deliberately use the word “follow-up” rather than sequel since this is totally standalone (as is the first) and require any additional context to enjoy. The characters are engaging and relatable and I loved that the stakes rose in this story, revolving around privilege, bullying, and more. Goerz is excellent at adding in other subtle details exploring deeper themes and messages. Young readers will definitely enjoy this book and series, especially if they enjoy a good mystery to unravel.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great graphic novel! We follow Jamila and Shirley as they navigate school, new friendships, and after school activities. Jamila is getting more into basketball, and even joins an after school league. There she meets a new girl, Seena, and the two become fast friends. Shirley is a detective that is currently helping her client, Eva, because another student, Chuck, is blackmailing her and demanding four hundred dollars or else. Shirley and Jamila devise a plan to break into Chuck's house and steal all of the blackmail information that he has on Eva and the other kids at their school. Will they be able to pull of their plan? Or will the two get caught and get in trouble? You'll have to read this to find out!

I really liked this graphic novel. I thought that it brought up a lot of great discussions about friendships and how you can be friends with lots of different people. I also thought that it addressed bullying and how you can handle it very nicely as well.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shirley and Jamila are best friends, especially after spending every day of the summer holidays together. Although close, they are very different even at only 10 years old.

Shirley is incredibly intelligent, her manner of speaking more like a well educated adult, even having to explain words she uses to Jamila. She sees herself as a detective, even wearing a trench coat at school. She's confident with her quirkyness, not bothering about what others think. Once she's 'in the zone' on a case, she doesn't even notice anyone else.

Jamila is more reserved, and worried about the first day at her new school. It's great having Shirley there already though, and it's not long before Jamila is settled in. A new school means new activities available too, and both girls are soon busy with other things. Jamila joins a basketball team and makes a new friend in Seena, a talented and determined player. Jamila and Seena hit it off immediately and Jamila wonders if she's letting her friendship with Shirley down.

Seena thinks Shirley is weird and wonders why Jamila is friends with her, making Jamila feel uncomfortable. She wants to defend Shirley but isn't sure how.

But Shirley being Shirley, she isn't feeling left out or ignored. She's on another case. It's important to their entire school because someone is blackmailing students for money. Secrets are being gathered and sold and people's reputations, school life and happiness are at stake.

This case reminds Jamila of why she is friends with clever, fearless, meticulous and loyal Shirley as she jumps in to help, not knowing someone close is also a victim of this blackmailing ring.


The contrast between these two girls is engaging and the new friends dilemma an authentic and common one. A group of three can be a problem if they aren't all close, but this is dealt with well within this graphic novel.

Friendship - both real and false, sports, secrets and growing up are key themes and a brilliant comeuppance for a over-the-top nasty bully is a delicious conclusion.

I loved the style of this graphic novelist/illustrator, the illustrations effortlessly speeding up the narrative or slowing it down when tension is key. This is the second in this series and I'm keen to read the award winning 1st book Shirley & Jamila Save their Summer.

Author / Illustrator - Gillian Goerz

Graphic Novel

Age - 9+

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic graphic novel mystery series that I highly recommend. I read the first one I believe last summer and thought the same thing. We follow Shirley and Jamila as they take on another case. A student in their grade has been blackmailing others. They try to find where he keeps all of his "evidence". Along the way to solving the case Jamila also makes a new friend and she feels guilty for not sticking up for Shirley more. I thought the blackmailing aspect and dealing with a bully is relevant with kids. I look forward to reading more in the future from this author and this series.

[Xanthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very satisfying sequel to Shirley and Jamila's first outing. Now their friendship is established, we get to witness a little angst as Jamila tries to understand how to be friends with other people as well as Shirley and they both get involved in taking now a blackmailer. A lot of fun, but with some definitely weighty moments that affirm the girls' places in each other's lives. A very kind series.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t read the first one (although I want to now), but this works well as a stand-alone. It’s lovely! Very suspenseful and sweet. Kid Sherlock Holmes with a lot of heart and lots of diversity.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute detective graphic novel series featuring girls!

[Samantha Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute & sweet & complex. a modern sherlock/nancy drew fall romp. perfect for middle grades.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy sequel in the Shirley & Jamila series that furthers the conversation surrounding friendship!

[Juwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant adventure and loved to see another brown character! Also great to see girl detectives!

Hope there is another book coz I love these characters and so do the students!

[Molly Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the combo of solving mysteries, friendship issues, and dealing with a bully.

[Lillian]

Not as good as the first

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one as the tone was so different from the first. They really read as stand-alone books. I would welcome a third book to see what the author would do with the characters. Gone are the light-hearted days of summer. Jamila is making new friends and having fun with basketball. Shirley is focusing on her nemesis, Chuck, a bully. According to the back of the book, this is based on a Sherlock Holmes story.

Chuck is a slimy, horrible, clever extortionist who shakes kids down for hundreds of dollars. And he gets away with it. He has a safe in his room where he keeps the evidence and the money. Shirley is determined to stop Chuck once and for all (good heavens, this sounds melodramatic, but that's kind of how it reads in all its terrible desperation) and she brings Jamila into it. No grownups are involved, of course.

Here's where things get really questionable: there's breaking and entering (for the greater good) and stealing (also for the greater good and for the teaching of lessons). Big sigh here. Do middle schoolers see this the same way that I see this? I don't know. I cringed the whole time I was reading this part of the book. I was very worried. So much could have gone so very wrong. I wanted authorities to have been brought in to teach that nasty piece of work, Chuck, a real lesson. What is to say, 5, 10, 15 years down the road he doesn't get cocky again and start this all over? It scared me reading this. I didn't feel like there was a real resolution for him for his crimes. He didn't really pay. It wasn't satisfying enough for me. And what the girls did was VERY dangerous.

Okay, I'll stop grownup-ing over this. The art was still great. Still enjoy the characters and was glad to see them expand in their spheres. Would like to read another in this.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't love this quite as much as the first one. A lot of the detective work in the first book seemed somewhat plausible for kids, in this book though it was harder for me to buy in to the lock picking kit and the bully with a safe full of blackmail material etc. I still love quirky Shirley and Jamila and Goerz adds in some subtle friendship messages along the way.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. I probably won't read any more of this series.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still delightful, still naturally multicultural and relatable to school aged audiences!

[ricardo (is) reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

FROM THE BLOG:

After their summer adventure, friends Shirley Bones (kid detective extraordinaire) and Jamila Waheed (new spunky kid on the block) prepare themselves for the school daze ahead. It turns out to be a busy term, and between all the extracurriculars, the friends find themselves with limited time to hang out together. Jamila in particular struggles to find new friends, being the new kid, until she meets Seena while trying out for the local basketball team. Like her, Seena is of Pakistani descent, and the pair form an instant connection over their shared cultural quirks. Jamila worries that her budding friendship with Seena will affect her relationship with Shirley, since the two couldn’t be any more different. Add to that the fact that Seena seems to be hiding a checkered past….

Seasoned sleuth Shirley Bones has no time for interpersonal drama, though — not when there’s a case to crack. A loathsome sixth-grader by the name of Chuck is known throughout the school as a notorious blackmailer. Possessing a veritable hoard of incriminating pictures, videos, and text messages, he lords over his classmates, extorting favors in exchange for his presumed silence, lest he ruin their elementary school careers. Bones and Waheed soon make it their mission to take down the crooked character’s coercive enterprise.

○○○

I had an absolute blast reading Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer, the first book of this seasonal series, last year. It helped that I picked it up knowing next to nothing about it, other than it involved kid detectives. So I was pleasantly surprised when I realized, halfway through the book, that the series was a Sherlock Holmes reimagining! It’s not overt from the outset (in fact, I don’t think even the blurb mentions it) so I had a lot of fun going back through the story and picking up all the references and homages, most of which seemed obvious in retrospect (the assonance of their names, for one). In a world saturated with interpretations of this world and its characters, this one in particular felt like such a fresh and clever take. I finished it eager to get back into this story.

I’m happy to report that I also had a blast reading the sequel, Shirley and Jamila’s Big Fall , and in fact would say that I liked it a bit more than the first book, if mostly because of the gorgeous autumn setting, which I am always a sucker for. This one is based on “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” a story famous for featuring a villain that was even more revolting than Sherlock’s traditional nemesis, Moriarty. (Fans of BBC’s Sherlock will no doubt remember Lars Mikkelsen’s brilliantly repulsive portrayal of the character in the show’s third season.) Chuck is a great and outrageous juvenile analogue of the character, who, instead of doing the things he does for power and influence, here he’s just an overly privileged, pretentious child who has never been denied a thing in his life. It was a lot of fun to watch his machinations being undone by Bones and company.

Goerz’s character work is wonderful. The supporting cast in the first book was a highlight, and although I’m sad to see they don’t play a role in this story, the newcomers are also immediately endearing. Seena is the obvious standout, but her family is also a delightful addition. That familial aspect is another thing I admire about these books. Middle grade stories tend to do away with grown-ups in some form or another, but in Shirley and Jamila’s lives, they are not obstacles to overcome, but integral. It’s a nice and lovely change of pace.

The artwork remains exceptional. Goerz draws people in a simplistic style that’s very reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier’s work, but her characters are a lot more expressive. They are never static — their faces and postures change constantly throughout the pages and panels, lending the story a dynamic feel. But Goerz in particular excels at scenery: her backgrounds are beautiful and incredibly elaborate, positively bursting with fun little details. They are also super cozy, which is only appropriate, given the autumnal setting (the aesthetics of Seena’s family apartment are goals, as the kids would say). I usually fly through graphic novels, but I consciously slowed down while reading this one, the better to appreciate the art.

All in all, another highly enjoyable adventure featuring two intrepid sleuths that are quickly becoming favorites. And I can’t wait to see what surprises Winter has in store for them.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the school year starts, Jamila feels a little guilty about making a new friend at basketball. But she and Shirley still seem to be good. Shirley has her toughest case yet, as the Student Council President of their elementary pays others to give him dirt that he can use to blackmail fellow students. Everyone knows about Chuck, at least the students, but they have no hard evidence to get him caught. Can they bring down the boy who is ruining elementary lives?

The back of the book says this is inspired by the Sherlock Homes story "The Case of Charles August Milverton" and even before I realized that, the way Chuck and Shirley carry themselves in the book definitely reminded me of Holmes against a very cunning adversary. I wish that Goerz had changed the story a little more so that Chuck wasn't just brought down but turned in to the authorities, because what he was doing was serious enough for the police to get involved (blackmailing kids for $400, etc.). I really liked the lessons that Jamila learns about being able to have multiple friends and that it is ok if they don't all naturally get along with each other. This story would be a great discussion starter for a book club. Did they approve of Shirley's methods? What would they have done differently or the same in her situation? What should they do if they meet their own Chuck? And what did they learn from Jamila in the story? Lots of good discussion starters. Hand this to modern mystery and Sherlock fans, and of course graphic novel fans, but know the kid you hand this to and make sure it isn't going to trigger anything (see below).

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. No violence. There's some serious bullying and blackmailing going on with heavy emotional baggage for the kids involved. A shoplifting incident is related, but the culprit makes good restitution and learns her lesson. There's breaking and entering "for the greater good" that some adults will want to talk to young readers about. Chuck uses his knowledge to ruin kids' lives socially and emotionally unless they pay him ridiculous amounts.

[Lisa RV · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed that I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one: Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer. The attraction of the first book was all the sleuthing and trying to figure out how Shirley figured everything out. It was a good, clean, age-appropriate book that I could recommend to even elementary school kids who like mystery. Unfortunately, all that was missing in this book. I can overlook the lack of sleuthing, but the thing that really bothered me about this book, the thing I can't get over is this: it's filled with bad decisions and illegal activities. Breaking the law, even for the greater good, is not a good lesson to incorporate into an elementary/middle school book! The publisher has recommended this book for 8 - 12 year olds, grades 3 - 7. Does the author and publisher know how impressionable young kids are, that kids can't think conceptually and don't understand the "grey" areas of decisions until the teen years? Working in a middle school and being a mother, I see this first hand. So, now you're asking what happens...wellShirley befriends and uses someone to get information. Later Shirley and Jamila break into a house and take items that do not belong to them. How does she break in? Well, doesn't every 6th grader have a lock-picking kit?? She's also saving up for a secret recorder so that she can secretly record conversations - also illegal in many states! Quote from Shirley "I have always secretly though that if I had a mind to sneak around, or lie or get into crime of any sort...I'd be quite good at it." WTH?? I understand that they were dealing with a bully, but there are better ways to handle that then by breaking the law.
For myself, I will think of this as Shirley and Jamila's Big Fail. I'm not certain that I'll be reading any more in this series. As a middle school librarian, I will continue to recommend book one.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shirley and Jamila are back! It’s the start of a new school year and Jamila is a bit nervous to start at her new school. She soon settles in, finding a place on school and community basketball teams and making a new friend at the same time. But these activities keep her busy and she doesn’t see her friend Shirley as often as she did over the summer. At least, not until Shirley enlists Jamila’s help to take down their elementary school’s resident blackmailer. Chuck Milton (based on Charles Augustus Milverton) collects dirt on other kids through spying and intimidation, and those who don’t pay up have their secrets exposed. When Shirley’s attempts to negotiate on behalf of another kid fail, she decides that she and Jamila will have to take Chuck down for good. But can they outwit such a cunning opponent? Once again, Shirley and Jamila’s adventure checked every box possible for me. I love the Sherlock/Watson homage (I’m a sucker for anything Sherlock related), and I love that Jamila is just as much (if not more) of a main character as Shirley, and that Jamila is not just stuck in a sidekick role. I adore that these books are told in comics format, and the character designs are wonderful. You can tell so much about Jamila and Shirley just by looking at them, and Goerz uses the format to great effect while telling the story. I was so excited when I saw the announcement for this book, and I hope the series will continue for a long while. I’ll never tire of the adventures of these two sleuthing friends!

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shirley and Jamila are middle school detectives. In this story, they’ve just started the school year. Jamila is new at the school and eager to join the basketball team. Shirley is ready for their next case. She plans to take down her enemy Chuck, who has been blackmailing students, threatening to expose their most dangerous secrets. Meanwhile, Jamila makes a new friend at her community centre who makes her question if her friendship with Shirley is real.

Shirley and Jamila are like a modern day Sherlock and Watson. Shirley is methodical in her investigations, willing to wear disguises to catch the culprit. Jamila is quieter and thoughtful, questioning her relationship with Shirley. This mystery was based on the story “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton.” I haven’t read that one but I’m curious about it after reading this graphic novel.

This story had important lessons about friendship. Though Jamila didn’t have any obvious interests in common with Shirley, they had fun together and that’s what’s important in a friendship.

Shirley and Jamila’s Big Fall is a great middle grade mystery!

Thank you Dial Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle grade graphic novel-- realistic fiction/ mystery. Shirley and Jamila are back for another case. Despite doing a bit of their own things to start the school year (basketball for Jamila and band for Shirley), they are working together to bring down Chuck Milton. Chuck is a rich kid that is loved by teachers but hated by the students. He has an underground business in the secret trade--paying for evidence of misdoings, blackmailing those who are incriminated into payment to safeguard what he knows. This has gotten him a place on the student council but not a lot of friends. How can Shirley bring down such a sprawling operation? Meanwhile Jamila has befriended Seena, a basketball player from another school that shares her Pakistani heritage. Is it possible for her to be friends with Shirley and Seena at the same time?

This story seemed very dark to me. I liked that it explored the navigation of new friendships and activities, but did not like the undercover secret trade or the very high payments Chuck was demanding. I also didn't like the course the investigation took Shirley and Jamila broke into Chuck's house and stole from him! The illustrations were very well done.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love the first one but this one was a bit better because of the focused friendship element in which Jamila and Shirley are now doing a few things separately, yet they have to pair up again to bring down a rat of a boy who likes to blackmail others. Shirley for her intelligent weirdness, wants to exact some serious revenge and uses a cover and tools to break into the kid's house. It gets a little dark for sure. And there's another serious story line for middle grade: friendship because Jamila meets a girl playing basketball who thinks that Jamila must have been pressured into hanging out with Shirley but doesn't stand up to her new friend that she actually likes Shirley. (She ends up being part of the storyline as well for the blackmail).

It goes dark but ultimately has a happy ending which is part-and-parcel of a middle grade. The color of the graphic novel is the thing that stands out to me. I loved the coloring.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series, and this new installment is even better. The color palette conveys the story's energy and emotion in a great way, and the mystery is so suspenseful that I found myself holding my breath a few times. I found this gripping as an adult reader, and would have absolutely loved it when I was the target audience. This graphic novel is really unique, and I am now inspired to reread the Sherlock Holmes story that inspired it.

Just like the first book, this one also includes a theme about friendship. It adds depth to the plot without being preachy, and the ongoing character development makes me excited to see what Shirley and Jamila will experience next. Based on the current title scheme, I hope to find out what they do in the winter and the spring, but I also hope that the series will keep going far beyond that! This is great, and I would highly recommend it to kids, teens, and adults.

[Drkshadow03 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel revisits the friendship of Jamila and Shirley with the introduction of a new friend as they work together to outsmart the class president Chuck who rules the school through blackmailing the other students. There wasn’t really much of a mystery to solve or work out beyond the “secret origins” of the new friend in which she was blackmailed by Chuck in the past. This lack of concrete mystery to solve detracted from what I enjoyed about the original graphic novel. The reader knows that the goal is to undermine Chuck by getting access to his secret stash of blackmailed videos and letters. Not much of a mystery.

The story deals with friendship, making new friends, and how they fit in with old friends. Chuck confuses controlling people with friendship and reveals that he longs to have real friendship, but doesn’t know how to make friends beyond blackmailing people to do what he wants.

Nothing super deep here. Readable. Enjoyable. Nothing special.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Shirley and Jamila are back to solve a second case. This time, readers meet a Seena as well. She is another new friend of Jamila's and is clearly part of the case they are trying to solve. The three take on a bully and blackmailer at school and retrieve all of the information - videos, photos, notes - he has on others. Plenty of humor and relationship challenges to hold middle grade readers.
Goerz offers a realistic look at life at this age and readers will connect with many of the characters. The artwork offers further details about the case and the friendship storylines.
This one won't stay on the shelf as readers are looking forward to more adventures with this duo who are themselves and blend together in friendship too.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar graphic novel by Gillian Goerz. I always love the illustrations, that's a given.

The plot, at least the details of a 6th grader (and as a 5th grader, too) blackmailing his classmates for a large amount of money, does seem a bit too elevated/not so plausible for this age group, especially since it didn't seem like he learned it from observing his parents or a respected adult or something, but go big or go home?

What I really enjoyed were the moments in which Goerz was able to drop in a conversation around or at least hint at a difficult topic - like how some laws weren't made to benefit all groups (p. 84) - that makes it accessible to some extent for kids. I had lots of mental applause emojis for topics like microagressions (the correct pronunciation of names - p. 20), the acknowledgment and value of slang (p. 74), and activism by non-marginalized individuals (p. 82).