Allan Hamilton, age 10, of Terre Haute, Ind., for his question:

WAS THERE REALLY A SHERLOCK HOLMES?

Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous detective in fiction. He was made up by the British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is said that Doyle based his famous character on a Scottish physician named Joseph Bell, but there is no proof of this.

Detective Holmes could solve the most baffling mysteries with his brilliant ability to observe and analyze. He first saw the light of print in 1887 in a novel called “ A Study in Scarlet.” He appeared in three other novels and 56 short stories.

Sherlock Holmes had a friend named Dr. John Watson who narrates most of the stories and also serves as an assistant.

In his later years, author Doyle devoted himself to studying and lecturing on communication with spirits.