Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
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Book Summary Information
Author: Blue BalliettIllustrator: Brett Helquist
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Published: 2005-05-01
ISBN: 0439372976
Number of pages: 272
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Chasing Vermeer
Book Review: Wonderfully Intriguing
Summary: 5 Stars
I first checked out this book from the library thinking, "Eh. Just something for reading points." Well, let me tell you something. I WAS WRONG!!! This book is about to 6th graders who try to find the missing Vermeer painting, A Lady Writing. The story takes you through twists and turns and has a deep plot. I finished it in two days. Some people may say that this is not the best story, but I am living proof that THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR GREAT STORIES WHATSOEVER!!!! Take my advice and READ THIS BOOK. I am near positive that you will be sucked into it by the first page.
Summary of Chasing Vermeer
In the classic tradition of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, debut author Blue Balliett introduces readers to another pair of precocious kids on an artful quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms. Eleven year old Petra and Calder may be in the same sixth grade class, but they barely know each other. It's only after a near collision during a museum field trip that they discover their shared worship of art, their teacher Ms. Hussey, and the blue candy that doesn't melt in your hands. Their burgeoning friendship is strengthened when a creative thief steals a valuable Vermeer painting en route to Chicago, their home town. When the thief leaves a trail of public clues via the newspaper, Petra and Calder decide to try and recover the painting themselves. But tracking down the Vermeer isn't easy, as Calder and Petra try to figure out what a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces), a mysterious book about unexplainable phenomena and a suddenly very nervous Ms. Hussey have to do with a centuries old artwork. When the thief ups the ante by declaring that he or she may very well destroy the painting, the two friends know they have to make the pieces of the puzzle fit before it's too late!Already being heralded as The DaVinci Code for kids, Chasing Vermeer will have middle grade readers scrutinizing art books as they try to solve the mystery along with Calder and Petra. In an added bonus, artist Brett Helquist has also hidden a secret pentomino message in several of the book's illustrations for readers to decode. An auspicious and wonderfully satisfying debut that will leave no young detective clueless. --Jennifer Hubert
When a book of unexplainable occurences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?
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