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Chasing Vermeer (Library Binding)

by Blue Balliett (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator) "On a warm October night in Chicago, three deliveries were made in the same neighborhood ..." (more)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Library Binding: 254 pages
Publisher: San Val (May 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1417675330
ISBN-13: 978-1417675333
Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 13.2 x 2.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 386 g

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From AudioFile

A Vermeer painting is stolen. Petra and Calder, two bright, quirky sixth-graders, come together to solve the crime that has the whole world baffled. Going beyond a simple mystery, this story explores the meaning of art and the nature of coincidence. Ellen Reilly shines as narrator, providing perfect voices for the protagonists and the host of supporting characters. Her pleasant pitch and well-tempered pace make it easy to follow the twists of a complex plot. Once the mystery is solved, however, the ending seems tacked on, falling flat. The book's illustrations contain an additional puzzle, so pairing the audio with the print edition should double the fun. E.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. The Westing Game, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler--how exciting to find a book that conjures up these innovative, well-loved titles. That's exactly what Balliett does in her debut novel, which mixes mystery, puzzles, possibilities, and art. The story is set in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood at the University of Chicago's Lab School, where Balliett was a teacher. There, outsiders Petra and Calder become friends as they try to find out what happened to a missing Vermeer painting. That's really all the plot one needs to know. More important are Balliett's purpose in writing and the way she has structured her story. The former seems to be to get to children to think--about relationships, connections, coincidences, and the subtle language of artwork. To accomplish this, she peppers her story with seemingly random events that eventually come together in a startling, delightful pattern. The novel isn't perfect. It glides over a few nitty-gritty details (how did the thief nab the picture), and occasionally the coincidences seem more silly than serendipitous. However, these are quibbles for a book that offers children something new upon each reading. Adults who understand the links between children's reading and their developing minds and imaginations will see this as special, too. Helquist, who has illustrated the Lemony Snickett books, outdoes himself here, providing an interactive mystery in his pictures. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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On a warm October night in Chicago, three deliveries were made in the same neighborhood. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, mysterious story, Jun 21 2006

By	A grade 4 student (First Avenue P.S., Ottawa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Vermeer (Mass Market Paperback)

The book Chasing Vermeer is an amazing, mysterious story that talks a lot about coincidences, pentominoes, and the number twelve. It has many more questions than answers, which is what makes the book so interesting and so tempting to read more.

It starts out like this: Three mysterious letters go out to three different people around the world. These letters were unsigned and had no return address.

One day a boy named Calder was walking home from school and missing his best friend. Tommy had moved to New York. Later on, Calder went to work at a bookstore called Powel's. He saw a girl from his class named Petra was looking at -- or should I say spying on -- Calder and Petra's teacher Ms. Hussey, who was talking to Calder's boss Mr. Powel.

Petra was walking by Powel's when she saw somebody put a book into the "Free book box." So Petra went to see what the book was. It was a book called Lo! by a man named Charles Fort. Petra decided to take the book because she thought it seemed like an interesting book. It was filled with unexplained events.

Petra and Calder soon began to talk to each other, and before you know what is happening, they're best friends. In different discussions they realize they have similar thoughts, dreams and ideas.

The next day there was some news that made everybody who read front page of the newspaper or listen to the radio or watch the news completely speechless, the painting by the great Vermeer was stolen. The painting was called "A Lady Writing."

Later on in this phenomenal story there are many mysterious letters from the thief. The one I thought was the most intriguing was: "If you look at the paintings from the early life of Vermeer and the later life you can tell a difference and therefore only 26 of the 32 paintings that are said to be painted by Vermeer are actually painted by him; 6 of them must have been painted by followers."

I read the book in less than a day because I couldn't put the book down. This mystery has questions such as: Why is yellow so amazing and always surprises you even when it comes in a lemon? Or, Why do we spend time in school studying what has already been clarified and is 100% the truth instead of discovering things for ourselves?

Read the book "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett to find out who stole the painting and solve half of the mystery for yourself.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Engages Readers... But Does it Hold Their Attention?, Jan 14 2007

By	jetcarly "educator" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Vermeer (Hardcover)

I read this book at the suggestion of a fourth-grade teacher. Some of my own middle-school students are struggling readers and I thought I'd preview this book to see if they'd enjoy it. The book gets off to a great start with secret notes and stolen paintings... but a cast of secondary characters and unnecessary subplots makes the book hard to stick with. I would only recommend it for children who are strong readers, as weaker readers will have trouble making all the connections needed to understand the ending.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, Aug 24 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Vermeer (Mass Market Paperback)

I think the fact that I had never heard of CHASING VERMEER before I picked up a copy at the bookstore helped in my enjoyment of it. After I finished reading the book, I read with interest other reviews of the book, which is usually my habit after I've written my own review. I like to see what other readers thought of a story, or how similar--or, in some cases, dissimilar--my own thoughts and feelings are from other readers. I was surprised to see that many had touted CHASING VERMEER as a DA VINCI CODE for the younger set. I was surprised by the supposed hype that the book had generated. I was surprised, in fact, by the way I was caught up in the story myself. Although I can't comment on its similarity to THE DA VINCI CODE (I'm one of probably only a handful of humans on the planet who hasn't read it!), I can say that CHASING VERMEER is a mixture of mystery, art, precociousness, and ingenuity that made it a joy to read.

Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay live down the street from each other in Hyde Park, share the same birthday, and have as the same sixth-grade teacher the wonderful Ms. Hussey at University School. It's rare to find a teacher who allows her students to have a say in what material they will cover, and both Petra and Calder are aware of this. When Ms. Hussey asks the students to discuss with an adult a letter that changed their life, most students are baffled. When the assignment fails, Ms. Hussey instead takes them on a field trip to the Art Institute--where the worlds of Petra, Calder, Ms. Hussey, and Vermeer collide.

Who was Vermeer? An artist, it turns out, who has several paintings attributed to him that some members of the general public don't agree were done by the painter himself. Suddenly, Petra and Calder's world is filled with a strange book entitled "Lo!", a painting known as "A Lady Writing," an old lady named Mrs. Sharpe, a man who owns a bookstore, a set of twelve pentominoes, a bunch of frogs, and a few bags of blue M&M's.

CHASING VERMEER is, quite simply, an art mystery in the style of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys, but more interesting and complex. This is a delightful read, and I can't wait to read THE WRIGHT 3, the next story in the adventures of Petra and Calder.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It's that good.
Secrets, lies and mysteries surround the work of one of the greatest artists of all time. Moonlit chases, hidden hiding places, and even a secret code help to solve the mystery... Read more

Published on July 7 2004 by Kidsreads.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone
What a fun mystery. There seems to be something for everyone.It has secret codes, mathematical puzzles (pentominoes), a dash of art history and good characters. Read more

Published on Jun 27 2004 by Camille

5.0 out of 5 stars More accurate than The Da Vinci Code
This may not be The Da Vinci Code for kids, because it seems that the scholarship and research in Chasing Vermeer are more accurate than that in The Da Vinci Code. Read more

Published on Jun 25 2004 by Jonathan Appleseed