Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic Gold)

A quick book for middle-grade kids, based around two sixth-graders who find themselves in the middle of a puzzle.

The book was extremely fast paced, much faster than it should have been for the mystery of it all. The characters were introduced so quickly that you really didn't get a whole lot of feel for Petra and Calder.
I'm going to let that go though, as I'm sure many sixth graders don't have the patience for 400-page novels. I loved to read at that age and I know personally that it was a lot easier for me to get through the 150-250 page books than to try to concentrate for 400-pages. So I believe it is a good size for the target audience.

The mystery itself was well thought out, the way everything connected at the end was interesting, but the thought processes that lead them to the clues was ridiculous at times. Calder coming up with a whole clue because he saw a single letter; mixing up words until they sound like a sentence they overheard someone say and thinking it is significant.

Although not the greatest book ever written, it did have a fun story and I feel like it would be inspiring for children around the sixth grade age to learn about art and puzzles.

Chasing Vermeer is a cute book. It’s completely fiction, but sprinkled with real facts about Vermeer. It’ll get kids minds working trying to solve all the puzzles (including letters written in code) along with the characters. I recommend this book to middle grade kids. It makes a decent family read-aloud. Just have paper and pencil handy to solve the coded letters when you get to them.

This proved to be an interesting book. I liked the pictures and the descriptions of Petra and Calder in the beginning. But it seemed to me that the book sort of dragged along. There was excitement at times and at others, it fell a bit flat.

Calder and Petra are in the same class and barely know each other. As the school days move forward, they become friend and when their teacher starts talking about art, one of the most famous Vermeer paintings disappear. Calder and Petra are bound and determined to find out what happens to The Lady Writing. They go on all sorts of adventures. Will they find the painting, even when the FBI can't?

There is a puzzle in the pages of the book which would be fun for kids reading this book. All of the clues are in the pictures that are scattered through the story and there are instructions to finding them. All you need to do is to see and look.

Can you imagine working on a mystery that even the FBI can't solve? In Chasing Vermeer, Petra Andalee finds a book about odd occurrences that completely captures her interest and makes her start thinking. This book connects her to classmate and neighbor, Calder Pillay. Soon after their friendship begins strange things start to happen and they find connections between events that don't seem related at first. It isn't long before a Vermeer painting goes missing and Petra and Calder find themselves in the middle of an art scandal. As the mystery unfolds they must use their problem solving skills, research techniques, and their own unique strategies, like pentominoes, to try to find out "who done it". Will Petra and Calder be able to find out who the art thief is? Will they be able to get out of a dangerous situation alive? Read this unique mystery to find out about friendship, art, and the power of knowledge.

I loved the style that Blue Balliett used to write Chasing Vermeer. Petra and Calder have such distinct personalities and I could relate to both of them in different ways. Before reading this book I had never heard of pentominoes, but after seeing the way Calder uses them to solve riddles I definitely want to get a set! I enjoyed the way Petra and Calder worked on the mystery because they had such a unique way of looking at the clues. I recommend this book to anyone from third grade through 7th grade. I also think that adults and older kids will be captivated by this fast paced story.

The main characters in the story are Petra and Calder. Petra is talented and a smart girl. She lives next to Calder. Calder is smart and curious. He has a very quiet family. Calder's best friend had justed moved away so he started hanging out with Petra.

The story takes off when weird things start happening around town. Soon, people are getting strange letters in the mail. Then, a valuable painting, a painting by Vermeer, is stolen. Calvin and Petra set out to find the missing painting.

The setting takes place in a small suburb in Chicago. It takes place in modern time.

The theme is mystery.

I liked the book a lot. It was always mysterious. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

This is a fabulous young adult book featuring two brave young people who are not afraid to do the right thing. An equal part adventure story, detective story, social drama, art history lesson and treasure trove of strange facts, this book is an oddity that is not to be missed.
While Petra and Caldar are not easy characters for most children to relate to (Petra reads thick books beyond her years while Caldar is obsessed with puzzles and carries pentominos around in his pockets), their unlikely friendship as well as the detective and adventure part draws readers in.
Definitely would recommend to any young adult reader in grades 5-10.

The photos by Brett Helquist make the novel, and the end pages are full of fun extras to help the readers get more involved in the story.

Chasing Vermeer is a mystery, third-person novel. Two middle school kids, Petra and Calder try to crack a mystery taking place in Chicago, Illinois. Petra is an odd, but nice girl that doesn't give up on this complex mystery. Calder starts off not being a close friend to Petra, but both are interested in this case. During school, a thief has recently stolen a Vermeer painting, called "A Lady Writing". There has been a letter that has been set out to three people (in Petra and Calder's neighborhood) asking for help for the thief. This letter isn't revealed for a while though, and if it is the person revealing it will most certainly be placing their life in danger. This is a person versus person conflict. While figuring out the thief, Petra and Calder encounter many suspects, and gradually get clues. This story tells us to believe in your choices and DON'T GIVE UP.

If you like exhilarating mysteries then I recommend Chasing Vermeer as the next book you read. This book is an easy read too. I especially recommend this to skillful mystery solvers, because of its hidden clues. Although this book is about a piece of art being stolen, this isn't about art at all. I think this book is open to boys and girls who prefer mysteries. I found this book very difficult to put down because of its never ending tiny mysteries all in one. I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I had high hopes for this book, supposedly a wonderful example of creative problem solving.
Well, sometimes a book is well written, sometimes not. Sometimes it has a satisfying plot or well drawn characters, sometimes not. But, it is rare to find a book that seems to be affirmatively bad for you. Well, this one is.
What kind of book presents a mystery, and then offers that the way to a solution is through hunches, dream communications, coincidence, and silly random solutions to silly random puzzles? Why is this so cute, clever and creative?
Take the pentominos. They are like Tetris pieces and can be used to play number games. But, arrange them randomly to form things that look sort of like letters, then use the letters to guess at the words for a clue? What is that? It's bad cutesy writing; it's bad cutesy science; it's bad cutesy reasoning. It's lazy and phony.
Supposedly, the point of the book is to get children to think creatively. It seems to me that in this context "to think" should be "to reason" or to rely on evidence and to engage in critical thinking. But, the message really is to wing it, to follow hunches, to rely on luck, and to be saved ultimately by silly coincidences, numerology, and by the far-fetched and improbable. I don't think I really want to suggest to a young reader that "creative" and "flaky" are the same thing.

"On a warm October night in Chicago, three deliveries were made in the same neighborhood. A plump tangerine moon had just risen over Lake Michigan. The doorbell had been rung at each place, and an envelope left propped outside."

Is it a coincidence that Ms. Hussey, the sixth-grade teacher at University School, challenges her class to think about letters that changed lives? This book is filled with coincidences, ones that sixth-graders Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay think may not be coincidence.

Why do the pentomino pieces that Calder carries seem to give him messages? How is it that Calder has a box with a reproduction of Vermeer's The Geographer that also hangs in the home of Mrs. Louisa Sharpe, whose book by Charles Fort Petra has found at Powell's Books, and why does Petra dream about Vermeer's Lady Writing? Is there any connection with the theft of that painting from the Art Institute of Chicago, and what about the odd things Calder's friend Tommy writes to him about in a pentomino-based code?

Described by the publisher as "a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art", this "children's book" delighted this adult. Truly about the importance of seeing things new ways, reminding one of Holmes' comment, "you see, Watson, but you do not observe", Chasing Vermeer will have you looking at the world, at patterns, at coincidence in ways you never did before.

And there really is a puzzle for you to solve, hidden in Brett Helquist's black-and-white chapter illustrations. (You can go to the book's website for the solution if you want, but it's much more fun to figure it out on your own.)

This book had the extra attraction for me of being set in my neighborhood. It was great fun to have part of it take place at one of my favorite used book stores, and to know which buildings Balliett renamed. It was a bit of a shock, though, to look at the map in the front of the book and find that a church has been replaced by a Post Office, and that some other landmarks seem to have disappeared!

In the book, the two main characters, Petra and Calder, haven't got to know each other yet, but they have more in common than they know. The setting is in Chicago, and the months are from October to December. It all started when three mysterious letters were delivered in the same neighbrohood about a crime.

Petra has always been different, and has few friends. It changes, though, when Calder and Petra notice that there teacher is acting weird. They start to become friends, and when Calder stops by her house on Halloween, he notices something about her coustume. Petra explains that she had a dream about the woman that she is too. As they bond more, mysterious things happen. Petra finds a book that belongs to a woman in her neigborhood, and more mysteries happen yet again.

When Calder is out on a delivery, he stops by the womans house, and finds a painting that he has on his box. He starts to like that the woman knows so much about the painting, yet is old and cranky. He finds out that the house is in the theme of a painter, Vermeer, who painted the picture on the box. The mysteries will come together soon!

In the morning, the painting that Petra was for Halloween was stolen, and their teacher is hurt! Did she get one of the letters? Calder and Petra get curios, and start to find clues. Then, Petra hears their teacher on the phone, talking like she was being forced into something, and crying drasticly. Something is up. They know that sometheing is up, and people around are involved.

Then the woman that Calder met called the police to gaurd her, because she has a letter, too. She is hurt, too, and now the mystery gets bigger. There are letters in the news that are from the theif, and Petra and Calder go searching for it. In the process, though, Calder is locked is the school basement! No harm is done, but he is scared.

They search a college building, and more mystries are unraveled, and pieces come together, but you will need to read more to find out what happens next, and who got the third letter, and mysterious trips from Petra's dad, and yet another mysterious letter.

This mystery has a lot going for it, starting with its Chicago setting, its art-gallery-related problems and, most of all, its two wonderfully drawn young protagonists, a boy and a girl (who are not, incidentally and refreshingly, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). The characters are highly intelligent, and this is very appealing. They're inquisitive, kind, and have insecurities. They become friends in a very realistic fashion.

Throughout the mystery, there are puzzle-type clues which seek to draw the reader into solving the puzzle on his/her own while reading the book. But while the story purports to be about intelligence and observation and analytical skills, the solution is not: it is not based on fact, but on guesses. This is all the more disappointing because the whole thrust of the story implies that fact, reason, and science will lead to the answer. I have no idea why there is this gross contradiction between what the book promises and what it delivers. Were it not for this important (it's the solution, after all!) contradiction, I would give this book five stars.

Chasing Vermeer is hard to follow because its about two kids who meet and start talking about weird things like pentominoes and blue M&M's and other things. One of the main character's friend moves away when a new step father makes them move. Their teacher doesn't even give them real assignments and just lets the students come up with their own assignment which leads to them talking about Vermeer art.

Then a mysterious person starts writing that the people should start writing to art museums telling them to stop putting fake Vermeer paintings in the museums or he would burn a priceless Vermeer. Calder Pillay listens to his pentominoes and his new friend Petra Andalee use a book that talks about things like frogs falling from the sky and use it to help them solve who's behind the case of the missing Vermeer.

One day Calder meets an old lady and decides to pay her a visit. When he goes to her house he sees an old painting that resembles a painting on one of his boxes. Then he has to have further meetings until one day she has to go to the E.R.

After much confusion they finally find where the priceless painting was being held. Unfortunately however there is a mysterious man that starts chasing the kids. Petra leaves to go get the authorities while Calder tries to hold off the villain at the local playground. When she returns however, Calder is missing and it isn't till several hours go by when she finds him. He is wounded but alive along with the painting but he villain was hit by the train. The newspapers were a scam to stop people from noticing what was going on. The villain turns out to be Calder's friend's stepdad. Overall I would say its for people 8+ years of age.

S.Brock

Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliet is a phenominal book. It is not just a mystery. It delves deep into what art is, coincidence, and other such thought provoking topics. It made me try to view things differently and inspired me to do some research myself.

The protagonists are likeable and would be really great friends to have. I identified with Petra in that we both write a lot in notebooks and are interested in things that can't be explained in the usual ways. The other characters are memorable and interesting.

The way in which Petra and Calder find the painting and the culprit is, in my opinion, much better than a normal mystery. Logic and reason take a back seat, while pentominoes, dreams, coincidences, patterns, feelings, and unconventional thought all add up to a satifying surprise conclusion that comes as a little bit of a shock but seemsto fit right in. The idea at the end that the criminal was never really in charge but was driven by some other force is profound.

This book isn't dealing with the supernatural, just with the gray areas. Things come together so wonderfully, and the unanswered questions just leave you with more to ponder, which is great. This book is one of my favorites, and I hope Blue Balliet writes more!

Chasing Vermeer
By Blue Ballitot
Genre: Mystery
Review by Joseph

The book Chasing Vermeer is a great story about two Friends, Petra Andalle and Calder Pillay. In the beginning the book is very confusing; it opens with a letter - a very misleading letter, which three people from Hyde Park Chicago receive. Then later a painting is stolen. When Calder and Petra hear about this, they set out to find the Lost Vermeer.

One thing I liked about this book was the challenge. It is confusing in parts and doesn't make sense but the more you read it the story will start to unfold. This book seems never ending; it seems like you can never put it down.

Petra and Calder may succeed or fail; read to find out. When you read this book, you will have many questions. Keep track of them and write down the page because when you finish this book you may need to read back to make sense of it all. I recommend this book to 3rd graders and up, as it is confusing and a challenge. However a challenge is no reason not to read it.

Chasing Vermeer is definitely in my top 5 favorite books.

ORP Book report

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

In this mysterious mystery story, Peetra and Calder are living close together, but have never really been friends. The sudden finding of a book of art brings them together. Strange things start to happen, things to do with art. Someone has stolen a very famous painting A Lady Writing. The person that has stolen the painting has put small articles in the newspaper. They do some detective work and find three people who could have stolen the painting, a neighbor, a teacher or a parent. But who could it be? Clue after clue, riddle after riddle they are trying to solve the mystery. Can they solve a crime that has even left the FBI baffled?

This is a very exiting, and at times, scary mystery story where anything can happen so suddenly. Everyone, no matter what gender, will enjoy this book as much as I did. After I had started it I never wanted to stop reading, because there is always a mystery around the corner. The plot can be dangerous, when Calder gets chased by a weird man, scary, when Calder and Peetra are investigating a suspicious room, when things just need to be solved. I recommend this book because of its adventurous touch even though it is a mystery book.

Eleven-year-olds Calder Pilsay and Petra Andalee live three houses away from each other on a narrow street in Chicago's Hyde Park area. They are both unusually intelligent, Petra the sort of quirkily interesting kid whom others in her class consequently label as "weird," while Calder excels at patterning. He fidgets incessantly with the set of pentominoes he keeps with him at all times, fitting the Tetris-like shapes together to form rectangles of varying sizes. Both Calder and Petra, too, are unusually receptive to the idea that is a theme of this book, that apparent coincidences are not always coincidental. When the coincidences and various unexplained phenomena in their own lives begin piling up--many of them connected with the painter Vermeer--Calder and Petra come to believe that a particular Vermeer painting will be stolen. When it is, they believe themselves peculiarly suited to finding it.

While observing and recording suspicious activity in their own neighborhood, Calder and Petra put their considerable talents to use investigating the theft of the painting and tracking it down. The problem is, it's not intellect alone that they apply to the task: Calder believes that his pentominoes give him hints, while Petra finds herself communicating with the subject of the missing Vermeer painting. Led forward thus by their supernatural helpmates, Calder and Petra make implausible mental leaps that, for this reader at least, make suspension of disbelief impossible.

Though its plot is a disappointment, and it never packs any true suspense, Chasing Vermeer has much to recommend it: likeable characters, some nice writing, Brett Helquist's drawings, and the use of codes in the book, based on Calder's pentominoes. The story may also get kids thinking more about art, as the author surely intended. The inclusion of reprints of two of Vermeer's paintings is a nice touch.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Chasing Vermeer is a great mystery book. Anybody who likes mystery books definitely should like this one. It is the type of book that you can't wait to find out what will happen next.

The characters also have their own special features. With mathematical puzzles (pentominoes) and secret codes, many kids will like Chasing Vermeer. Petra and Calder work well together, and that shows us that collaboration can be sometimes be better than working independently.

Blue Balliett is a great writer, and she really knows how to make books sound mysterious and exciting. I recommend this book to mystery-lovers. People who don't like mysteries, you can try this out, because it is different than most mystery books.

Chasing Vermeer is a great mystery book. Anybody who likes mystery books definitely should like this one. It is the type of book that you can't wait to find out what will happen next.

The characters also have their own special features. With mathematical puzzles (pentominoes) and secret codes, many kids will like Chasing Vermeer. Petra and Calder work well together, and that shows us that collaboration can be sometimes be better than working independently.

Blue Balliett is a great writer, and she really knows how to make books sound mysterious and exciting. I recommend this book to mystery-lovers. People who don't like mysteries, you can try this out, because it is different than most mystery books.

A group of teenage "book nerds" were listing favorite books when one asked "What was your least favorite book to read?" My daughter immediately piped up with this book title.
It was an assigned book for her pre-AP 5th grade class. It was torture.

Having taught middle school English in Florida when CHASING VERMEER was on the Sunshine State Recommended Books list for 2005-2006, I read this book in the summer of 2005 and had all my students read it that school year. It has been a year since I've read it, but things about the book resonate still.

First off, my inital impression was to be impressed. I figured my high-end students would love it; it was clever and paced well; the characters were relatively unique (perhaps a bit too cartoony, although there was no hint at a tone of comedy).

My students liked it, but weren't blown away by it.

A year later, what I still remember of it is that it was a bit over-written (to a point of being so intricate and so clever that it eventually became unrealistic). Kids obsessed with math problems and mysterious clues that require decoders probably love CHASING VERMEER, but I found it a little too precocious and lacking in emotional reality. It is fun, but writing a mystery for kids does force plot to follow to where the clues can be found. That forced writing of plot removes the organic feel of writing that flows and can take you anywhere because you have no idea what might happen next.

But on the positive side, it makes kids think (and too much information in this case does not hamper the entertainment factor). Kids love a mystery and CHASING VERMEER moves well, stays brilliantly focused, and makes art history fascinating.

It deserves a recommendation, but for great a YA mystery novel, there is better out there.

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. Is this the new sequel to THE DA VINCI CODE? Nope --- it's an equally entertaining novel for younger readers. CHASING VERMEER encourages kids to use all their creativity and problem-solving skills to tackle a real-life mystery surrounding the elusive painter Johannes Vermeer.
Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee are both a little odd. Their intellectual curiosity and their unique hobbies fit right in, though, with their eccentric families and with their creative classmates at the University of Chicago Lab School. When three mysterious letters show up in their neighborhood and seem linked to the theft of a famous Vermeer painting, a chain of coincidences brings Calder and Petra together to help solve the crime.
First-time author Blue Balliett seems to enjoy playing with coincidences, both plausible and far-fetched, and the theme of chance and coincidence cleverly runs through the novel. The novel, with its high-profile crime of a well-known painting (secretly reproduced on the book underneath the dust jacket), also seeks to inspire young people to appreciate art as both dynamic and relevant to their lives. "Children were thinking about Vermeer, too. They were comparing, writing, and visiting museums with friends. Many said that they hadn't realized how cool old pictures could be."
The novel's illustrations breathe almost as much life into the book as the text does. Illustrator Brett Helquist (best known for illustrating Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events) includes a full-page illustration for each chapter. Pay attention! Some of the drawings reveal a secret that careful readers can help uncover.
With its emphasis on puzzle-solving, CHASING VERMEER is reminiscent of classic novels like THE WESTING GAME. Its focus on connections and coincidences will remind many of HOLES, and its art-related mystery calls to mind FROM THE SECRET FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER. In other words, CHASING VERMEER deserves a spot alongside many well-loved children's books. It's that good.
--- (...)

We read Chasing Vermeer over the summer and here are some of our thoughts. We liked the book because it is a mystery with a good plot. Our eyes flew across the page like scurrying squirrels. The story has two kids who worked on solving the problem. The mystery really made you think, we even had to use math skills. Plus, the novel had really good art work.
However, the beginning of Chasing Vermeer is a little tough to follow and also very confusing. Another thing that we did not like was you had to figure out the codes. A silly complaint from of the class is that blue M&Ms are used instead of yellow because yellow M&Ms taste better!
In conclusion, the majority of the class would recommend this book to a friend. We enjoyed this book because we solved the mystery. We hope you read this book!!

"I would like your help in identifying a crime that is now centuries old," reads a mysterious and anonymous letter that turns up on the doorstep of three different people in one town. The recipients are asked to solve a mystery. The letter does not specify what this mystery is.

While these three adults are trying to make sense of the letter, in another part of town, Petra, a student, finds a used book about mysterious happenings. She and her classmate Calder become friends when their eccentric teacher, Ms. Hussey, asks them to write a letter to her that she will never forget. Petra and Calder wonder why, and how, they must complete this assignment.

Then a famous Johannes Vermeer painting is stolen, and the thief tells the public to rewrite the legacy of Vermeer as a true story. Calder and Petra find themselves piecing together a number of unexplainable coincidences to solve the mystery that no adult can.

Chasing Vermeer is a clever conundrum. Every chapter fits like a puzzle piece into the rest of the book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick, easy read and likes art and mystery. Try to piece together the mystery yourself before the book ends.

Chasing Vermeer might be The DaVinci Code for tweens, as the back cover proclaims. I wouldn't know, I've never read the DaVinci Code, though my friend has, who informed me in an annoyingly patronizing voice that "It's too explicit and gross for you, Haley. Try another book from the library's shelf that you HAVEN'T gotten already."

Well, I didn't buy Chasing Vermeer because I wanted "The DaVinci Code for tweens". I bought it because I love art, I love mysteries, I love puzzles, and I LOVE books that make you think. All together, this book seemed like a pretty good buy.

And was it, ever. I still haven't had a chunk of time to devote to figuring out the chapter puzzles, but I know that the illustrations all have a frog or suggest a frog in them (a reference to Mr. Fort's "we shall pick up an existence by its frogs" comment, perhaps?)

Anyway, Chasing Vermeer wasn't exactly the sort of mystery that made logical sense, as in clue to clue to clue. It was clue to intuition to "coincidence" (Baliett, as well as Fort, scorns the idea of these) to clue to pentomino to intuition...You get the point. And it made for a very interesting, if sometimes a little confusing, mystery story.

5/5 Highly recommended.

Rating: Very Good

For a debut by an author in children's literature, Scholastic Publishing Company created deep pockets. This manuscript must have flashed dollar signs in their eyes; portending a commercial windfall on the level of Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket. Who could doubt that Brett Helquist, star-studded illustrator, could name his own price to come aboard? The formatting is clever; the papers and binding, superlative (of all the contributors, the book's designer, Marijka Kostow, may deserve the most applause). But after sifting through all the glitz and gimmickry, I was reminded of the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Inside, the quality of the writing leaves but a mixed reaction in me.

Infusing fantasy into mystery writing in children's literature is not new and it is fantasy that is this tale's mortar. For children, the mixture will probably be quite wonderful. They'll be awed by Petra's intuition that is guided by visions of a woman in canvass who seems to communicate to her at key moments in a fashion remotely resembling a séance. They will marvel at the interpretations Calder makes from randomly pulling a pentomino puzzle piece from his pocket-reminiscent of the same manner in which a shaman tosses chicken bones to the ground for fortunetelling. Little disbelief will be suspended for adults who are oriented to tangible, rational clues leading to "Who did it." But hey, remember, this genre is escapist anyway!

Besides dreams and pentominoes, the other motifs are enticing: Vermeer; the conceptualization of art; and the phenomenon of coincidence. Hyde Park and The Art Institute of Chicago make for an engrossing setting. There, the student protagonists' campus immersion into Discovery Learning guides their detective thinking. Both Constructivism and the quirky examinations about coincidence by Charles Fort are intended to suspend disbelief. Without impetus from both, you can't begin to "think outside the box" with chicken bones and nightmares!

By and large, Blue Balliett's writing meets her audience. And it has potential to inspire in them investigations into art appreciation, patterns, and, I guess, the paranormal. The shortcoming is the identity of the culprit. Being one dimensional and having no dialogue, culprit simply doesn't pack a "jolt." If you can challenge the audience--at times, in a pretty "heady" manner--to contemplate the meaning of art and the phenomenon of coincidence, then surely you can devise something much more sinister. Write out Tommy or allow him to join the dynamic duo and lend his hand to the solution. Jerome Bruner's "devotee" would have been the perfect mastermind with the widow and the book merchant the henchmen! That kind of jolt would have really made the news!

At most, the story will be faddish. It stops well short of enduring like The Westing Game, or ...Basil E. Frankweiler.

CHASING VERMEER is the delightful first book by Chicagoan and former Lab School teacher, Blue Baliett. The plot revolves around the growing friendship of sixth graders Petra and Calder as they work together to solve the mystery of, A Lady Writing, a Vermeer painting stolen en route the Chicago?s Art Institute. Baliett creates children who are unashamedly eccentric and intelligent and are multi-ethnic in way that seems natural and uncontrived. Calder keeps pentominoe tiles (tiles in a variety of shapes that all include 5 squares) in his pocket and Petra connects words and circumstances. The story will draw younger readers in by its mysterious plot and the opportunity to do a little code breaking of their own to translate letters Calder receives from his absent best friend. It is the kind of book that might draw students into and interest in art, math and logic and could be used by an enterprising teacher to discuss all three. The resolution of the tale feels a bit sudden but is not unsatisfying.
The use of Chicago and Hyde Park landmarks is particularly delightful (the names of some of the buildings on the University of Chicago campus have been changed). It is clear that illustrator Brett Helquist (Known for the images he created for the Lemony Snicket books) visited or had pictures of the lovely Hyde Park architecture to work from as some of the illustrations closely match buildings in the neighborhood, a nice detail for Chicagoans. Helquist?s drawings provide an additional layer to the story as they also contain a code for readers to solve. CHASING VERMEER is a tale of mystery and discovery that children of many ages will enjoy and I look forward to seeing more work by Baliett in the future.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett is one of the best mysteries I've ever read, comparing only to the "Westing game" by Ellen Raskin.In this book a famous and invaluable Vermeer painting goes missing. Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee, drawn together by a book of mysterious events, follow coincidence after coincidence that may not be coincidences after all.

In this suspenceful book Calder and Petra work together to solve a worldwide art scandal that includes mysterious letters, pentominoes, teachers being arrested, concussions and the number twelve.

Blue Balliett has also made two sequels, the Wright three and The Calder Game. I highly reccomend The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I suggest you read Chasing Vermeer. You'll probably like it.

By: Lucas

Chasing Vermeer

By Blue Balliet

Two young children know key clues about an art robbery that even the FBI doesn't know about. I found the novel very unique and enjoyed it very much because of the unique characters, continuous suspense, and the fact it is unpredictable because of the author's use of the red herring. I would recommend this novel to young children that enjoy mysteries. Two young children become friends in a small town in Chicago inside a book store. Both children were smart and in Ms. Hussey's English class for sixth graders but had never really become friends even though they both lived on Harper's Avenue only a few houses apart. The boy was named Calder and his only friend, Tommy, had recently moved away when his mother remarried and he loved to play with puzzle pieces called pentominoes. The young girl was named Petra who loved to read and had thought that Calder was weird. Around the same time their friendship began three people receive a letter asking them to assist in revealing an error made in the world of art. They are also threatened that if they show the letter to anyone else or the cops that they would be putting their life in danger. A few days after they saw their teacher buy an art book their class goes on a field trip to an Art Institute. One day Petra goes by the book store and picks up a book in the give away box called Lo! that had been written by a man named Charles Fort. The book contained clips of newspapers or other information that spoke of peculiar events and disappearances or appearances of people and animals. In the inside cover of the book it says that the book was previously owned by a Mrs. Sharpe who, she realized, lived only a street away from them. A while after Petra told him of the book; Calder was working at the book store and offered to deliver some books to a Mrs. Sharpe. He was curious because Tommy had written about a boy on his street that had disappeared and no one would tell him where he went and Calder thought that it my have been a situation like the one in the book. After seeing a painting he recognized in Mrs. Sharpe's house and telling her that Petra has her old book they both join Mrs. Sharpe for lunch. Calder studied the picture and realized it had been painted by a man named Johannes Vermeer who died young and had made very few other masterpieces. On Halloween Calder went over to Petra's and found her dressed as a woman in a Vermeer painting called A Lady Writing but she said that she was dressed as a woman who had been appearing in her dreams who seemed to be talking to her. They call the institute to make sure the painting is safe and discover it is being transferred their and should arrive any day. It was stolen a few days later and the burglar left a note saying that the lady would be returned as soon as the errors about Vermeer's work was corrected because he or she believed that some of the work was created by someone other than Vermeer because of the differences. Petra realized that she had one day found a note that had said something similar to what the letter had but she didn't finish it because it blew out of her hand. After checking almost all places on the campus they discover that the painting must be in the study hall. Once they recover The Lady Writing at the school by using the pentominoes they try to run but are attacked by a man on the playground. Petra ran with the painting and found a cop but when they returned to the playground the man was gone and they found Calder hurt. Later the man was found and turned out to be Tommy's stepfather who had abandoned Tommy and his mother. Also it was later found that some of the paintings that were said to be made by Vermeer hadn't been.

The novel's characters were odd but interesting and I found that it was weird that they had lived only a few houses away from each other and new barely anything about each other. Petra's character was interesting because the author made her look so much like the woman who was in the painting. Calder seemed like a shy kind boy and I found that the two characters were very much alike. Miss Hussey was an adventurous young teacher who, I wasn't shocked, agreed to help the person who had planned the stealing of the painting.

The suspense in the story was always rising like when Calder was locked in the basement of the school. Petra was very lucky that she was able to get the receptionist back down before the day was over. The climax of the story must have been when they were inside the hall and were chased by the man out on the playground. It was very interesting and I was shocked that Calder would risk his life for the paining.

During the story the use of the red herring made the novel unlike other mystery novels because it was unpredictable. The author gave clues that would make it seem like that character was the thief but then would twist it to make you believe another had done it. A great example would be when you first meet Mrs. Sharpe she seems to love art and has copies of some of Vermeer's artwork around her house. Then Miss Hussey seemed to act like she agreed with the thief.

I really enjoyed this book and believe that young children who prefer mysteries would enjoy it very much. The story's characters, suspense, and use of the red herring was very interesting to me and I would recommend this novel.

M. Becouvarakis

When a priceless piece of artwork by Vermeer, a relatively unknown artist from the 1700s, called The Lady Writing is stolen on its way to Chicago, Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay take into their own hands to find it. These to eleven year olds find a old book by Charles Fort, which goes into detail goes into about coincidences between disappearing people and frogs. This book used to belong to their grumpy, old neighbor Mrs. Sharpe. Whose husband just happened to die an untimely death right after he made a breaking discovery on Vermeer. All these thongs are oddly connected. The thief of The Lady Writing has a theory that not all of the work of art credited to Vermeer is his, and tells the public via the newspaper that he will destroy The Lady Writing if this mistake is not corrected. This turns out to be a hoax, the thief was working for someone who wanted to own The Lady Writing. It was his plan to let the public think that The Lady was destroyed. Petra and Calder find this out, and find out that the painting is hidden near they live, in fact it is in University by their houses. They rescue it, but not before the thief sees them and pursues them. Calder trips and hurts himself, and Petra runs off with the painting, and alerts the police. Calder manages to get away, and the thief is found dead on a train. Chasing Vermeer by an exciting art mystery that is sure to be an enjoyable read for any youth.

This book is great for mystery lovers. It has developing characters and a twisting story. The rich, Mrs. Sharpe has lots of Vermeer things, in fact her house looks like it came out of a Vermeer painting. She could hire someone to steal her a Vermeer to add to her collection. The thief said that he gave out three letters to people asking for their support. Or was it the book keeper? A close associate of Mrs. Sharpe. Ms. Hussey, Petra and Calder's school teacher, start talking about letters, important letters that forever changed that person's life. Letters like the thief handed out. Petra overhears her dad telling her mom about a bad letter that arrived in the mail. Petra become very suspicious.

The story characters develop their way of thinking. Petra and Calder learn to think in patterns. They find many of their clues thinking like this. This how they find The Lady Writing. She was hidden in a small secret cupboard in the University.

This book also is interactive. Calder writes things in a secret code, which you have to unravel to understand the entire plot. The books has a picture each chapter, in which you have clues to find. This book is a great page-turner for mystery and art fans. Even for youths with no particular genre to call their favorite will enjoy this book.

In the book, the two main characters, Petra and Calder, haven't got to know each other yet, but they have more in common than they know. The setting is in Chicago, and the months are from October to December. It all started when three mysterious letters were delivered in the same neighbrohood about a crime.

Petra has always been different, and has few friends. It changes, though, when Calder and Petra notice that there teacher is acting weird. They start to become friends, and when Calder stops by her house on Halloween, he notices something about her coustume. Petra explains that she had a dream about the woman that she is too. As they bond more, mysterious things happen. Petra finds a book that belongs to a woman in her neigborhood, and more mysteries happen yet again.

When Calder is out on a delivery, he stops by the womans house, and finds a painting that he has on his box. He starts to like that the woman knows so much about the painting, yet is old and cranky. He finds out that the house is in the theme of a painter, Vermeer, who painted the picture on the box. The mysteries will come together soon!

In the morning, the painting that Petra was for Halloween was stolen, and their teacher is hurt! Did she get one of the letters? Calder and Petra get curios, and start to find clues. Then, Petra hears their teacher on the phone, talking like she was being forced into something, and crying drasticly. Something is up. They know that sometheing is up, and people around are involved.

Then the woman that Calder met called the police to gaurd her, because she has a letter, too. She is hurt, too, and now the mystery gets bigger. There are letters in the news that are from the theif, and Petra and Calder go searching for it. In the process, though, Calder is locked is the school basement! No harm is done, but he is scared.

They search a college building, and more mystries are unraveled, and pieces come together, but you will need to read more to find out what happens next, and who got the third letter, and mysterious trips from Petra's dad, and yet another mysterious letter.

In the book, the two main characters, Petra and Calder, haven't got to know each other yet, but they have more in common than they know. The setting is in Chicago, and the months are from October to December. It all started when three mysterious letters were delivered in the same neighbrohood about a crime.

Petra has always been different, and has few friends. It changes, though, when Calder and Petra notice that there teacher is acting weird. They start to become friends, and when Calder stops by her house on Halloween, he notices something about her coustume. Petra explains that she had a dream about the woman that she is too. As they bond more, mysterious things happen. Petra finds a book that belongs to a woman in her neigborhood, and more mysteries happen yet again.

When Calder is out on a delivery, he stops by the womans house, and finds a painting that he has on his box. He starts to like that the woman knows so much about the painting, yet is old and cranky. He finds out that the house is in the theme of a painter, Vermeer, who painted the picture on the box. The mysteries will come together soon!

In the morning, the painting that Petra was for Halloween was stolen, and their teacher is hurt! Did she get one of the letters? Calder and Petra get curios, and start to find clues. Then, Petra hears their teacher on the phone, talking like she was being forced into something, and crying drasticly. Something is up. They know that sometheing is up, and people around are involved.

Then the woman that Calder met called the police to gaurd her, because she has a letter, too. She is hurt, too, and now the mystery gets bigger. There are letters in the news that are from the theif, and Petra and Calder go searching for it. In the process, though, Calder is locked is the school basement! No harm is done, but he is scared.

They search a college building, and more mystries are unraveled, and pieces come together, but you will need to read more to find out what happens next, and who got the third letter, and mysterious trips from Petra's dad, and yet another mysterious letter.

Do you like a story filled with puzzles, mysteries, excitement, and adventure? Do you just love it when every "thread" in a story comes together as you and the characters both make discoveries? If you do, then Chasing Vermeer is for you. I had heard good things about the book so I got it from the library. I read it and it is AWESOME!!!

The story revolves around two kids, a stolen painting, and the famous artist Vermeer. Calder and Petra (the main characters) go to the same school but aren't really friends yet. But the mystery of a stolen painting brings then together in one heart-pounding mystery! This is one of those books you simply can't put down until you have read the last words!

I loved the characters--they seemed so real and you could really relate to them. You liked both of them and wanted them to succeed. It was also a really good mystery book! If you love awesome books, then this book is for you!

I recently had the privilege of joining a first-ever teacher's book club at our school. We are called "The Lunch Bunch", and at our first meeting, each chose a children's book that had made the top 100 list of newly published books. We were to read the book and be ready to discuss it at the following meeting two weeks later.

I chose "Chasing Vermeer", by Blue Balliett. I was interested because it was a mystery about children trying to solve the case of a missing Vermeer painting. That is the simple, one sentence summary. Like all good mysteries, there are many twists, turns, and seemingly unrelated events.

After all, who would ever think to link the number twelve, frogs, pentominoes, a strange book entitled "Lo!", and an ancient, priceless work of art? I will confess I never would have dreamed it! You'll just have to read this book to discover how they all fit together...like pieces of a puzzle!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries. As I said earlier, this is a children's book; the main characters being six-graders. But as an adult...I was certainly captivated!

Karina Harris; author of "Second Chance"

Chasing Vermeer does have some lovely elements, which is why I am giving it a two rating instead of a one. The exploration of how ideas such as aesthetic appreciation, coincidence, and expert knowledge are constructed is a wonderful way to get the reader thinking. And as a person with numerous copies of Fortean Times as well as some art history books on Vermeer and a keen interest in puzzles, I was pleased with the concept of this book.

Unfortuately, I felt that everything that was appealing about this book was completely undone without any revelations of brilliance. After a short while, all critical thinking must be put aside if the reader is to stick with the plot. The method of discovery is sloppy and unsound.

I definitely appreciate creative exploration and the idea of ubiquitous patterns and relationships in seemingly unrelated things, but I found no satisfaction in that unconvincing resolution that Chasing Vermeer offered.

"Chasing Vermeer" is a good story-- very interesting with a compelling mystery and likable characters. I would love to see Petra and Calder, the two protagonists in more books-- they're very bright and persistent kids. And the writing is very strong. There's lots of interesting stuff about Vermeer, pentominos, the meaning of art, and the role of creativity in our educational system; despite all that, my 6 year old niece really enjoyed the book (and I enjoyed reading it to her.)

I do have a couple of complaints-- one, the book often seems like an ad for a pentomino company, and two, the plot relies to much on the kids' intuition to solve the mystery. Like I said, Petra and Calder are very resourceful; they could have solved the mystery using more logic and investigative techniques, but too often the plot twists revolve around something like, "Hey, the word 'snake' just popped into my head, must be a clue..."

Fortunately, the book is strong enough overall to surmount such shortcomings. Definitely worth the read, and hopefully there will be sequels.

P.S. As always, Brett Helquist's illustrations are wonderful.

If you like a good mystery about solving crimes pick up the book Chasing Vermeer. It is a great book written by Blue Balliett. I think children would read this from ages 9-12.

This book is about two kids trying to find and solve the mystery about a very famous stolen painting. The main characters in this book are Calder, Petra, Mrs. Hussy and Miss Sharpe.

What the author is trying to tell you in the book is work together and never give up.

I think the weak points in the book are when someone is hiding because it could get confusing. And the strong point in the book was when Calder & Petra were getting chased because you really get into the book and it makes you concerned about what's going to happen next. So if you like mysteries & crimes pick up Chasing Vermeer.

Petra and Calder have been neighbors for years, but have never become friends until they run into each other spying on their 6th grade teacher, Ms. Hussey, in a bookstore. Since then they had begun to talk and get to know each other better. Their friendship grows stronger when Petra finds a book that gets them to thinking about the strange occurrences around them. Soon they begin to notice strings of coincidences that begin to wind together. Just as the strings of coincidences lead them to discovering an artist named Vermeer, a Vermeer masterpiece is stolen. Meanwhile an old lady Mrs. Sharpe invites the children into her house for tea to talk about the book Petra had found and the theft. The children continue to follow the strings of coincidences, as they feel that they have a duty to rescue the stolen painting, until they are found in the middle of the art scandal. When the thief threatens to destroy the painting, the children know that it is up to them to find the stolen painting.

Chasing Vermeer is a fun mystery that keeps you thinking and racking your brain to try and figure out how the coincidences fit together. The author, Blue Balliett, does a good job with creating fun characters and a strong storyline that keeps you guessing, but is never too predictable. There is even some suspense at times and I found myself really drawn into the plot and made me feel like I was in the story. Often after putting the book down I found myself trying to figure out how the coincidences fit together. The only thing that was wrong with this book was that some parts of the storyline didn't seem to fit together with the previous parts. Over all I really liked this book and highly recommend it to anyone.

This book was about two kids, Petra and Calder who try to find a stolen Vermeer painting. It is rather difficult to explain, because so much is going on in the book, but it involves codes, frogs, paintings and school. (If you don't already know what pentaminoes are, you will after reading this) It is so involved that even after I finished it I had to think for a few minutes to figure out what happened and why. I won't give anything else away, but it is a good mystery and somewhat weird. It gives you just enough info to keep you reading until the end. Great for a first novel! Well, since I find myself incapable of explaining this book any further without going into great detail, I leave you with a final word: go read it!!! (OK, several words, but lets not be picky...)

Dear readers,

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett is one of the best books I have read. The author had to have a lot of skill write this book. It probably took a long time to think of the main characters Calder and Petra. Calder and Petra both help solve an art mystery that is centuries old. I think Blue Balliett is a great author. The illustrator is great at drawing, too. I think the author should make a series of these books like the Hardy Boys. This book has a lot of interesting facts and clues; it is very amusing. It could have a little more about the thief, but otherwise it was good. At the beginning it was a little boring, but then it got good because you started to find more clues and coincidences. This book teaches you a lot of new things and words. For example, before I read this book I did not know what pentominoes were, now I know what they are. I recommend this book to mystery lovers.

Chasing Vermeer was okay, but it took my reading group a long time to get to the climax. This book is about two kids who are 12 years old and who solve an art crime. The characters are Petra and Calder. The characters also figure out some wacky things like pentominoes and strange puzzles. Also, there are a lot of things happening in this book so be careful reading it. This book has a lot of clues and turns. I am going to give you a heads up the author will get you to think out of the box .I felt like the author didn't give me enough information to solve the art crime. That is why I gave it 2 1/2 stars.

By Jordan, age 11

I thought Chasing Vermeer was a pretty good book. It was a mystery that had elements of art history in it. The author did a good job forming the plot of this book but failed to make it suspenseful for the reader. In addition, I thought the book had great illustrations that were engaging and very interesting to look at. But I did think some aspects of this book were a little bit unrealistic and "childish." For example, the two main characters, Petra and Calder, would eat a blue M&Ms (A.K.A. blue ones) whenever they discovered something interesting. In addition Calder would use pentominoes to help him make decisions when there was a problem, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, art, and history and would give it three stars.

Here is a book heralded by much publicity; one to put on your "Vermeer List" ... It will appeal to young mystery readers & kids who relish being considered 'above & beyond' the generic middle school student. This has the lure of PENTOMINOES (for a pronunciation aid, think "dominoes") which are diagrammed in the book and even avaiilable to *move* on your computer screen after accessing the website given in the book ... plus the challenge of clues encoded in the illustrations.
The hero Calder invents a secret code based on the above, and his new friend Petra discusses happenings that may or may not be coincidences. In a book full of clues I wonder whether the author is dropping hints that a future book may revolve around the art of Alexander Calder and/or the artifacts of Petra, ancient city in Jordan. I was hoping Balliett's convoluted tale(as all good mysteries are?) would involve some action inside Chicago's ART INSTITUTE but perhaps in the future the author will use that setting, with a mystery about the unforgettable Chagall stained glass.
This book could open up discussions about art critics and art history *experts* ~ also fads in all the necessities of life, including art. The young people are students at the Univ. of Chicago's lab school, where they have an open-minded but nervous teacher; also in a 'leading role' is an elderly eccentric neighbor. The star, of course, is the painting "A LADY WRITING" by Johannes Vermeer. It disappears between the National Gallery in D.C. and Chicago. Mysterious letters are delivered and demands made. Your reading will speed up with the chase scenes.
All ages are involved as players in this drama and that may ensure an audience of a wide age range. REVIEWER MCHAIKU predicts good fun for readers in the 4th-8th grade range, more discussion in classrooms & increased sales of Pentominoes ~ ~ & some of these are definitely works of ART !

Chasing Vermeer is a mystery novel about two kids who are determined to find a stolen painting. I found it very intriguing and I think it's a great story.

It all starts out with some mysterious happenings. Then we meet the two kids, Petra and Calder, and we witness their becoming friends. The painting is stolen and the mystery begins.

Who is this thief? Is it someone they know? For all they know, it could be hidden halfway across the world, but that doesn't stop them from investigating.

I love this book and I really think it's something that people of all ages can and should read. The author makes the story slightly confusing, but that just adds to the excitement and the want for more. You never know what's going to happen next.

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.

I found the writing scattered and unfocused. It jumped from here to there and back again without any semblance of structure. For instance, in one scene Petra (ickiest name ever, BTW) and Calder were selling brownies to raise money for Tommy -- unfortunately, you have to wait chapters and chapters to find out if they even sent it to him. Then there was the man in the post office who later proved to be completely uninvolved with anyone or anything. And then there was the coincidences that hinted at communicating with . . . I'm not sure if it was the dead or the painting or Mrs. Sharpe. Maybe the author has ADHD.

Anyhoo, it isn't a good mystery when the 'mystery' part, along with a good many of the characters, has to be explained over the course of an entire chapter at the end of the book. I think a good mystery has a symmetry to it, not to mention a resoluation that requires no explanation. There's a math to a good mystery and this one doesn't add up.

Finally, it's maddening when a story revolves around coincidences and feelings and dreams. How convenient that the characters 'knew' all the right answers. But wouldn't it have been better if the clues were gathered instead of announced? Wouldn't it have been more imaginative?

Chasing Vermeer

by: Blue Balliet

Chasing Vermeer, written by Blue Balliet, is a wonderful book that takes an exciting twist when coincidences come into play, and events start to fit together to solve the mystery.

When a famous Vermeer painting is stolen, and the thief's letter gets published in the paper explaining why, Calder and Petra must race against time in order to save the painting called "Lady Writing" .

This book gives information, containing events from Vermeer's life, while you also solve mind bending puzzles and codes along the way. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who craves a great mystery with a suspenseful ending. This is a thrilling page-turner that you do not want to miss out on! I gave this book a five out of five possible stars, because of it being a great read for everyone!

- Ann, 6th Grader From Maine.

Calder and Petra are NOT friends. They live on the same street, are in the same class at school, and pass each other on the street every day.... Yet they aren't friends.
Calder: lonely without his best friend around, sucked in by puzzles and patterns.
Petra: outsider at school, aspiring writer, dreamer, questioner-of-the-universe.

These two unique twelve year-olds become entangled in a web of mysteries that seems to connect everything: teachers, family, friends, neighbors, books, art... and raises the question: is this just coincidence? Or is it something else, something we can't see?

A mesmerizing first book, Chasing Vermeer is thought-provoking, surprising, and unique in itself. Whether you're 7 or 121, read this book, but be prepared to open your mind and think in ways you've never dreamed of.

Well, that sounds a little melodramatic, but it's true. Chasing Vermeer is an incredibly well-written, concise novel. It's been my favorite book for.... what, ever?

It's an interesting book, but I definetly wouldn't call it brilliant.

Why would an accomplished criminal who took the care to send letters from all over the globe hide a painting in a basement? The "coincedences" sprinkled throughout the book didn't make the mystery more puzzling, just more confusing. The entire book seemed to be built around pentominoes, which would have been neat had it not been seriously overdone. 12 12 12 12 12.... (Although the bit with the L's was neat. Why couldn't that have been stressed a little more?) And what's with the frogs? (Who would name a kid Frog, anyway?) I'm being generous with the three stars...I've known kids in grade four that write much better.

It is a pretty good puzzle book that serves as an introduction to art for many children. And for a first novel, it isn't bad. But it definetly isn't worth the publicity it's getting.

And by the way, I hated the Da Vinci Code.

Looking for a mystery, problem solving, and a book that has a little bit of art history in it? If you are be sure to read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Chasing Vermeer is a nonfiction novel that any audience of any age would enjoy. In Chasing Vermeer Calder and Petra, the main characters, try to solve a mystery of who stole the Lady and where she is before the person who stole the Lady destroys her. The strongest points in this book are when things you don't think are going to happen do and there are no weak points in this book. I would encourage this book to all people because it is a great book and it isn't like one of the long and boring books, it is one that is very up to speed and you won't get bored reading it. Once you are done reading you should also read Wright 3 and Nantucket Hauntings which are both by Blue Balliett.

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. There is even a coded message/puzzle in the Bret Helquist illustrations. Codes are always interesting to kids. I think this book will be very popular with middle grade readers. I can see Calder and Petra collaborating on future mysteries. Kids who enjoyed The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine by Diane Stanley, will be happy to have a new and interesting mystery to read.

Blue Balliett the author who wrote Chasing Vermeer was a good book, but there was a lot of confusing part in the story. The mystery is that, there was a stolen painting. Calder and Petra were trying to find where is the painting is and who stole it. There were a couple of red herrings in the book. The book mostly took place everywhere There were a lot of hidden clue in the pictures in the story. This book should 9 and up.

Petra and Calder are ordinary sixth graders at University School. They don't know each other very well. When the famous Vermeer painting, A Lady Writing, is stolen, they work together to find the thief and where it is hidden. Using Calder's pentominoes and Petra's smart brains, the place of the painting becomes clear. During their journey, Petra and Calder become very good friends. This book is very adventurous and has dangerous parts, but that makes the book even more exciting. Chasing Vermeer and The Da Vinci Code are similar, but this book is better. I highly recommend it!

Chasing Vermeer is a book about two people that have to retrieve a painting that has been stolen. Their names are Petra and Calder. This paining is a very expensive paining by a painter named Vermeer.

The characters of this book are round but not really dynamic. The plot of this book is very interesting, the higher the intensity the faster it rises. I say the plot is interesting because I've never seen this before. Next is the setting, the time of this book is close to modern times, while the setting is a small town. The `problem' is man vs. man because they are trying to find the person that stole the paining. The theme of this book is, well, I really don't know. This book does not really ask a question. The voice is 3rd person. The tone is kind if dull, nothing much happens that makes some color fly in my mind. Some motifs in this book are definitely pentominos and paintings.

This realistic contemporary fiction mystery book, written on a 5.4 reading level, is an engaging novel for middle school students to read and enjoy, and to use to develop deductive thinking skills. The continued emphasis on looking at familiar things differently, at the nature of coincidences, and piecing together details to make a whole, and then repositioning them to make new wholes, is thought-provoking and extremely well written. The author chose to write this novel using the third person point of view, which helps the reader attempt to solve the mystery by providing clues not known to the two protagonists, Petra and Calder. The illustrations are both an integral part of the mystery and a mystery on their own. The illustrator, Brett Helquist, who is also the illustrator for the Lemony Snicket books, has hidden a secret message in his drawings related to the pentominoes' code in the book. In addition, Helquist has sketched several of the Vermeer paintings so that readers can visualize them as they are mentioned, and done important, clue providing, drawings of the settings and the characters. The book ends with bibliographic information and interviews about both Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist for readers who are not willing to give this book up, and an excerpt from the sequel, The Wright 3. Young adults, and older adults, will enjoy this book.

Chasing Vermeer, a Critique

When a valuable painting is stolen, three anonymous letters are sent out. The robber also leaves a note in the painting's empty package. His words were: "You will come to agree with me". A very bizarre robbery.

Calder and Petra are the main characters. They are in the same class, and have a teacher who thinks unconventionally. No one knows that she received one of the three letters.
Is it a decoy? Maybe...

What is this robbery's purpose?
Who is the robber?
What does he REALLY want?

These are all questions that are answered in this well-paced and well-written novel.

I think that Chasing Vermeer is a good, realistic mystery. It made me read a book about the life of Johannes Vermeer containing pictures of all his paintings. His life was enveloped in mystery as well, because of the lack of documentation, his paintings told little about him, and he didn't make any self-portraits.

In the mystery book they include the real paintings, like the one that was stolen which was called "A Lady Writing". The story is exciting, you never want to stop reading it. It's a real page turner.

You can see that I liked Chasing Vermeer. If you like interesting books you will like it as well.

By David III

I love Chasing Vermeer! Blue Balliet is an amazing author and she shows her talents in this book that always keeps you guessing! I have read this book 5 times and everytime I discover something new!And, If you liked this book as much as I do, You'll love the sequel, "The Wright 3". In conclusion, this is the best book in the world!!!!!!!!! If you haven't read it yet, well, you just haven't experienced what great reading is! I love this book and you will too so what are you waiting for! GO READ CHASING VERMEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)

Blue Balliett has written a spectacular mystery with tons of red herrings and plot twists. All this will glue the readers eyes and brains to the pages.

Petra and Calder are in their sixth week of sixth grade in Ms. Hussy's class. Suddenly Petra finds a mysterious book of newspaper clippings called Lo. It draws Petra and Calder into a mysterious mission to recover a famous Vermeer painting called a Lady Writing. They are helped by an elderly lady named Mrs. Sharpe.

I think this book is suitable for ages 8 and up. Personally I think anybody even a grownup will enjoy this wonderful mystery. I definitely preferred this book to it's sequel, The Wright 3.

This book is truly great and I think that everyone, kids AND adults should read it. Not only does it teach us SOOOOOO much about the forgotten artist, Jan Vermeer, but it teaches us to keep on trying and to never forget our goals. This is Ms. Balliett's debut novel, and I hope she writes many more for everyone to enjoy. The kids, Calder and Petra are just so real and tell everything the way we kids would say it. I encourage everyone to read this breathtakingly wonderful book! :)

Blue Balliett creates a complex mystery surrounding the theft of a famous Vermeer painting. Two children,through a series of coincidences become linked to the mystery surrounding the theft The children's adventures are guided by a cast of vivid characters that each has secrets of their own. The Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago provides a dynamic setting for this thrill ride. The novel explores not just a painting that has captured the attention of the world, but the role coincidences play in every day life. The plot twists come fast and unexpected. However, the novel never loses its whimsical touch while diving into a complex mystery. Chasing Vermeer is a highly engaging novel that forces the reader to become tangled in its web. All aspects of the novel play well of each other, creating a fun and engaging read. Balliett uses the Hyde Park neighborhood and its interesting cast of characters to great advantage. Her main characters, Petra and Calder, capture the reader's sympathy and provide plenty of intrigue. The unfolding of the plot is gradual and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Petra and Calder use intricate clues to put together the pieces of the puzzle. They are dynamic characters who allow us to go along for the ride on this realistic journey. The conflicts that both Petra and Calder experience create a strong partnership and a feeling of duty to both the painting and the people affected by its theft. Balliett has managed an adventure that everyone will enjoy. This book would engage junior high students with ease. Any mystery reader would also love this book.