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Blue Balliett

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Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic Gold) Paperback – May 1, 2005

by Blue Balliett (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator)

4.6 900 ratings

Book 1 of 4: Chasing Vermeer

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This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art.

Chasing Vermeer joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!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?

About the Author

Blue Balliett is the author of several bestselling, acclaimed mystery novels, including Hold Fast, Chasing Vermeer (a Book Sense Book of the Year and an Edgar Award winner), The Wright 3, The Calder Game, and The Danger Box. She writes in the laundry room of her home in Chicago, Illinois, and you can find her online at blueballiettbooks.com.
Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, and grew up in Orem, Utah. He entered Brigham Young University as an engineering major, but soon realized this was not the right choice for him. Having decided to take time off from college, he headed to Taiwan where he stumbled into a job illustrating English textbooks, which he enjoyed. There, a friend introduced him to an illustration student, also from Brigham Young University. This introduction inspired Brett to eventually switch majors. After spending a year in Taiwan, he went back to BYU and transferred to the illustration department. In 1993 he received a fine arts degree in illustration.

Reading age

9 - 11 years, from customers
Book 1 of 4

Chasing Vermeer
Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Grade level

4 - 7
Lexile measure

770L
Dimensions

5.32 x 0.61 x 7.59 inches
Publisher

Scholastic Paperbacks
Publication date

May 1, 2005
ISBN-10

0439372976
ISBN-13

978-0439372978
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Paperbacks; First Paperback Edition (May 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0439372976
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0439372978
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 11 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 770L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.32 x 0.61 x 7.59 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #65,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #58 in Children's Art Fiction
- #463 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy
- #2,251 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 900 ratings

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Blue Balliett

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Blue Balliett grew up in New York City, where she often visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Frick Collection. She took public transportation to school around the city, and discovered early that every crowded bus or train is packed with mystery and drama'and that stories are everywhere. Balliett studied art history at Brown University. She and her family lived year-round on Nantucket Island for many years, and now live in Chicago. Before becoming a full-time writer, she taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Balliett is a recipient of the Chicago Public Library's 21st Century Award, the first time the award was given to a children's book writer. She has appeared on NBC's Today Show and has been featured in various national and international publications.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

900 global ratings

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Mario Montanez

Excellent product

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2023

Excellent book

Very engaging mystery for 4-6 graders.

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

I use this novel for small guided reading groups. When I taught 5th and 6th grade some years they liked it some years not so much. This past school year I used it for my highest 4th grade reading group, they loved it

2 people found this helpful

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Emily

Doesn't live up to its promise, but worth the read

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2010

Verified Purchase

*Disclaimer: This is from an adult's perspective. A young reader might have a very different reaction to this book.

I was so excited by this book when I started reading it -- it sets up interesting characters, an exciting mystery, and a visual puzzle for the reader to solve through the illustrations in the book. I loved the initial character development of Petra and Calder, two smart young people who have very different ways of thinking. It was fun using the pentomino code to decode the letters in the book, and to try to solve the hidden puzzle in the pictures. And I loved that the mystery was based around art history. But as I read on, I became disappointed. The character development fell flat. The visual puzzle was not quite as challenging as I'd hoped (though still satisfying). And, most disappointing of all, the mystery was really not as exciting as initially promised (trying to turn the nitpicky art historical issue of painting attribution into a big international scandal just didn't work for me).

Despite these disappointments, I still believe this book has something special to offer, with its unique approach, and its two main characters who really think about the world around them, and use all their intelligence and intuition to solve the mystery.

10 people found this helpful

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M Fisher

Great read; fast-moving mystery

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is the first in a series of three books. The book itself is an mystery, but the pictures also are a mystery. Crack the code with the pictures and you add to the story. Elizabeth Balliett writes a fast-moving story that carries you along with Calder and Petra to find out who is at the center of the Vermeer heist. The ending is especially intense, keeping you wondering who is actually guilty. A great read!

3 people found this helpful

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Iris

Good for Primary School Students

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

Storyline and writing is entertaining for the average 3rd-4th grader. Great writer for introducing chapter book reading to young students. Author was once a teacher herself. Blue seems to have a wide range of cultural knowledge that she incorporates into her books.

One person found this helpful

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Amy B

Bought for my 5th grader's class reading project

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

My 11 year old daughter had to read "Chasing Vermeer" for school. She gives the book five stars because the book kept her in suspense at all times. She says it ended with a cliffhanger and she is looking forward to reading the series. I commend her teacher for recommending the book, as the introduction to the book led my daughter to a book series that she might not have ever picked to read on her own.

10 people found this helpful

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MsMliss

Imaginative!

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2010

Verified Purchase

This is a delightful story for it's age group, and the puzzles, in addition, add to the adventure. But most of all, I am delighted that it brought attention to the "real" arts, in this case a particular work of Johannes Vermeer. I think I may have had more fun creating my lesson plans!
A few years ago I also enjoyed an adult fiction by Tracy Chevalier about the same artist and another of his famous paintings, Girl with a Pearl Earring. It was later made into a beautiful "art" film starring the very handsome and tremendously talented actor Colin Firth.
It is always a pleasure to shed light (no pun intended) on the work of a great master artist.

2 people found this helpful

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Heather

Received damages copies twice in a row.

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2023

Verified Purchase

The book itself is excellent, but the copy Amazon shipped me arrived with crumpled corners and a rip in the cover, and the replacement copy I ordered came similarly damaged. Extremely disappointed.

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Ricardo

A tiempo

Reviewed in Mexico on September 16, 2023

Verified Purchase

Llego a tiempo y en perfectas
Condiciones

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MW

Great book

Reviewed in Canada on November 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

I read this book ages ago, and I was fascinated by him always having a pocket full of pentominoes. My brother is also interested in that kind of stuff, so when I'd gotten him some pentominoes, I also got him this book to explain why.

theo blum

chasing Vermeer

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

Buy this book,people.it is soooo cool. lol l l k uni h h ugh h h h h h h

One person found this helpful

Jaideep

A great read

Reviewed in India on December 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

My daughter loved this book and has since borrowed the others in the series to read them. Highly recommended for pre-teens

buhimaman

答えを出すことよりも深く考えることの大切さを説く、子供向け教養書

Reviewed in Japan on May 27, 2005

Verified Purchase

　　ペトラはいつも答えの出ない疑問でいっぱいの少女。チャールズ・フォートの本を読んで超常現象の存在を信じるようになりました。コールダーはペントミノ占いに凝っています。２人は大学町にある小学校６年の同級生。
　　さて、フェルメールの絵が輸送中に盗まれるという事件が起きました。「フェルメール作とされている35作品のうち真筆は26作品だけである、それらが正しく鑑定し直されれば絵は返す」という犯人から新聞社への手紙が届き、にわか美術評論家による真贋論争が世界中に巻き起こります。コールダーとペトラも盗まれた絵を探そうと活動を始めます．．．
　　絵が盗まれるまでの序盤はかなり長く、沢山のエピソードが盛り込まれて話の方向が見えないところがありますが、事件後からはぐんぐんとストーリーに引っ張られます。実在するチャールズ・フォートの本、盗まれたこともずば抜けて多いフェルメール作品は、実際ＩＲＡの政治的要求の人質となったこともあります。そうしたリアリティーと、２人が偶発的に見える出来事の必然性とペントミノの予言を信じて事件を解明しようとするファンタジックな謎解き部分に、Series of Unfortunate Events（世にも不幸な物語）で有名になったBrett Helquistによる挿絵が相俟って、不思議な雰囲気を醸し出し、「答えられる」ことよりも「問いかける」ことの大切さを説く著者によって児童書ながらも知的で奥行きの深い世界が築かれています。
　　挿絵に隠された暗号はそう簡単ではないのですが、解答サイトが本文に明示されています。ペントミノの通常の遊び方も出版社のサイトでわかります。色々なことをインターネットで調べてみたくなるように工夫されているのですね。

18 people found this helpful

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