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51st out of 145 books
—
224 voters
The Wright 3 (Chasing Vermeer #2)
From the New York Times bestselling team behind Chasing Vermeer comes another thought-provoking art mystery--featuring Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie house!
Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and it's up to the...more
Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and it's up to the...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
April 1st 2006
by Scholastic Press
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Mar 26, 2010
Luke!GO LSU!
added it
I am at the part where Tommy's house gets robbed! Following they find that the important fish charm that can save the robbie house has been stolen.
I think this book so far i kind of scary and mystours becasue...... There are people who are willing to risk lives to get this house "murders"... Now here are 3 kids up against who knows what! But because of these parts it makes you want to read on, not put the book down! This book is really exciting
I think this book so far i kind of scary and mystours becasue...... There are people who are willing to risk lives to get this house "murders"... Now here are 3 kids up against who knows what! But because of these parts it makes you want to read on, not put the book down! This book is really exciting
While Blue Balliett is a wonderful writer who is great at story telling from a kid's perspective, I was a bit disappointed with the way she ended "The Wright 3."[return]"The Wright 3" is a puzzle mystery that involves three sixth graders, Tommy, Calder and Petra, whose teacher encourages them to get involved with saving Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House from imminent destruction. When they begin discovering coincidences and mysteries surrounding the house, they become determined not only to save...more
Secret codes. Invisible men. Pentominoes. Fibonacci numbers. Hidden Pictures. Geometry. Red herrings. Murder. The Wright 3, a middle grade mystery for boys and girls by Blue Balliett, has all of these PLUS a plot that captures the reader’s attention and refuses to let go.
When 6th-graders Tommy, Calder, and Petra hear that the Robie House, a 1910 Frank Lloyd Wright house in their Chicago neighborhood, is to be cut into sections and donated to four museums, they band together to try and rescue thi...more
When 6th-graders Tommy, Calder, and Petra hear that the Robie House, a 1910 Frank Lloyd Wright house in their Chicago neighborhood, is to be cut into sections and donated to four museums, they band together to try and rescue thi...more
2 likes · like · see review
Summary from Amazon:
Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and it's up to the two junior sleuths to piece together the clues. Stir in the return of Calder's friend Tommy (which creates a tense triangle), H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man, 3-D pentominoes, and the hunt for a coded message left behind by Wright, and the kids become tangle...more
Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and it's up to the two junior sleuths to piece together the clues. Stir in the return of Calder's friend Tommy (which creates a tense triangle), H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man, 3-D pentominoes, and the hunt for a coded message left behind by Wright, and the kids become tangle...more
This builds on the story of Chasing Vermeer. Now Petra and Calder are joined by a new detective, Tommy. I was drawn into this story because the mystery revolves around one of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses, and talks about issues of preservation and what is worth preserving. Balliett also did a nice job with the group dynamics of the three kids. Petra and Tommy are each jealous of what the other has with Calder, and as the story moves along their relationship is continually changing. Hard choices a...more
The Wright 3, by Blue Balliett, was an overall good book. This book is very suspenseful, and really keeps the reader into the book. It’s fun for all kinds of readers. Those who seek adventure books, mystery books, or even a problem solving book can find it all in The Wright 3. I enjoyed the problem solving parts for the reader, although I never had much luck in it.
The plot of the story is how three children try their best to save Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous masterpiece, the Robie House. After y...more
The plot of the story is how three children try their best to save Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous masterpiece, the Robie House. After y...more
My book The Wright 3 was an out of this world most fantastic book you could ever read. The 3 kids Tommy, Petra, and Calder are in school and about to go on summer break, but before they do their teacher Mrs. Hussy wants to save the Robbie House. The whole class does a demonstration of what will happen if the construction workers will do if they tear down the Robbie House. When summer break starts the three 6th graders want to still save the Robbie House even after Mrs. Hussy told them not to bec...more
READING RESPONSE
Leah Levine 710
In the book, the Wright 3, by Blue Balliett, Calder, Tommy, and Petra, are 6th graders trying to solve the mystery of the Robie house, but all have their own seperate problems along with the mystery. All three are learning different lessons at different times in the book, but still are themselves and have their own wants. For example, Calder wants Tommy and Petra to get along, Tommy still wants a “family”, and Petra still wants people to stop stereotyping girls.
At...more
Leah Levine 710
In the book, the Wright 3, by Blue Balliett, Calder, Tommy, and Petra, are 6th graders trying to solve the mystery of the Robie house, but all have their own seperate problems along with the mystery. All three are learning different lessons at different times in the book, but still are themselves and have their own wants. For example, Calder wants Tommy and Petra to get along, Tommy still wants a “family”, and Petra still wants people to stop stereotyping girls.
At...more
I needed a break from the heavy fantasy of JRR Tolkien and this was in the free pile at work. Balliet's inspiration (From the Mixed-Up Files...) is one of my favorite YA reads and I love Helquist's illustrations, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
The story is a bit far-fetched (natch), and there are too many loose ends (did the house REALLY come alive? Who was saying "stay and play?" Who was the man in the cape on the train?) and too many supernatural elements which were sort of brushed aside in t...more
The story is a bit far-fetched (natch), and there are too many loose ends (did the house REALLY come alive? Who was saying "stay and play?" Who was the man in the cape on the train?) and too many supernatural elements which were sort of brushed aside in t...more
I really wish I could give this book a higher rating. It's got illustrations by Brett Helquist (probably best known for his work in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), and discussion of many awesome educational things, including Fibonacci numbers, Wells' The Invisible Man, and of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. I can't express enough love for YA/kids' books that teach vocabulary and concepts along with providing a good story.
That being said, the book started off a bit slow (perhaps I w...more
That being said, the book started off a bit slow (perhaps I w...more
This book of mysteries and realistic fiction has surprises around every corner. There are murders, many codes, pentimoes, and Falconoid numbers. A boy and his two friends are trying to find out what all theese mean. Without out the amazing details, this book would not be interesting. For example, in the book it said: "The sky was a bright shade of blue, and the clouds were as soft as marshmallows. The leaves were scattered everywhere, their colors blooming on the ground." The details in the book...more
Dec 30, 2009
Teresa B
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
FL Wright fans + anyone interested in cross-discipline studies
Recommended to Teresa by:
my daughter was interested in the 1st book, Chasing Vermeer, and
This was another fun mystery in the style of Blue Balliet's Chasing Vermeer. Both books could act as a catalyst for unit studies for homeschoolers.
In The Wright 3 a trio of sixth graders lament the (fictional) demolition of the (real) Robie House built by Frank Lloyd Wright, and they decide to find a way to save it. During their adventures they discover parallels and unexpected coincidences ranging from geometric constructions using pentominoes, ancient Oriental art, Hitchcock's Rear Window, H....more
In The Wright 3 a trio of sixth graders lament the (fictional) demolition of the (real) Robie House built by Frank Lloyd Wright, and they decide to find a way to save it. During their adventures they discover parallels and unexpected coincidences ranging from geometric constructions using pentominoes, ancient Oriental art, Hitchcock's Rear Window, H....more
I'm in the midst of writing a middle grade adventure novel, and a friend suggested I read this as a successful example in the genre. I wouldn't disagree. I also lived in Chicago for quite a while and have actually been to the Robie House, so that might have enhanced my enjoyment. I haven't yet read "Chasing Vermeer," but plan to, so I was introduced to this series and these characters with this book, but it wasn't jarring at all. The writer has an excellent grasp on character development, dialog...more
Dec 23, 2011
Matthew
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade-realistic-fiction
I have to say, in this series the level of pseudoscience and happenstance that leads to their more brilliant conclusions always irks me, but the story is still interesting and I learn from the characters about art. I think the portrayal of Miss Hussey is a bit flighty, but the curriculum is interesting. I like the notion behind the whole student-centered classroom, but I also see pitfalls in that Miss Hussey seems to use it as a chance to get on a soapbox about her issues and drag the kids into...more
This book was very good. Unfortunately, unlike other books I have read, this book starts out very slowly. Deep into the middle, the story starts to pick up and becomes more interesting! Throughout the book, the author makes great descriptions, allowing the reader to visualize and relate to what the characters are seeing and feeling. The characters-Petra, Calder and Tommy- are very clever. Their sleuthing methods are very complex and difficult to follow. During the reading, it is easy to get conf...more
It is so much nicer when a deus ex machina acually has a purpose other than saving the protagonists. In some ways I feel that while this was slower (and key aspects like exploration of intuition were missing) this was actually better than the last one! Blue Balliett does it again! :)
Really nice read, very easy (for its meant for kids)to read, but still does not insult the intelligence of a kid! How many times can you actually say that for kid-fiction?
At a time in my life, due to various reasons...more
Really nice read, very easy (for its meant for kids)to read, but still does not insult the intelligence of a kid! How many times can you actually say that for kid-fiction?
At a time in my life, due to various reasons...more
So good! I really,really enjoyed it! I read "chasing Vermeer" two years ago, and absolutely loved it, resolving to read all of blue balliets books! Sadly, I was sidetracked by other books, but then this summer while browsing a "half price books" store, I found it! I bought it immediately and finished it in one day, it was simply amazing. I love the added drama with tommy and Petra, and I love how it's so real and believable. This actually happened once to once to me (at one point in time my two...more
A stand alone sequel to Chasing Vermeer involving the beauty and the mystery of the famous Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, the Robie House. What first started as a class project envelops young puzzle solvers Petra and Calder as they try to save not only the architectural wonder, but their friendship as well. Balliett does another outstanding job by adding another layer of tension for our characters with the introduction of Tommy, Calder's long-time friend who recently moved back into the neighbo...more
I really like this series, which is aimed at the good reader who is in 5th grade or so--the story was anchored in a real place, Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and the same crew is back (they were embroiled in a theft at the Art Institute last time around--so this is a theme for the author--mysteries and art, and getting kids to appreciate art). THe teachers are a bit devilish and intent on promoting learning rather than rote class work, which is bound to appeal to kids, but also the occasiona...more
This book had all the same elements that made the first book great: a blending of art history, puzzles, literature, math, patterns, and unexplained events. The thing that made this book a 4 star book for me was the character of Tommy who just wasn't likeable the whole way through for me. I had a hard time relating to him or finding him that interesting unfortunately. I really needed more Calder and Petra. Once again, maybe this is my older lens. Maybe if I was 13, I would really like Tommy. Like...more
In a sequel to Chasing Vermeer, Tommy has returned to the Hyde Park neighbourhood in Chicago and with Petra and Calder get wrapped up in a new mystery; one that has to do with Frank Lloyd Wright's famous house, the Robie House, and maybe the book the Invisible Man, and maybe with some old legends about fish and dragons. Can the three work together to save the Wright house from being taken apart?
Another great mystery from Blue Balliett, and with more mystery clues in the illustrations. This book...more
Another great mystery from Blue Balliett, and with more mystery clues in the illustrations. This book...more
I have just finished reading the dazzling book: The Wright 3 by Blue balliet. This book was the sequel to chasing Vermeer which was an international best seller. This fact itself got me hooked on to it. This is another mystery where Calder and friends try to uncover the ghostly happenings taking place at the Robin house which was made by Frank Lloyd Wright himself! Though this book was 318 pages, it was not challenging at all. There is almost no knew vocabulary and the book doesn't challenge you...more
This sequel to "Chasing Vermeer" is another foray into symbolism. This time the mystery involves a Frank Lloyd Wright house, Robie House, in a Chicago suburb that is slated to be torn into thirds and given to 3 museums. Three children, two of the ones from Chasing Vermeer, plus another boy who doesn't like or trust the girl, go all out to save the house. Life and art intermingle along with a little help from the Robie House itself. Much of the symbolism in this story is true; also true is that F...more
Meh. I read this book as a possible book for my 6th grade class to read. It was somewhat interesting to me, as someone with background knowledge on FLW and Chicago. My students, however, would be lost. Even I don't understand what was up pentominoes, nor do I really care to find out (why would someone live their life based on whichever random letters they drew out of their pocket?). There was too many random mystery elements that weren't tied up. I feel that most young people reading it would ge...more
It wasn't as good as CHASING VERMEER and it was more spooky- like, in a bad way. I rated CHASING VERMEER five stars, but this one I'm rating three stars. The secret codes they put in the pictures weren't constant like in CHASING VERMEER. There was less mystery and figuring out stuff. the latter was replaced by almost silly coincidences that were almost random, which was annoying. A little bit of the prequel's detective stuff still survived in this prequel, but I still think that CHASING VERMEER...more
Loved this installment from Blue Balliett! Reminds me a lot of the older Hardy Boys stories. Blue writes great mysteries that Calder, Petra, and (now including) Tommy solve.
Am a huge Frank Lloyd Wright fan as well. Visited the Robie house a few years back and almost had heart failure when the story line included its possible demolition. Thank heavens Blue acknowledged this point as pure fiction in the Author's Notes. I scanned them quickly right after Ms. Hussey read the article to the class.
Thi...more
Am a huge Frank Lloyd Wright fan as well. Visited the Robie house a few years back and almost had heart failure when the story line included its possible demolition. Thank heavens Blue acknowledged this point as pure fiction in the Author's Notes. I scanned them quickly right after Ms. Hussey read the article to the class.
Thi...more
Having an interest in almost all things Frank Lloyd Wright, and having visited this house twice in my lifetime, I was drawn to this book first because of it's connection and second, because I thought it might be a good book for my "tween." I haven't read Ms. Balliett's first book so these characters were new to me. Her style of jumping into the tale without a lot of backstory was appealing and the development and description of the characters was good enough that the illustrator had no problem d...more
Ah. Another forcefed book by Blue Balliet.
After reading Chasing Vermeer(and wanting to slit my throat throughout), I had no intention of reading the sequel, seeing as most sequels are never as good as the original anyway. But, my teacher just absolutely had to choose it for some required reading. I almost died.
Following the previous awful plot of Chasing Vermeer, these Chicago kids decide that since they solved the painting mystery, they must be able to do anything. So they decide to form some...more
After reading Chasing Vermeer(and wanting to slit my throat throughout), I had no intention of reading the sequel, seeing as most sequels are never as good as the original anyway. But, my teacher just absolutely had to choose it for some required reading. I almost died.
Following the previous awful plot of Chasing Vermeer, these Chicago kids decide that since they solved the painting mystery, they must be able to do anything. So they decide to form some...more
Although I generally enjoyed reading this book, it didn't quite live up to the expectations left by the first book in the series, Chasing Vermeer. The eerie coincidences and mystery that made the previous book so good seemed almost added as an afterthought, or as if the author was trying too hard to stick it all in. The main storyline seems to be saving the Wright House, which is perfectly fine in itself, but the subplots involving The Invisible Man, Ms. Hussey's "danger", Rear Window, and other...more
Sep 03, 2008
JoLee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Paige have you read these? The main characters are 6th graders.
Shelves:
2008,
childrens-young-adult
I liked this sequel to Chasing Vermeer better than the first. In Blue Balliett's second book, Calder and Petra team up with Calder's old friend Tommy to save Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House from being dismantled. I thought the children's detection by coincidence worked much better in this book than in the first because it was almost a ghost story. A series of strange, supernatural occurrences plague the Robie House's visitors, including the construction workers sent to dismantle it, the child...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSIS Dragons: The Wright # | 12 | 12 | Apr 12, 2013 11:56pm |
I was born in New York City and grew up playing in Central Park, getting my share of scraped knees, and riding many public buses and subways. By the time I was a teenager, I sometimes stopped at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Frick Museum after school, just to wander and look and think. The Met has five Vermeer paintings and the Frick three, so Vermeer and I have been friends for many years...more
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