6th out of 101 books
—
150 voters
Chasing Vermeer (Chasing Vermeer #1)
The Barnes & Noble Review
A puzzling art theft is solved by two sixth-grade sleuths in a first-rate first novel by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Series of Unfortunate Events artist Brett Helquist. Cut from similar cloth to The Da Vinci Code while harkening back to E. L. Konigsburg and Agatha Christie, Balliett's book follows young Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay as they...more
A puzzling art theft is solved by two sixth-grade sleuths in a first-rate first novel by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Series of Unfortunate Events artist Brett Helquist. Cut from similar cloth to The Da Vinci Code while harkening back to E. L. Konigsburg and Agatha Christie, Balliett's book follows young Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay as they...more
Hardcover, 254 pages
Published
June 1st 2004
by Scholastic Press
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Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett was given to me by a friend because it was similar to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler. As I'd read that and liked it, I was eager to read this. I've recently become more interested in Vermeer, so that added to my motivation.
There are some things I liked about the book. There are two protagonists who are both perceived as "nerds," but they are initially interesting and rather likeable. (Their names, by the way, were carefully chosen by Balliett...more
There are some things I liked about the book. There are two protagonists who are both perceived as "nerds," but they are initially interesting and rather likeable. (Their names, by the way, were carefully chosen by Balliett...more
Aug 10, 2008
Joe
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children who like to be bored.
Shelves:
middle-school-ya
"A Da Vinci Code for tweens." - Newsweek
This is only one of the quoted praises lumped on Chasing Vermeer and proudly emblazoned on its back cover. It is probably the most apropos quote because it hinges almost entirely on the readers' familiarity with and reaction to Dan Brown's novel.
If you found Da Vinci Code boring, trite, melodramatic, sophomoric, and preposterous, you will probably have a similar reaction to Blue Balliett's debut young adult novel, Chasing Vermeer.
Balliett has stated that i...more
This is only one of the quoted praises lumped on Chasing Vermeer and proudly emblazoned on its back cover. It is probably the most apropos quote because it hinges almost entirely on the readers' familiarity with and reaction to Dan Brown's novel.
If you found Da Vinci Code boring, trite, melodramatic, sophomoric, and preposterous, you will probably have a similar reaction to Blue Balliett's debut young adult novel, Chasing Vermeer.
Balliett has stated that i...more
Through a string of seemingly unrelated events, Calder and Petra find themselves in the center of an art heist that has the world buzzing and the Police and museum officials puzzled. Can Calder and Petra find the priceless Vermeer before it’s too late? And what exactly do their teacher Ms. Hussey and Mrs. Sharpe, the old lady down the street, have to do with it? The University of Chicago campus and Calder and Petra’s neighborhood of Hyde Park are the backdrop for this fast moving tale of art and...more
This book may very well be the worst book I have ever read in my entire life. Why? Let me break it down for you.
There's a painting. It gets stolen. Lucky for the art museum of Chicago, three fifth graders have a plan to get it back. So if you'd ever read the last three chapters of flat stanely, you have read this entire book.
First of all, I generally hate mystery books anyway, which is most likely a prime factor of my hatred for this book. Secondly, I hate mysteries that involve children, just...more
There's a painting. It gets stolen. Lucky for the art museum of Chicago, three fifth graders have a plan to get it back. So if you'd ever read the last three chapters of flat stanely, you have read this entire book.
First of all, I generally hate mystery books anyway, which is most likely a prime factor of my hatred for this book. Secondly, I hate mysteries that involve children, just...more
I loved parts of this book and disliked other parts, so there you are; the epilogue ending is particularly bad (in that "I don't know how to work all this into the plot, so here, this is what happened" kind of way). The "there's no such thing as coincidence" stuff would have been way overdone in any other book, but I understand that that was one of the author's main points here; still, I wasn't convinced. And the art history reads as coming straight from the author's Brown BA at least twenty yea...more
Another YA purchase from Green Apple books, and to be honest, a disappointment. This is a new-ish book, published in 2004, and while I had never read it before, I had high hopes. I had read reviews that said it was clever, it has expert illustrations by Brett Helquist (Lemony Snicket’s illustrator), and the inside flap lead me to believe it was a puzzle tale in the same vein as The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin.* Chasing Vermeer is not a terrible book, but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
It...more
It...more
This book was a lot of fun to read. It reminded me a little of a Da Vinci code for younger minds, only in some ways this book was a lot trickier. Throughout, there is a pentomino code, and another hidden code which I never tried to decipher, although I saw the clues. Codes aren't my thing. But I was still pulling out a notebook to decrypt the letters going between two friends in certain chapters.
I think this is a really original and unique book, that looks at things in all sorts of ways--ways we...more
I think this is a really original and unique book, that looks at things in all sorts of ways--ways we...more
The star rating may be a little unfair. For me, as an adult, it's two stars. Any kid age 8 to 12 probably would give this 5 stars. This is a code within a story, and I had a hard time deciding which to pay attention to. Because there's also an identical code in the pictures which is easily deciphered, I chose story. I'm pretty sure the code is easily deciphered within the story, I just didn't write down each time the author mentioned a specific pentomino.
The storyline really is pretty good with...more
The storyline really is pretty good with...more
By: Blue Balliett
Reviewed by Baylie Sigmund
Have you ever been on the run while you’re trying to solve a mystery of theft? Well, in the book Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee had to figure out a mystery just like this. The genre of this book would be mystery. Calder and Petra are the main characters. This book was set in present day Chicago.
The Vermeer painting “A Lady Writing” was stolen on its way from Washington to Chicago. The people of this small little tow...more
Reviewed by Baylie Sigmund
Have you ever been on the run while you’re trying to solve a mystery of theft? Well, in the book Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee had to figure out a mystery just like this. The genre of this book would be mystery. Calder and Petra are the main characters. This book was set in present day Chicago.
The Vermeer painting “A Lady Writing” was stolen on its way from Washington to Chicago. The people of this small little tow...more
“Chasing Vermeer” is written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquiest. This book is a story about two young kids name Petra and Calder. The only mission for the two of them was to find the missing Vermeer Painting that someone had stolen! They start to notice many strange coincidences through out the book and they start to put the piece together. Petra and Calder had been working with their favorite teacher, Mrs. Sharpe, to find the missing painting. After their many adventures and fi...more
I found this book to be a delightful read. After beginning the book, I found out that it is the same book I am doing in my practicum literacy circle. It was interesting to see the responses from the fifth grade class. They seem to love it just as much I did. The clues and hidden items kept me wanting to keep reading. The characters are interesting, strange but incising it keep me turning the page. My favorite character was Petra, and I loved following her and Calder’s adventure. Mysteries are fa...more
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett is such an intriguing book for young adult readers! I absolutely love mystery books and this one kept me on my toes! I found myself unable to put it down wanting to know what would happen next. I must say that the end was not what I expected. This book could be pinned as a spin off of the Da Vinci Code and the characters, Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay really bring the story to life. This book will relate well to children who feel as though they get caught in st...more
Chasing Vermeer is an intriguing novel about young students working to solve an art theft. As a kid who grew up reading mysteries, I thought this book would be a great choice for children today. However, as an adult I did not really enjoy the book in its entirety; maybe my tastes have changed or the book just had some undesirable traits. I was not too fond (nor have I ever been) of books that switch point of views chapter to chapter, and therefore I lost interest quickly. Of course, this is not...more
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I tried to imagine myself as a fifth grader and take in the story from a twelve year olds perspective. The suspenseful opener about the three letters had me hooked from the start. I was eager to see how the author was going to establish the connection between the three characters. I also liked the way that Calder's pentominoes and his love of patterns played such a big role in the mystery. I think that as a fifth grader, I would have love...more
Blue Balliett's "Chasing Vermeer" is a thrilling mystery for young readers. It is filled with detail and surprises that keep you engaged in the story. Pedra and Calder embark on an exciting journey to find out who stole "The Lady Writing," a famous painting that was taken on the way to Chicago. This book is full of knowledge, from art history to pentominoes, and even different math patterns! Throughout the story, Pedra and Calder get many strange clues about the theft, that seem almost supernatu...more
The first few pages of this book had me hooked, and I was anxious to see if Petra and Caulder would find the painting, and who send the letters!Chasing Vermeer witten by Blue Balliett is a thrilling mystery novel that would keep young students hooked. Caulder and Petra share strange experiences together, and search to find a missing Vermeer painting called "A lady in waiting". These two go on many adventures together to try and do some detective work. FInding this painting becomes a national phe...more
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet. This is the story of two friends, Petra and Calder, who are on a mission to solve a mystery about a stolen painting. The book hooks you right from the beginning as it opens up with three mysterious people receiving letters from a criminal. The reader later finds out the a famous painting has been stolen, and it is up to the public to bring it back.
I forgot how much fun it can be to read a mystery novel. Balliet did a wonderful job of...more
I forgot how much fun it can be to read a mystery novel. Balliet did a wonderful job of...more
The book 'Chasing Vermeer' by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist is a mystery book written for children. Even though the book is intended for children I thoroughly enjoyed reading this page-turner. This book follows two main characters Calder and Petra who are on a mission to find a stolen painting.
I thought the beginning of the book was a bit confusing how it started with the three random people who recieved the letter then how the storyline went into the classroom. After further...more
I thought the beginning of the book was a bit confusing how it started with the three random people who recieved the letter then how the storyline went into the classroom. After further...more
Chasing Vermeer, written by Blue Balliet and illustrated by Brett Helquist, is a book set in Hyde Park near the University of Chicago. The main characters, Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay, are smart, inquistive youngsters who are both in Mrs. Hussey's class at school. Mrs. Hussey is a different kind of teacher with her own, unique teaching style.
The book begins with a letter being delivered to three random, mysterious people. The unknown writer of the letter begs the recipients not to notify the...more
The book begins with a letter being delivered to three random, mysterious people. The unknown writer of the letter begs the recipients not to notify the...more
From the very beginning of the book "Chasing Vermeer," the author Blue Balliett had me hooked with the three anonymous letters. This had me intrigued and curious to see what would happen next. For fourth or fifth grade students, this children's mystery book would be an absolute hit. Throughout the novel you are continuously wondering or trying to figure out what's to happen next. I enjoyed seeing the two middle school aged students Calder and Petra,who become best friends, in order to work toget...more
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist was a fun and suspenseful novel to read. The author immediately gets the reader captured within the first chapter. The letter that is sent out the the three people and starts to get the readers mind racing and wondering what is this story going to be about. It was honestly quite a shock to me when after the first chapter the story starts introducing two children, Petra and Calder. It starts to describe their lives and friendship...more
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Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett is an awesome mystery full of intrigue and suspense, and is centered around a painting by the artist Johannes Vermeer. The setting is in a neighborhood called Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinois where the University of Chicago is located. The story centers around two sixth-grade students, Calder and Petra, who are not like the other students in their class, they are the odd balls. Calder has a fascination for pentominoes, a set of 12 pieces that each represents a lett...more
After picking up "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett, my immediate question to myself was "who is Vermeer? And why is he being chased?" The book slowly explains to the reader who this Vermeer is and why he/she is important to the story. Without giving too much away, this book revolves around two 6th graders named Petra and Calder who have a knack for solving puzzles based on connecting together events that most would see as pure coincidence. Their curiosity and sense of adventure leads them on a...more
How far would you go to save a famous Vermeer panting? Within the children’s chapter book- “Chasing Vermeer” written by Blue Balliet and illustrated by Brett Helquist, eleven year olds Calder and Petra find themselves wrapped up in a mystery surrounding the missing Vermeer painting “A Lady Writing”-which was stolen while transferring museums. Within the book Petra and Calder set out to find the thief who has stolen the missing Vermeer painting. Inspired by Calder’s pentominoes, Charles Fort’s- “...more
When i picked this book up for the first time, i wasn't expecting the interesting plot that would take place based off of the soft blue colors on the front cover. When I started getting further into this book, even though im an adult, i actually enjoyed reading this interesting novel.
In the novel Chasing Vermeer, two sixth graders, Petra and Calder, get involved with an interesting mystery about a missing painting painted by the famous artist Vermeer. Through out the novel, Calder uses his brai...more
In the novel Chasing Vermeer, two sixth graders, Petra and Calder, get involved with an interesting mystery about a missing painting painted by the famous artist Vermeer. Through out the novel, Calder uses his brai...more
"Chasing Vermeer," by Blue Balliett, and illustrated by Brett Helquist, is a children's "thriller" written to test the mind's of young children. To begin, the first and second pages were extremely pulling, as a mysterious letter immediately stated that something has gone missing, and if shown to others, they would be in grave danger. If that's not a good start to a book, then I don't know what is. As the book progresses, the reader comes to find out that two young boys, Petra and Calder, go on a...more
I really enjoyed Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet. I have always loved a mystery, and this was definitely a page turner. The introduction of the mystery letters in the beginning of the book is intriguing to readers and sucks them into the book from the onset. Normally I'm very good at figuring out the "bad guy" in mystery stories right away, but this book honestly kept me in the dark until the very end. While I did find the resolution to be a little rushed and wrapped up a little too tidy, it was...more
This book focuses on two middle school students, named Petra and Calder, in search of a stolen Johannes Vermeer painting. Throughout the book, the protagonists go on a wild goose chase filled with suspects, clues, and pure serendipity to find the famous Vermeer painting, entitled "A Lady in Writing". Set in the quiet neighborhood of Hyde Park, located just outside Chicago, the children's adventure seems safe until the climax of the story, where they meet the theif. Giving a wonderful children's...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need help with "If you liked Chasing Vermeer" | 7 | 39 | Dec 06, 2011 05:14pm | |
| very short (my message | 2 | 17 | Nov 18, 2011 03:28pm | |
| very short (my message | 6 | 41 | Oct 28, 2011 02:06pm | |
| very short (my message | 1 | 7 | Feb 03, 2008 09:48am |
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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“The greatest art belongs to the world. Do not be intimidated by the experts. Trust your instincts. Do not be afraid to go against what you were taught, or what you were told to see or believe. Every person, every set of eyes, has the right to the truth.”
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“You will come to agree with me.”
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