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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
3.5 stars!
Summary:
The Wright 3 is a middle-grade book, and the follow up to Chasing Vermeer, which I read when it came out (so I was like 10). Marketed at the time as Da Vinci code for kids, this series has a lot of puzzles and thought provoking narrative, with this book following Calder, Petra and Tommy as they try and save a fancy old house from being destroyed (The Robie House).
Characters 3.5/5:
I think I would relate to the characters a lot better if I was a child, but they were interesting to see from the perspective of. They are very flawed, a little selfish and trying to navigate childhood friendships, and I think it's done in a very authentic way. Also, I don't think any of the three children are particularly neurotypical, and although any particular definition is avoided on the page, you can really see how the people in their lives support them in their ways of thinking differently. For example, Calder works best with maths, and carries around a set of Pentominoes in his pocket at all times, and at one point he asks the teacher if he could communicate using the pentominoes instead of writing, and she says yes so long as he's communicating.
Plot 3/5:
I thought the Robie House was interesting, though perhaps not as interesting as the painting plot in Chasing Vermeer. The slightly fantastical elements of the house were also really interesting!
Setting and atmosphere 4/5:
This book totally gave me the heebie jeebies from time to time, and I could totally imagine 10 year old me being rightfully freaked out. There's a lot of mysterious goings on, and it really lends a lot of atmosphere to the book. The pictures really lend to that as well.
Writing style 3.5/5:
The prose is quite straightforward, like many middle-grades, but I think the most positive components of the writing is the way the mysterious threads are linked and interwoven which I really appreciated. There might be a SLIGHT pacing issue with a lot of the action taking place in the last 20 or so pages, but middle-grade tends to be paced a little differently so I can be forgiving.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Wright 3. I love Brett Helquist's drawings and I can't wait to continue on with Book 3!
Summary:
The Wright 3 is a middle-grade book, and the follow up to Chasing Vermeer, which I read when it came out (so I was like 10). Marketed at the time as Da Vinci code for kids, this series has a lot of puzzles and thought provoking narrative, with this book following Calder, Petra and Tommy as they try and save a fancy old house from being destroyed (The Robie House).
Characters 3.5/5:
I think I would relate to the characters a lot better if I was a child, but they were interesting to see from the perspective of. They are very flawed, a little selfish and trying to navigate childhood friendships, and I think it's done in a very authentic way. Also, I don't think any of the three children are particularly neurotypical, and although any particular definition is avoided on the page, you can really see how the people in their lives support them in their ways of thinking differently. For example, Calder works best with maths, and carries around a set of Pentominoes in his pocket at all times, and at one point he asks the teacher if he could communicate using the pentominoes instead of writing, and she says yes so long as he's communicating.
Plot 3/5:
I thought the Robie House was interesting, though perhaps not as interesting as the painting plot in Chasing Vermeer. The slightly fantastical elements of the house were also really interesting!
Setting and atmosphere 4/5:
This book totally gave me the heebie jeebies from time to time, and I could totally imagine 10 year old me being rightfully freaked out. There's a lot of mysterious goings on, and it really lends a lot of atmosphere to the book. The pictures really lend to that as well.
Writing style 3.5/5:
The prose is quite straightforward, like many middle-grades, but I think the most positive components of the writing is the way the mysterious threads are linked and interwoven which I really appreciated. There might be a SLIGHT pacing issue with a lot of the action taking place in the last 20 or so pages, but middle-grade tends to be paced a little differently so I can be forgiving.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Wright 3. I love Brett Helquist's drawings and I can't wait to continue on with Book 3!
Fun. Just as much fun as the first. Refreshing to have a mystery that doesn't have to have a death, but then it is geared to the older elementary student.
This book held my attention as an adult but was written in a way that middle grade readers would be drawn to. There are several pictures throughout and the suspense of the mystery isn’t too scary but certainly makes the pages turn faster.
I was happy to see that there are other books with these characters. Starting the series in the middle wasn’t a problem as the author will catch the reader up as you go along.
Definitely one to read aloud at bedtime with your big kids.
I was happy to see that there are other books with these characters. Starting the series in the middle wasn’t a problem as the author will catch the reader up as you go along.
Definitely one to read aloud at bedtime with your big kids.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Picking up where Chasing Vermeer left off, the reader is reunited with Petra, Calder and Tommy. In Chasing Vermeer, Tommy and Calder were best friends. But Tommy moved away and Petra moved in. Petra and Calder became fast friends. Petra and Calder solved the Vermeer mystery together. Now Tommy is back and the trio makes for an uneasy triad. It's as much a book about friendship as it is about solving a mystery. This time the mystery centers around the Robie House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Chicago. The house has fallen into disrepair and the University cannot raise enough funds to care for it. The house is to be cut up, with parts of it going to four museums for display. The house itself seems mightily opposed to the idea, which brings into question how an inanimate object might be animated and expressive. Frank Lloyd Wright grappled with this question in his architecture himself, wishing to create a living space in harmony with the natural environment. Their teacher, the lively and unpredictable Ms. Hussey, has tasked her sixth graders with answering the question of whether a building can be a piece of art. Is there any way these sixth graders can save Robie House? There is much to consider in the book. There is the story of Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture, pentominoes, secret codes, hidden elements in the illustrations , Hitchcock's movie Rear Window and, references to great literature, particularly The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. All in all, a very enjoyable read!
Blue Balliet's second art-related mystery is pretty much as fun as the first. I hardly knew anything about Frank Lloyd Wright in comparison to what I knew about Vermeer, but I learned a lot from this book, and it made me want to look up more.
I would say that overall I liked [book: Chasing Vermeer] better, but I think it's mostly because I like Petra and Calder better than Tommy, the semi-new face in this book. Petra and Calder are nicer. The illustration code was also more fun in the previous book.
Still, it's a fun and even educational read for kids.
I would say that overall I liked [book: Chasing Vermeer] better, but I think it's mostly because I like Petra and Calder better than Tommy, the semi-new face in this book. Petra and Calder are nicer. The illustration code was also more fun in the previous book.
Still, it's a fun and even educational read for kids.
What a fun mystery for kids! I can see why it is so popular with teachers. Added bonus is that it deals with 2 of my favorite things: Chicago and Frank Lloyd Wright!
medium-paced