Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Rating 2.5 stars
In a lot of ways, Chasing Vermeer reminds me of Midnight at the Piazza by Tiffany Parks. (You can read my review of that book by clicking here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2435428891 ) A strange series of coincidences work together to help two kids solve a mystery that none of the adults are able to crack. The coincidences are just that, coincidences. The shape of a letter, the presence of a frog, and even the way certain sequences of words sound are all clues that work together to unlock the larger mystery. It's as if the universe itself wants the kids to solve the mystery, and, if the universe wants the kids to solve the mystery, that takes a lot of the suspense out of the plot. Throughout the story, I found myself scratching my head at some of the conclusions that the kids drew, wondering how in the world a frog napkin had anything to do with the location of the missing Vermeer painting. Eventually, I gave up wondering.
Somehow, even with the bizarre and random coincidences that formed the majority the plot, I found myself sucked into the first half of the story. The codes interspersed throughout the book were fun and engaging, and the characters were entertaining. Middle school and elementary-aged readers will likely eat up the story rather than getting frustrated and confused by the illogical coincidence-clues like I did.
In a lot of ways, Chasing Vermeer reminds me of Midnight at the Piazza by Tiffany Parks. (You can read my review of that book by clicking here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2435428891 ) A strange series of coincidences work together to help two kids solve a mystery that none of the adults are able to crack. The coincidences are just that, coincidences. The shape of a letter, the presence of a frog, and even the way certain sequences of words sound are all clues that work together to unlock the larger mystery. It's as if the universe itself wants the kids to solve the mystery, and, if the universe wants the kids to solve the mystery, that takes a lot of the suspense out of the plot. Throughout the story, I found myself scratching my head at some of the conclusions that the kids drew, wondering how in the world a frog napkin had anything to do with the location of the missing Vermeer painting. Eventually, I gave up wondering.
Somehow, even with the bizarre and random coincidences that formed the majority the plot, I found myself sucked into the first half of the story. The codes interspersed throughout the book were fun and engaging, and the characters were entertaining. Middle school and elementary-aged readers will likely eat up the story rather than getting frustrated and confused by the illogical coincidence-clues like I did.
I was reading this book to see if it would work for a book club, but I found some of the references to the characters' racial backgrounds problematic. Being 15+ years old I can understand and appreciate that writers back then were not as attuned to diversity, but now knowing better, we can do better.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's nice to revisit books from your childhood to find that they hold up. Petra and Calder are precocious sixth-graders, and my inner child identified with them so much. Growing up is a lot of trying to make sense of a confusing world, seeking explanations and noticing patterns. They just happen to notice patterns that relate to the theft of a famous work of art! I would definitely recommend this to kids ~8-14 years old today.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Blood
Blue Balliet's now Award winning (Edgar and Agatha Awards, as well as a Booklist editor's choice and top pick of the New York Times and Chicago Tribune, among others) and super popular novel (there's already a sequel and plans for a possible movie) is sort of an updated The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler set in Chicago, and is exactly the sort of thing I would have devoured as a 10-year-old (and did as a 24-year-old).
This time around our young detectives are sixth grade classmates Petra and Calder, who become friends as they untangle a series of coincidences surrounding the theft of a priceless Vermeer painting. Both kids are a little nerdy (Petra's a daydreamer who usually doesn't care how nutty she sounds, while Calder is obsessed with numbers, patterns, and pentominoes), but mostly they're just not shy about their curiosity, which is what makes them equal to the task of catching an international art thief.
This book is just so smart. I wish I could put my finger on more of the details that make it such a stimulating read. All I can say is that I was thoroughly entertained and intrigued throughout, and while I had suspicions in the general ballpark of the mystery's real solution, I was surprised by how those suspicions actually played out. Chasing Vermeer really kept me guessing until the end.
Oh, and all the details about Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, and the University of Chicago in particular, added a nice flavor to the tale, as well as all the information about Vermeer, pentominoes, and Charles Fort.
This time around our young detectives are sixth grade classmates Petra and Calder, who become friends as they untangle a series of coincidences surrounding the theft of a priceless Vermeer painting. Both kids are a little nerdy (Petra's a daydreamer who usually doesn't care how nutty she sounds, while Calder is obsessed with numbers, patterns, and pentominoes), but mostly they're just not shy about their curiosity, which is what makes them equal to the task of catching an international art thief.
This book is just so smart. I wish I could put my finger on more of the details that make it such a stimulating read. All I can say is that I was thoroughly entertained and intrigued throughout, and while I had suspicions in the general ballpark of the mystery's real solution, I was surprised by how those suspicions actually played out. Chasing Vermeer really kept me guessing until the end.
Oh, and all the details about Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, and the University of Chicago in particular, added a nice flavor to the tale, as well as all the information about Vermeer, pentominoes, and Charles Fort.
I've read lots of reviews on this book and I have to say that I'm very surprised at how positive the reception is. Don't get me wrong, the book was fine but not 5 star quality.
First off, every single little thing in the book was all connected. Everything from the names of characters, to thier age, where they lived, EVERYTHING was somehow mystically connected. Gimme a break. Seeing patterns where none exist?! Have they even seen A BEAUTIFUL MIND?! People go crazy looking for patterns in things that are not there- should we really be encouraging children to start looking at patterns in absolutly everything?!
Anyhow, I suppose if you put this aside, it was cute. I did stick it till the end to see how it all ended out. It was a bit of a cresendo and then a huge drop in the end. I felt that the writer brushed past important things in the end (like the actual theif- the whole point to a mystery!) which made it far too rushed.
But I didn't give this one star as I enjoyed the teacher and her way of running the class. It was refreshing and I found myself wishing I was a student in her class.
Despite the fact I didn't enjoy the book, I'm still going to use it in my book group. I'm not one for mysteries but the girls in my group might be. Indeed, I think they will enjoy going through the letters done in code and trying to decode them with thier mothers. I just won't give my opinion.
First off, every single little thing in the book was all connected. Everything from the names of characters, to thier age, where they lived, EVERYTHING was somehow mystically connected. Gimme a break. Seeing patterns where none exist?! Have they even seen A BEAUTIFUL MIND?! People go crazy looking for patterns in things that are not there- should we really be encouraging children to start looking at patterns in absolutly everything?!
Anyhow, I suppose if you put this aside, it was cute. I did stick it till the end to see how it all ended out. It was a bit of a cresendo and then a huge drop in the end. I felt that the writer brushed past important things in the end (like the actual theif- the whole point to a mystery!) which made it far too rushed.
But I didn't give this one star as I enjoyed the teacher and her way of running the class. It was refreshing and I found myself wishing I was a student in her class.
Despite the fact I didn't enjoy the book, I'm still going to use it in my book group. I'm not one for mysteries but the girls in my group might be. Indeed, I think they will enjoy going through the letters done in code and trying to decode them with thier mothers. I just won't give my opinion.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Balliett, B. (2004). Chasing Vermeer. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 254 p. $7.99 softcover.
GENRE: Fiction, adventure, mystery.
SUMMARY: Calder Pillay (a pentomino fan) and Petra Andalee (a gal who loves to learn) are lucky enough to have Mrs. Hussey for their sixth grade teacher, a woman who believes in letting the needs of the class dictate the course of their studies. Through the assignments of studying the lost art of the letter, and then finding objects of art, Calder and Petra find themselves forming a friendship. When a famous painting by Vermeer is stolen, and a controversy by the thief is begun, Calder and Petra bond together in an effort to recover the painting using any clue they can find, even ones that seem like mere coincidence.
EVALUATION: I am not a fan of mystery novels, though I felt that was all the more reason to familiarize myself with a few of these types of titles for my database. A standard indicator for me on how much I like a book is how long it takes me to read it, and I was stuck on this one for longer than any other book I've read for this assignment yet. Still, it is a well-done novel for readers who enjoy trying to solve puzzles along with the characters. The characters are very well described, and have distinct personalities--the reader will just need to suspend their disbelief as they experience Calder and Petra unraveling the clues they find or create for themselves.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: I would like to have some titles to recommend to tweens that are looking for a mystery, particularly one where they may actually learn something. This title has a fair amount of information on the artist Vermeer, and, assuming the facts are correct, I learned some things as well. In addition, the illustrations in the title play an extra role, as they provide a hidden message all on their own.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Petra and Calder take on much more than the average sixth-grader when they decide to find a famous Vermeer painting that was stolen.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
• The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle.
• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall.
GENRE: Fiction, adventure, mystery.
SUMMARY: Calder Pillay (a pentomino fan) and Petra Andalee (a gal who loves to learn) are lucky enough to have Mrs. Hussey for their sixth grade teacher, a woman who believes in letting the needs of the class dictate the course of their studies. Through the assignments of studying the lost art of the letter, and then finding objects of art, Calder and Petra find themselves forming a friendship. When a famous painting by Vermeer is stolen, and a controversy by the thief is begun, Calder and Petra bond together in an effort to recover the painting using any clue they can find, even ones that seem like mere coincidence.
EVALUATION: I am not a fan of mystery novels, though I felt that was all the more reason to familiarize myself with a few of these types of titles for my database. A standard indicator for me on how much I like a book is how long it takes me to read it, and I was stuck on this one for longer than any other book I've read for this assignment yet. Still, it is a well-done novel for readers who enjoy trying to solve puzzles along with the characters. The characters are very well described, and have distinct personalities--the reader will just need to suspend their disbelief as they experience Calder and Petra unraveling the clues they find or create for themselves.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: I would like to have some titles to recommend to tweens that are looking for a mystery, particularly one where they may actually learn something. This title has a fair amount of information on the artist Vermeer, and, assuming the facts are correct, I learned some things as well. In addition, the illustrations in the title play an extra role, as they provide a hidden message all on their own.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Petra and Calder take on much more than the average sixth-grader when they decide to find a famous Vermeer painting that was stolen.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
• The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle.
• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Read this book with my 11 year old daughter who recently became interested in art history and art theft. I was so excited to find a book for her demo that combined these two interests and thought we’d have a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery together. Unfortunately, that’s not this book. The “clues” were coincidental at best. A random set of words someone once said. Letters from pentominoes. Visions that came to someone in a dream. Not only was it totally impossible for us to solve the mystery from the “clues” but it’s wholly ludicrous to think that the main characters could have either.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes