Chasing Vermeer Read Free Books and Download eBooks
This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art.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?
Lexile Measure: 770 (What's this?)
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition edition (May 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439372976
ISBN-13: 978-0439372978
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.2 x 7.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (253 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #7,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #39 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Music & Photography > Art #88 in Books > Children's Books > Mysteries & Detectives #315 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Friendship
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Announcements of Blue Balliet¡Ãs adolescent mystery ¡ÈChasing Vermeer¡É recently appeared in our Chicago papers. The articles that I read boasted the use of pentominoes to solve a mystery that takes place in Chicago. As a middle school science teacher, I was immediately intrigued. I am always looking for books that foster good problem solving techniques through creative and engaging methods. I dove into the book enthusiastically and was very impressed with the craft with which Ms. Balliett developed her characters; clearly she is a person who enjoys adolescents. I was also captivated by the setting, I spend a lot of time at the University of Chicago campus and Ms. Balliett envelopes the reader in the aura created by the breath-taking architecture and intellectual energy unique to the Hyde Park area. The illustrations by Brett Helquist are wonderful, they add warmth and a sense of mystery as the reader looks for clues within the artwork (even though the clues are disappointing in their simplicity). And so, as I went along on the journey with Petra and Calder, I was drawn into their dilemma and was decoding messages and looking for clues, thinking that this was a very interactive puzzle.However, as the solution of the problem began coming together, I was horrified at the methods taken to form the conclusion. I will not give away the ending, but there are two main clues which resolve the issue. The first one is obtained through a dreamlike transmission of information from the dead woman in the painting, a form of ¡Èchanneling¡É. While paintings can convey emotions and cultural atmosphere, they cannot convey specific information about their location within a building!
Chasing Vermeer Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World Johannes Vermeer (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) Twenty-Four Johannes Vermeer's Paintings (Collection) for Kids Vermeer: The Complete Works Delphi Complete Works of Johannes Vermeer (Illustrated) (Masters of Art Book 2) The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century (P.S.) Chasing Sunsets: A Novel Chasing Lincoln's Killer Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cat (Scientists in the Field Series) Chasing Rainbows (Dr. Seuss/Cat in the Hat) (3-D Pictureback) Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale Fatal Defect: Chasing Killer Computer Bugs The Up South Cookbook: Chasing Dixie in a Brooklyn Kitchen The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet Chasing the North Star: A Novel Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs
