Chasing Vermeer
By Blue Balliett, 2004
Illustrated by Brett Helquist
254 p.
Reading Level: 5+
Interest Level: 10-13 years old
Reviews: Booklist Starrred, Publisher's Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Starred, Kirkus Review Starred, Wilson’s
Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay are sixth graders attending U. School on the campus of The University of Chicago. Although they both have Ms. Hussey as a teacher and they only live 3 doors from each others they were not friends- each thinking the other odd- until a series of coincidences brought them together. They find that they have much more in common than they thought, with a strong love of books, art, making sense of seemingly unrelated things, and blue M&Ms.
When a Vermeer painting that was en route to Chicago from Washington is stolen, Petra and Calder realize that a strange phenomena is at hand and that they are somehow privy to clues which could help them recover the missing painting before it’s destroyed by the art thief as has been threatened.
This is a book of puzzles. Petra uses pentominoes not only to create designs, but as letters which provide clues to the things happening around him. Dreams, reproductions of paintings, an old book of curious events, and more are all interconnected like puzzle pieces which all lead Petra and Calder to the conclusion that they know where the painting is hidden But will they get to it in time?
Illustrations by Brett Helquist are found throughout the book and are a nice visual addition.
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The Westing Game
By Ellen Raskin, 1978
182 p.
RL: 5+
IL: 10-13 years old
Awards: Newbery Award, ALA Notable Children’s Book, Banta Literary Award, Horn Book Award, Library of Congress Children’s Book.
Reviews: Booklist Starred, School Library Journal, Wilson’s. On California’s Recommended Reading List grades 6-8
The Westing Game begins with 16 people from different walks of life who move into the new Sunset Towers high rise apartments. They don’t realize it, but they have all been hand selected to move in. Sunset Towers is next door to the Westing Mansion which is owned by Sam Westing, a rich industrialist. He is also the owner of the Sunset Towers.
On Halloween one tenant, Turtle, is dared to go into the Westing Mansion, where she sees a dead body. The next day she reads an obituary for Sam Westing and she- along with 15 other people, many who are residents of Sunset Towers- find out that they are heirs to the Westing Estate. At the reading of the Will they find out that Sam Westing believed he was murdered and that one of the heirs is the murderer. At the instructions of the will, the heirs are paired up, given $10,000 and 4 clues and asked to play a game to solve they mystery of Sam’s murder. Whichever figures out who the murderer is will inherit Sam’s estate of 200 million dollars.
From here the reader is taken on adventure where things are not always what they seem. Each team speeds along, interpreting their clues while trying to find out what clues the others have received. This is a great book for readers who like puzzles and well developed characters. It works particularly well in literature circles or as a classroom novel.
Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.
Genres: Space and Time, Science-Fiction, Puzzle , Mystery
Summary: The year is 1978. Miranda is an average twelve-year-old growing up in New York City. Strange things begin to happen after she finds a note tucked into her library book from an anonymous sender. “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.”
Who is this stranger that continues to send Miranda notes and predict events in her life that only she would know? Meanwhile, Miranda has to deal with a lot of personal problems: her best friend won’t speak to her, her mother is preoccupied by practicing to be a game-show contestant, and, for the first time, Miranda has a crush, but he might prefer someone else.
Throughout the story, Miranda encounters people, objects, events and information that appear random and unimportant. Suddenly, in a tragic turn of events, all of the pieces come together, and she knows what she has to do. When You Reach Me is an engaging, thought-provoking novel, and fully deserving of the 2010 Newberry Medal.
Notes:
Winner of the Newberry Medal 2010