Chasing Vermeer (Edgar Allen Poe Award. Best Juvenile (Awards)) by Blue Balliett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Chasing Vermeer (Edgar Allen Poe Award. Best Juvenile (Awards))
Book Review: THIS BOOK IS THE WORST!
Summary: 2 Stars
I am a mother of a 10 year old girl. She was assigned this book for school. I was curious, because I love these kinds of mysteries, puzzles to be solved, I loved The DaVinci code, so I decided to read Chasing Vermeer too. What a mess. First of all, I think the writing is terrible. Some of her descriptions and narrative are so contrived. She clearly set out to write a "kids' DaVinci code" and it is so obvious and unoriginal. Second, not only is the plot complicated, it is BORING as all get out. I haven't even finished the book yet (I am about 2/3 through) and all I can say is "WHO CARES"? I couldn't put the DaVinci code down, even with its complicated plot. I was so desperate to find out what happened next. But if I never found out who stole the painting in Chasing Vermeer, I could care less. Characters so uninteresting, nothing compelling about the main characters to make you even care what happens to them. Plot so random and all over the place. I suppose it all will come together, but after each chapter, I find myself saying "ENOUGH ALREADY! MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN HERE! LET'S GO! The book doesn't listen to me, it just keeps droning on and on and on and on. Can't IMAGINE how it won any awards. STAY AWAY!!!!! CONTRIVED AND BORING!Book Review: 5th Grade Class Review
Summary: 4 Stars
We read Chasing Vermeer over the summer and here are some of our thoughts. We liked the book because it is a mystery with a good plot. Our eyes flew across the page like scurrying squirrels. The story has two kids who worked on solving the problem. The mystery really made you think, we even had to use math skills. Plus, the novel had really good art work.
However, the beginning of Chasing Vermeer is a little tough to follow and also very confusing. Another thing that we did not like was you had to figure out the codes. A silly complaint from of the class is that blue M&Ms are used instead of yellow because yellow M&Ms taste better!
In conclusion, the majority of the class would recommend this book to a friend. We enjoyed this book because we solved the mystery. We hope you read this book!!
Book Review: Slow and Convoluted
Summary: 3 Stars
The idea of the book was interesting, however the story progressed slowly-often repeating the same ideas. It was predictable all the way through. My sons ages 8 and 10 were bored by this story and wanted to stop reading it. I encouraged them to finish it because of the great reviews-I kept thinking it would get better but the story never did. There are more interesting mysteries out there. Not sure why this one received such high credits. Book Review: Excellent mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
This novel is an engaging mystery that will hold students' interest from beginning to end. The story's main characters are two sixth grade students who don't quite fit in with their classmates. They become the best of friends through a series of coincidences and a common love of the unknown. They will easily connect students to the story, because they have common sixth grade problems. Their involvement with solving a mystery also will intrigue students. The story presents some information on Vermeer, and may inspire further research on this and other artists. It also presents a new way of thinking to students. Instead of always accepting what is obvious, the characters in the novel question and think on their own. Book Review: Mysteries, Friendship, and Art
Summary: 4 Stars
This realistic contemporary fiction mystery book, written on a 5.4 reading level, is an engaging novel for middle school students to read and enjoy, and to use to develop deductive thinking skills. The continued emphasis on looking at familiar things differently, at the nature of coincidences, and piecing together details to make a whole, and then repositioning them to make new wholes, is thought-provoking and extremely well written. The author chose to write this novel using the third person point of view, which helps the reader attempt to solve the mystery by providing clues not known to the two protagonists, Petra and Calder. The illustrations are both an integral part of the mystery and a mystery on their own. The illustrator, Brett Helquist, who is also the illustrator for the Lemony Snicket books, has hidden a secret message in his drawings related to the pentominoes' code in the book. In addition, Helquist has sketched several of the Vermeer paintings so that readers can visualize them as they are mentioned, and done important, clue providing, drawings of the settings and the characters. The book ends with bibliographic information and interviews about both Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist for readers who are not willing to give this book up, and an excerpt from the sequel, The Wright 3. Young adults, and older adults, will enjoy this book.