Blue Balliett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blue Balliett
|
|
|---|---|
Balliett in 2015
|
|
| Born | Elizabeth Balliett |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | Chasing Vermeer (2004) The Wright 3 (2006) The Calder Game (2008) |
| Notable awards | Agatha Award (2004) Edgar Award (2005) |
| Children | 3 |
Blue Balliett (born in 1955) is an American author. She is best known for writing exciting mystery books for young readers. Her most famous book is Chasing Vermeer, which has won many awards.
Contents
Blue Balliett's Books
Chasing Vermeer and Its Success
Chasing Vermeer was released in 2004 by Scholastic Press. This book is her most famous and highly praised work. It features illustrations by Brett Helquist.
The story is about the made-up theft of a painting. This painting was created by a 17th-century Dutch artist named Jan Vermeer. The book became a bestseller. It also won several honors and awards. These include the 2005 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile book. Blue Balliett also received the Agatha Award in 2004. This was for the Best Children's or Young Adult category.
Other Exciting Novels
After Chasing Vermeer, Blue Balliett wrote more books. A sequel, The Wright 3, came out in April 2006. A third book, The Calder Game, was published two years later in April 2008.
The Danger Box was published in August 2010. Her next book, Hold Fast, was released in 2013. In 2015, Balliett published Pieces and Players. Her book Out of the Wild Night came out in 2018. She also wrote two books about Nantucket ghost stories in the 1980s. These were later combined into one book, "Nantucket Ghosts," in 2006.
About Blue Balliett's Life
Early Life and Name
Blue Balliett was born Elizabeth Balliett. Her parents are Elizabeth Platt and Whitney Balliett. Her mother started calling her "Blue" soon after she was born.
Before Becoming a Full-Time Author
Before she became a famous author, Blue Balliett was a third-grade teacher. She taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. While teaching there, she worked on a special project. She teamed up with NASA astronaut John M. Grunsfeld. He was an alumnus of the University of Chicago.
Together, they arranged to send her students' creative writing and artwork into space. This happened during a routine mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. The artwork traveled on the Columbia space shuttle.
Family Life
Today, Blue Balliett lives with her husband. She also lives with her three children, a grandson, and a cat.
