Chasing Vermeer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chasing Vermeer

First US edition cover
Author	Blue Balliett
Translator	John Adams
Cover artist	Brett Helquist
Country	US
Language	English
Genre	Young adult fiction, mystery
Publisher	Scholastic Press
Publication date	June 1, 2004
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	272
ISBN	0-439-37294-1
OCLC	51172514
Dewey Decimal	[Fic] 21
LC Class	PZ7.B2128 Ch 2004
Followed by	The Wright 3

Chasing Vermeer is an exciting art mystery book for young readers, written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist. It was first published in 2004. The story takes place in Hyde Park, Chicago, near the University of Chicago. It follows two clever children, Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee.

Their adventure begins when a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer, called A Lady Writing, is stolen. The painting was on its way to the Art Institute of Chicago. Calder and Petra team up to try and find it. The thief starts publishing messages in the newspaper. They say the painting will be returned if people can figure out which paintings, thought to be by Vermeer, were actually painted by someone else. This challenge makes Petra, Calder, and everyone in Hyde Park look at art in a whole new way. The book explores ideas about art, luck, strange connections, secrets, and solving problems.

Blue Balliett wrote Chasing Vermeer to be read in her classroom. She wanted to explore real-world questions and show that kids' ideas are very important. The book has won several awards, including the Edgar Award and the Agatha Award. Two sequels followed: The Wright 3 in 2006 and The Calder Game in 2008.

Discovering "Chasing Vermeer"

How the Story Began: Inspiration and Creation

Chasing Vermeer was Blue Balliett's first published book. She originally thought of it as a fun story to read to her students. Balliett noticed there hadn't been a mystery about "real" art issues since E.L. Konigsburg's 1967 book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. She wanted to write the kind of book she wished to read.

It took about five years to write Chasing Vermeer. Balliett was also a teacher and a parent during this time. She explained that writing the book was like weaving. She started with art, then added pentominoes and classroom scenes. This created many different layers for readers to enjoy. She admitted the story became more complex than she first imagined.

Balliett found inspiration for her characters' names in art and other interesting places. Calder Pillay's name comes from the artist Alexander Calder. Petra Andalee was inspired by the amazing architecture in Petra, Jordan. Balliett wanted the names to be unique and "fun for a child." She believed that if readers connected with characters who loved writing and math, it would capture their attention. The teacher, Ms. Hussey, was inspired by an old name from Nantucket Island. Balliett felt she was similar to Ms. Hussey, saying they "think a lot alike." Some of Ms. Hussey's school assignments and conversations even came from Balliett's own classroom. She chose Hyde Park, Chicago, where she lives, as the setting. She thought it was full of secrets that children could discover.

Unraveling the Mystery: The Story's Plot

The story starts when three people in Hyde Park receive mysterious, unsigned letters. These letters ask for their help to solve an old art mystery. Soon after, Petra and Calder's teacher, Ms. Isabel Hussey, gives her class assignments about unusual letters and letters hidden in artworks.

One day, Calder follows Petra to Powell's Bookstore. They bump into each other, and this is how their unique friendship begins. Calder loves pentominoes, which are special puzzle pieces he carries in his pocket. He uses them to send and receive secret messages. Petra, on the other hand, is always looking for adventure.

Ms. Hussey's next assignment asks the children to share their own ideas about art. Calder chooses a geographer's box with a painting on it. Petra picks Lo! by Charles Fort. This is a strange book that suggests life isn't just a series of random events, but a connected web of patterns.

Calder and Petra soon learn that Lo! once belonged to Mrs. Louise Coffin Sharpe. Calder visits Mrs. Sharpe and notices she has a copy of the painting from his geography box. It's The Geographer by Johannes Vermeer. Meanwhile, Petra has a vivid dream of a lady in an old-fashioned dress with pearl earrings. For Halloween, she dresses up as this lady. Calder immediately recognizes her as the woman in Vermeer's painting, A Lady Writing.

The painting A Lady Writing is being moved from the National Gallery to an art show in Chicago. Before it arrives, it is stolen! The thief sends a letter to the Chicago Tribune newspaper. They claim to have stolen the painting to make people realize that some artworks believed to be by Vermeer were actually painted by others. The thief promises to return A Lady Writing once the art world agrees about the true artists of these paintings.

The children discover that Ms. Hussey received one of the mysterious letters. They start to think the stolen painting might be hidden somewhere at their school. Calder has a sudden realization, connecting himself and Petra with the number 12. This clue leads them to the painting. As they leave the school, the thief starts chasing them. Calder tells Petra to run ahead with the painting while he stays behind. Petra and a police officer return to the playground where she last saw Calder. While they are searching, the thief manages to take the painting from the police car.

Back at home, Petra finds Calder unconscious in her neighbor's treehouse. The painting is tucked under his arm. Calder had hit his head during the chase. He pretended to be unconscious, then followed the thief to the treehouse. There, he found the painting but then truly passed out from his head injury.

During these events, Calder's friend, Tommy Segovia, writes that his stepfather left his family in New York. The thief was later identified as Xavier Glitts. Glitts had married Tommy's mother using a fake name, Old Fred. This allowed him to secretly join the community. He used this cover to study the university and find local Vermeer art lovers, whom he could later try to blame for the theft.

What Kind of Book Is It? Genre

Chasing Vermeer is known as a mystery book. However, Liz Szabla from Scholastic described it in a fun way: "a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art." Scholastic's teaching website also mentioned the book's suspense, especially because of its surprising ending.

Deep Ideas: Themes in the Book

Some of Blue Balliett's "real-world ideas" in Chasing Vermeer include questions like, "Do coincidences mean anything?" and "What is art and what makes it valuable?" Balliett says her main message is that "kids are powerful thinkers, and their ideas are valuable, and that adults don't have all the answers."

A book by Rita Soltan, called Reading Raps: A Book Club Guide for Librarians, Kids, and Families, looked at the themes in Chasing Vermeer. She noted that "Deception and problem-solving are central themes in this novel. Both the thief and the main adults try to hide the truth. Meanwhile, the children use math and problem-solving to put together clues. Also, Calder and Petra build a special friendship and learn to respect the value of art."

As the thief challenges everyone to figure out which paintings are truly Vermeer's, people start to look at art more closely. Many readers feel inspired to study Vermeer's paintings and art in general with more attention. In the story, Ms. Hussey asks her class the big question, "What is art?"

Other important themes are chance and coincidence. Charles Fort's book, Lo!, inspires the children to notice and list strange coincidences. They realize these events might be more than they seem. They explore the idea that coincidences form an unexplained pattern. Balliett wanted to show how coincidences can be noticed and feel meaningful, even if they can't be fully explained.

From Book to Screen: The Film Project

Warner Brothers bought the rights to make a film of Chasing Vermeer in June 2004. Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment, planned to produce it. P.J. Hogan was set to direct, and Matt Nix adapted the novel into a screenplay. However, the film project did not move forward. When asked about the film in August 2010, Balliett explained that while Plan B did a wonderful job with screenwriters and directors, the project eventually stalled. She mentioned that she had regained the rights to the story.