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Chasing Vermeer
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
29 posts | 60 read | 21 to read
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?
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Blueberry
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Eggs Loved this book 💗💗 6mo
46 likes1 comment
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megnews
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

This was an interesting middle grade mystery that also introduces the art world.

CollapsingLibrary This just unlocked a deep childhood memory! I remember struggling through this book for our elementary schools book club so the organizer had me go to her house to help me through it. I‘ve been wanting to find it and reread it for ages but couldn‘t have said anything about the book to even find it. So thank you!! Haha 1y
megnews @CollapsingLibrary so glad you found the book! 1y
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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emtobiasz
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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I‘m definitely not the target audience for this #middlegrade mystery anymore, but it‘s reminding me of what I expected (but didn‘t get) from The Mysterious Benedict Society. Awkwardly brilliant kids, adults behaving suspiciously, a saintly teacher figure, puzzles to solve, lots of library research, and featured art facts. Plus it‘s about 200 pages shorter than TMBS, which is a major selling point for me.

Eggs Oh I like BB!! 3y
bookishdawg It was really great on audio too 👍🏻 3y
47 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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IamIamIam
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

A fun Da Vinci Code type mystery for middle grade. A Vermeer goes missing in order to bring attention to the true artist. A series of coincidences bring two 6th graders together to interpret codes, patterns and a persistent gut feeling. #middlegrade #bookspin for February done! @TheAromaofBooks

Skeeterisme @IamIamIam ♥️ this series. So fun! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
30 likes2 comments
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IamIamIam
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Since Vermeer is one of my favorite artists, I thought this was appropriate to start my #middlegrade #bookspin with! If you liked The Westing Game as a kid, don't miss this one! A fun mystery so far! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 4y
IamIamIam @TheAromaofBooks Lol, sneaking in under the wire for February!!! 4y
LibrarianRyan I love this entire series. 4y
See All 9 Comments
IamIamIam @LibrarianRyan I just realized it was a series! I'm excited!! I may try to convince my son to try it out! 4y
Eggs Love this author❣️ 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick You just reminded me I have a copy of The Westing Game around here. I've never read it. 4y
IamIamIam @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Omigosh, do it!!!! I read it in one day when I had oral surgery. It's fantastic!!!! 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Ok! I've added it to my bookspin list for March. I have so many I want to read, but I'll try to get to it sooner than later. 4y
IamIamIam @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick 👏👏👏 Yay!!! I can't wait to see what you think! 4y
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Sace
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Mehso-so

2½ ⭐

It was OK. I think I didn't give it the attention it deserved so I got easily bored. I loved the "no such thing as coincidence" aspect of the story.

July #bookspin is officially done. ?

LeahBergen Pretty shelves! 😍 4y
Sace @LeahBergen thanks! 4y
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Sace
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Back at the vet with C3PO (nee Peg). Trying not to worry and just read.

Lindy best wishes to you and C3PO 🌻 4y
Bookwormjillk Good luck 🍀 4y
squirrelbrain Good luck 🤞 4y
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Ruthiella Poor little kitten! I wish her (and you) a speedy convalescence. ❤️ 4y
Sace @Lindy @squirrelbrain @Ruthiella Thank you. Sadly she did not make it. But at least I got to stay with her to the end and she knew she was loved and wanted. I am devastated. 4y
Lindy @Sace I‘m so sorry for your loss. 4y
Ruthiella Oh, I am so sorry. Yes to her knowing she had a loving human at her side to the end. My heart goes out to you. 💔 4y
squirrelbrain Oh no, I‘m so sorry. It was so wonderful of you to try so hard with her and she will have definitely felt all of the love. Sending hugs 💔 4y
VeganCleopatra I'm so sorry. May I ask what happened? I thought she was getting better? 4y
Hestapleton Oh I‘m so so sorry. It‘s so painful to root for little ones and lose them. You gave her her very best shot at a better life. She knew she was loved. Praying for healing and comfort for you. 💔 4y
Sace @Lindy thank you. 4y
Sace @Ruthiella thank you 4y
Sace @squirrelbrain thank you. 4y
Sace @VeganCleopatra We all did. There was fluid in her abdominal cavity which the vet thought was either Feline Infectious Peritonitis (no cure or treatment) or perhaps a rupture somewhere and she was nowhere near strong enough for a surgery. 4y
Sace @Hestapleton thank you. 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick 💔 I'm so sorry. 4y
55 likes1 stack add16 comments
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Sace
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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I did manage one #bookspin book in July. This was the other one. I have faith I can finish it by the end of the month.

CaramelLunacy That looks fun 4y
Sace @CaramelLunacy I perused the first few pages yesterday and it had a real vibe of The Westing Game (which I loved). 4y
Sace #bookspin question for you @TheAromaofBooks ... It's still a list of 20 right? The folks with 25 item listes are doing bingo? 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yes, still a list of 20. I'm thinking that even for the bingo months, I'll always draw the “official“ numbers from 1-20. That allows non-bingo people to stick with their regular lists of 20, and bingo participants to choose whether they want to have 5 free squares or choose to have all 25 slots assigned. I'm all about flexibility! ...annnnd am also making this up as I go along! 😂 4y
Sace @TheAromaofBooks that's awesome! Making it up as you go is a great philosophy 😁 4y
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Sace
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Here's how #bookspin spun out for me. I might not get to them until next week (*mumble* because I'm still reading one of last month's spins *mumble*) but I'm excited!

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks I just finished my #BookSpin this morning & I don't think my #DoubleSpin is going to happen soooo no judgment! 😂 4y
Sace @TheAromaofBooks double spin is my cursed book it seems. It's the one I DNFed last month and the one I'm struggling with this month 😂 4y
57 likes2 comments
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Sace
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive collection. No description. No explanation. Some will be old. Some will be new. Don't judge me. I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.

This is day 2

#tbrpile @StaceyKondla (do you mind being tagged?)

StaceyKondla Please tag me so I don‘t miss your posts! 😊 And this is a very fun book! 4y
Eggs Oh I loved this book!! 4y
LibrarianRyan I really liked this book. I never read the rest of the series but I always intended to. 4y
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batsy I liked this one! 4y
Sace @StaceyKondla @Eggs @LibrarianRyan @batsy I'm not sure when this came into my collection, but I can almost guarantee it was a #blameitonlitsy 4y
Bookishlie It looks amazing and the blurb! Must read, I feel this may be a #blameitonlitsy for me as well. Lol 4y
Sace @Bookishlie im pretty sure that at least 85% of the books I'll post under this will be blame it on Litsy! 4y
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Just_reading
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
Panpan

Ugh. Rarely do I dislike a book so much. We're all the "clues" just the characters random guesses. What a disappoint.

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Charityann
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

Forgot to add this one yesterday - team theme 11 points #teamslaughter #scarathlon @Clwojick 🎃📚👻

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Bibliogeekery
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

I read this book with my nieces and we LOVED it! It was very suspenseful and a great mystery. Can't wait to read the next one! 😍📚

saresmoore Ooh, this looks like a fun one to read with my kiddos! 6y
Tamra Perfect! I‘ll stack for my kids. 6y
Peddler410 Her book The Danger Box is set in Three Oaks, Michigan. What I loved most about that book is my connection to the location. As a kid, we did the Apple Cider Century bike ride every year in this town. The author has the characters visit places I‘ve visited. 6y
Bibliogeekery @Peddler410 That sounds so great. I love books where I have a connection with a location 6y
63 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Bibliogeekery
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Reading this fun book on my road trip with my nieces. We're enjoying it!

WhatDeeReads Cute little south side Chicago story to keep the smols entertained. Love it! 6y
WhatDeeReads The, I think, third book in this series came out earlier in the year. My brother played with pentominoes for years after we read this book. It was passed around the whole family. That NEVER happens. 6y
batsy I liked this one! 6y
Bibliogeekery @WhatDeeReads what a sweet thing! Your brother with the pentominoes and your whole family loving the book! It was SO great! I didn't know alot the third one! 6y
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JoyBlue
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Mehso-so

I think I enjoyed this more the first time I read it (October 2004). Still my favorite aspect is the University of Chicago/Hyde Park setting, where I grew up. I reread this with the aim of refreshing before reading the third book in the series, maybe later this year. [I don‘t remember liking the second as much—I‘ll skip it.]

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JoyBlue
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Day 6: Duologies, Trilogies, & More—I couldn't capture all of my series; so, we'll have to settle for a fair representation.

See comment for description.

#RiotGrams #bookdragon #IknowwhatIlike #mysteryfan #SFF #nastywomen #UniversityofChicago

JoyBlue Duologies: Bad Girls/Legendary Ladies; Rosie Project/Effect

Trilogies: Hitchhiker's Guide (in-spirit); Lord of the Rings; Balliett

& More: Jack Reacher (Child); Leaphorn & Chee (Hillerman); Stephanie Plum (Evanovich); Harry Potter (Rowling); Bones (Reichs); Flavia de Luce (Bradley)
6y
75 likes1 comment
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BookaholicNatty
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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@JoScho it came it came!!!! Thank you so much again!!!! I can‘t tell you enough how wonderful you are! This looks like a good book by the way. I have never heard of it!

CSeydel It is good 🤗 6y
JoScho Yay!! The art teacher in me thought this would be a fun one. 6y
72 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Bibliogeekery
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Last night my nieces and I started this book for our book club. They took turns reading it to me. I love that they are both old enough (7 and 10) to read aloud now! This book and fun so far!

pilardib I read this book when I was a kid and loved it!! 7y
WhatDeeReads That series is so adorable. That author has a new novel coming in March. 7y
Bibliogeekery @WhatDeeReads Oo, thanks for the tip. I will check it out! 7y
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Johanna414 You do a book club with your nieces?! That‘s seriously the cutest thing ever! 7y
Bibliogeekery @Johanna414 I've been doing it for three years. It's so sweet and fun! 7y
batsy I enjoyed this book a lot! If it's a series I should look up the others 😊 7y
49 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Ash.on.the.line
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

Finished this middle grade read and I must say I think it‘s great to encourage kids in thinking and mysteries. I saw some reviews from adults about hating this which I think is a little unfair. I would have loved a mystery book like this when I was younger. The ending is slightly underwhelming but I still enjoyed it overall as an adult.
It also makes me consider artwork more. Hopefully that goes for kids too!

CarolynM Is it about the painter? I love fiction that introduces me to real world things or teaches me things I didn't know and I think it's great for kids to read that sort of fiction too. 7y
Ash.on.the.line @CarolynM yes it is. Mostly focused on one painting, but it does mention his others. I like that kind of fiction too and actually had me looking up his artwork. 7y
batsy I really enjoyed it! I would have appreciated it when I was younger, for sure. 7y
LibrarianRyan I too loved this book. I read it when it originally came out. I just need to read the rest of them. This is one of my fav middle grade authors. 7y
Ash.on.the.line @batsy @LibrarianRyan glad I‘m not the only one! I thought it was a great middle grade book! 7y
50 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Christinak
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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#emojinov
#nov📚📷
🎨
In the book, the #painting “A Lady Writing” is stolen on its way from the National Gallery of #Art in DC to Chicago.
My daughter and I spent a lot of time at the National Gallery when she was little. This #portrait was like a celebrity among the kids when the book came out.

mrp27 I absolutely loved this book and the others in the series too. 7y
45 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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laurenanalepa
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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#riotgrams #childhoodreads
I read this book to death. A middle grade art theft mystery with clue-filled illustrations by Brett Helquist was basically the 9-year-old Lauren's heaven.

mrp27 I love this series. 7y
38 likes1 comment
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Eggs
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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"What was art anyway? The more she thought about it the stranger it seemed. What made an invented object special? Why were some man made things pleasing and others not? What made certain objects land in museums and others in the trash?" -Petra.
Art, patterns, codes, mysteries, looking but not seeing-intriguing!

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Eggs
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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I just read 8 books in 4 days! Spring break for the Reading Addict. Vermeer is up next by same author of Hold Fast.

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mrp27
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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#readjanuary

I've posted my love of this book before and I'm going to do it again because I especially love my #signed copy by both author and illustrator.

18 likes1 stack add
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SheReads3
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

This was a cute middle grade mystery book that vaguely reminded me of Dirk Gently. Everything's connected!
I read it in one day.

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rockpools
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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I needed something lively on audio to get me round the shops without hitting total despair. This seemed like the thing.

So far we have a couple of clever, awkward pre-teens, an awesome teacher and some mysterious letters. And a bookshop.

missevievelyn Ooooh that book has really neat illustrations! I would recommend looking at a physical copy some time too so that you don't miss them! 😊 8y
rockpools @missevievelyn Thanks for the heads-up! I hadn't even thought of that - will find a print copy too 👍🏼📖 8y
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mrp27
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Pickpick

Art related books. A fantastic, smart middle grade read about a mystery involving a Vermeer painting. I loved everything about it. Of course after reading this I had to read about Vermeer himself. When I was living in NYC I had the opportunity to see Vermeer's entire collection at the Met.
#seasonsreadings2016

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MSzyd
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
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Day 46: "Do not be afraid to go against what you were taught, or what you were told to see or believe." #180lookswithbooks shoes by #tahari tights from #modcloth

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Juli
Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliett
Pickpick

This is such a fun and interesting book filled with puzzles and decoding messages.

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