Blue Balliett's Award Wiinning Novel Children's Novel Chasing Vermeer

Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee don't seem to have much in common at first, aside from the fact that they're both sixth-graders in Ms. Hussey's class at the University of Chicago's University School. When the run into each other - literally - on a class trip to an art museum, however, they discover a shared love for blue M&Ms and that they've both experienced a series of bizarre coincidences that appear to be related to the works of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.

It's not until a valuable painting by Vermeer is stolen on its way to Chicago, though, that their friendship is secured. Since the coincidences they've shared seem connected to the theft, the two decide that they're meant to find the stolen painting. With the help of their own intuition, a series of letters written by the art thief to various newspapers, an elderly neighbor, their teacher, Calder's pentominoes (a puzzle game) and the bizarre book Lo! by Charles Fort, Petra and Calder work to track down the painting and the thief before both are lost forever.

With Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic Press, ages 9-12), debut author Blue Balliett has crafted an engaging and suspenseful novel that children will love. Calder and Petra are realistic and sympathetic protagonists. Unlike so many child detectives, they're not geniuses, nor do they have expensive equipment or expert assistance to solve the crime. Instead, they are equipped with what every child has - their own wits and powers of observation. The supporting cast, from the optimistic and energetic Ms. Hussey and the sarcastic and brilliant Mrs. Sharpe, to Calder's friend Tommy, who has moved to New York, are three-dimensional and have their own quirks and their own roles to play in solving the crime.

Balliett's whodunit, too, is believable: an art thief steals a famous painting both for his own gain, and to right what he perceives as a wrong in the art world. The mystery is neither too easy nor impossible, and fun puzzles are scattered throughout the book, from Calder's pentomino code in the story itself to the hidden clues in artist Brett Helquist's (of A Series of Unfortunate Events fame) wonderful illustrations.

Most importantly, especially in a children's novel, Blue Balliett has the rare and wonderful ability to teach without lecturing. With her subtle hand, readers learn about art history, logic, letter writing, mathematics (via Calder's pentominoes), Charles Fort's peculiar history of odd occurrences and much more, without being obvious about her work. The factual information presented as part of the story has been extensively and intelligently researched, and Balliett uses the details to add more layers to the story, with much success.

Chasing Vermeer might be called The Da Vinci Code for kids, except that the story is more engaging, the characters better developed, the puzzles more challenging and the mystery more suspenseful than Dan Brown's opus. Blue Balliett has created a masterpiece which should, like E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy, become a classic in its own right. Balliett's novel is a fresh and necessary addition to any children's library.