I have just discovered Blue Balliett. Blue Balliett is the
name of an author writing fascinating mystery books. They aren’t magic or
fantasy and the kids involved don’t develop superpowers, belong to spy agencies
or wrestle grizzlies with their bare hands. But, they do include the kind of
kid who might live round the corner from you (or maybe even is you) solving
complex mysteries about coincidence and looking for the extraordinary in everyday
life.
Chasing Vermeer is a mystery story involving two quirky kids
and a number of very strange occurrences. Petra and Calder are in the same
class at school when their teacher, Miss Hussey sets them an art assignment:
What makes a piece of art?
Petra and Calder’s quest leads them to a mysterious book
about coincidences, and before long the two are finding connections in all
sorts of seemingly unrelated events. When a famous Vermeer painting goes
missing, Petra and Calder find themselves knowing a little too much about an international art scandal.
I enjoyed this story and it reminded me of an old favourite-
The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler, which is set in a museum – you may come across this book in your modern
classic unit – both books are well worth reading.
The Danger Box is on my list of Blue Balliett books to read
next.
