Author: Blue Balliett
Illustrator: Brett Helquist
Copyright: 2004
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., NY
Age Level: 9-12 and up
Reading Levels:
o Fountas & Pinnell – T Fiction
o Lexile – 770
o Accelerated Reader – 5.4
Pages: 254 plus After Words
Genre: Fiction/Realistic Fiction/Mystery
“This book begins like a set of pentominoes, with separate pieces. Eventually they will all come together. Don’t be fooled by ideas that seem, at first, to fit easily. Don’t be fooled by ideas that don’t seem to fit at all. Pentominoes, like people, can surprise you.” – Blue Balliett
“This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art.” - Unknown
About the Book:
Do you love solving mysteries? Have you ever seen patterns, clues, and/or coincidences while reading a great book? This book keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. Petra and Calder are neighbors and classmates who meet up during the school year by chance and become “secret detectives” trying to solve all of the strange happenings in their neighborhood and with people in their lives. Look for what the blue m & m’s mean in the book. There are clues that are found in the illustrations as well, so keep a sharp eye out!
Suggested delivery: Readers Workshop in small groups, independently read
Links:
· Scholastic web page about the author and her books (Pre Reading – building interest) http://www.scholastic.com/blueballiett/chasingvermeer.htm
- Scholastic video – Book talk about Chasing Vermeer http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=881
- Teachers - Vocabulary Boosters (Pre/During Reading) http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7798
- Scholastic page showing Al Roker having selected this book... (Pre Reading – building interest, peaking curiosity) http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=251
- Scholastic Flashlight Reader Lesson Plan/Teacher’s Guide
- Author Blue Balliett’s Website with Great Extras/Pre/Post Reading
- Study the art of Johannes Vermeer (Post Reading – Extension)
3 teaching suggestions -using the books with students in grades 4-6
1. Decipher a note using the Pentomino code. http://www2.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/b/bookfairs_currconnection_downloads_cc_chasing_vermeer.pdf
2. Author Study or Artist Study/Virtual Museum Tour of the paintings.
3. Research Charles Fort and discuss his quotes used in the book and what they mean.
Key Vocabulary:
1. pretentious
2. stationary
3. trapping
4. discriminating
5. reveal
6. convention
7. amply
8. whine
9. alter
10. intriguing
Before Reading Strategy: Think – Pair- Share/ Vocabulary Self- Awareness/Read-Aloud
During Reading Strategy: Graphic Organizer – Sequence map
After Reading Strategy: Story Frame/Map
A Writing Activity
I Predict Letter - Students can write a letter making predictions about the clues revealed. Students must explain their thinking about their predictions by citing reasons from the book.
I Can Answer That – Students could choose instead to answer teacher prompted questions based on their readings.
Awards, Reviews, Honors or Mentions: “A Da Vinci Code for tweens.” - Newsweek
- A New York Times Bestseller
- Book Sense Book of the Year
- Edgar Award Winner (Mystery)
- Booklist Top 10 Youth Mysteries
o Chicago Tribune Prize for Young Adult Fiction
Other Books by the Author or that may follow:
o Sequel to Chasing Vermeer… The Wright 3, 2006
o Sequel to The Wright 3 … The Calder Games, 2008
o The Danger Box, 2010
Topics: Art, Character Education, Connecting and Making Connections, Cooperation, Mathematics, Mystery, Detective Stories
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