Review Detail

“By the sixth week of sixth grade, Ms. Hussey still wasn’t a disappointment. She had announced on the first day of school that she had no idea what they were going to work on that year, or how.” Who wouldn’t want to be in a class like that? Calder Pillay is one of Ms. Hussey’s students. He loves puzzles and constantly plays with a set of pentominoes he keeps in his pocket. Petra Andalee is a classmate and lives three houses away from Calder, but they have never been friends.

Chasing Vermeer is the story of their growing friendship, as well as a mystery, an adventure, and a puzzle. A missing painting, mysterious letters, an eccentric old lady, and a school project all mesh together to make an incredible story. The secret message hidden in Brett Helquist’s illustrations is an added bonus. Once you begin, you will be as intrigued with solving the mystery as Calder and Petra.