Pieces and Players
by Blue Balliett (Author)
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School Library Journal
Gr 4-6--This time it's a small family museum and 13 missing pieces of art providing the mystery that brings back characters met in previous titles. Tommy, Petra, and Calder are joined by Early Pearl and Zoomy Chamberlain. With all five kids led by their teacher Mrs. Hussey, each of the detective's special skills add to their understanding and help them arrive at the solution. Fans of the previous books will be delighted as these characters continue with their familiar predilections such as Calder's pentominoes clacking in his pockets. The realistic Chicago setting and familiar characters combined with the somewhat ghostly aura in the museum, provide just enough drama and enigmas to solve. The stolen artwork is from various masters comprising the "pieces" mentioned in the title. Uncertainties abound, particularly as the kids question their ability to find the stolen works and the honesty of those asking them to find it. People in black leather jackets appear and disappear without explanation, along with red herring clues. Fortunately, this is a puzzle worthy of the capabilities of our fearsome fivesome. Fun and engaging; a fitting addition for readers addicted to these art mysteries.--Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
Calder, Petra, and Tommy from Chasing Vermeer and its sequels join forces with Zoomy from The Danger Box and Early from Hold Fast to investigate the "biggest art robbery ever to happen in the United States": the heist of 13 paintings and sculptures from a small Chicago museum. Though the story's museum is fictional, Balliett borrows the outline of a real crime--the 1990 theft of artwork worth $500 million from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum--for her plot. As in her previous mysteries, chance and coincidence drive the action, and the narrative is salted with repeated motifs and literary allusions. The eighth-grade sleuths, summoned to help because a museum trustee believes they will do detective work that the adult investigators are incapable of doing, use prime numbers, Mother Goose rhymes, and messages in dreams and from a ghost to crack the case. (The FBI may want to invest in its own Ouija board.) Fans of Balliett's previous work will find and enjoy the same meld of puzzling mystery and art history in this adventure. Ages 8-12. Agent: Doe Coover, Doe Coover Agency. (Mar.)
Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Balliett is an original . . . Thick with devilish red herrings, this smart, playful story never stops challenging (and exhilarating) the audience." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Puzzles, codes, letters, number and wordplay, a bit of danger, a vivid sense of place, and a wealth of quirky characters enrich the exciting, fast-paced story that's sure to be relished by mystery lovers." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Praise for THE WRIGHT 3:
*"Another tour de force." — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review
Praise for THE CALDER GAME:
* "Balliett outdoes herself with this ambitious novel." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
* "Balliett again offers readers new ways to think." — BOOKLIST, starred review
Praise for THE DANGER BOX:
* "This highly satisfying story will enlighten readers even as it inspires them to think." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review
"A spine-tingling tale . . . kids are in for an adventure." — CHICAGO SUN TIMES
Praise for HOLD FAST:
"[Blue Balliett's] latest and most heart-rending novel . . . [The] multi-faceted Early Pearl, ever observant and always pondering, shines as bright as any diamond." — NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
*"Wonderful . . . will pierce all readers" — BOOKLIST, starred review
*"A moving story of homelessness, family, and the love of words and books . . . Enthralling and satisfying." — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review
*"Balliett paints a vivid picture, a literary composition reminiscent of an Impressionist painting . . . Excellent." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review
"This novel abounds in heart, shining a spotlight on the gritty truths about homelessness." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Vivid and compelling." — BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
A 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, and grew up in Orem, Utah. He entered Brigham Young University as an engineering major, but soon realized this was not the right choice for him. Having decided to take time off from college, he headed to Taiwan where he stumbled into a job illustrating English textbooks, which he enjoyed. There, a friend introduced him to an illustration student, also from Brigham Young University. This introduction inspired Brett to eventually switch majors. After spending a year in Taiwan, he went back to BYU and transferred to the illustration department. In 1993 he received a fine arts degree in illustration.
Detective and mystery stories
Art thefts
Chicago (Ill.)
