Chasing Vermeer

Title: Chasing Vermeer

Author: Blue Balliett

Recommended Grade Level: 5-8

NCTM Standards: Geometry, Algebra, and Problem Solving

Summary: Blue Balliett introduces readers to a pair of precocious kids on a quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms. Eleven year old Petra and Calder may be in the same sixth grade class, but they barely know each other. It’s only after a near collision during a museum field trip that they discover their shared worship of art, their teacher Ms. Hussey, and the blue candy that doesn’t melt in your hands. Their friendship is strengthened when a creative thief steals a valuable Vermeer painting en route to Chicago, their home town. When the thief leaves a trail of public clues via the newspaper, Petra and Calder decide to try and recover the painting themselves. But tracking down the Vermeer isn’t easy, as Calder and Petra try to figure out what a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces), a mysterious book about unexplainable phenomena and a suddenly very nervous Ms. Hussey have to do with a centuries old artwork. When the thief ups the ante by declaring that he or she may very well destroy the painting, the two friends know they have to make the pieces of the puzzle fit before it’s too late!

Uses/Activities: This book would be a great tie-in for mathematics and English. Students can read the story for English, and use the pentominos in math class. The pentominos can be used to make different shapes--useful in geometry class--and students can create their own set of petominos. There are also many activities in the back of the book regarding mathematics. Students can come up with their own patterns and codes using mathematical formulas. It's a great hands-on activity and they can write reflections on what they have learned.