Summary
Chasing Vermeer is a mystery book the two main characters are Calder and Petra two eleven year old kids that start seeing a lot of coincidence starting with a weird letter that Calder finds, the find of LO! A book of myths or not "like raining frogs" or things likes that and the theft of a Johanes Vermeer painting "A Lady Writing a Letter" when it was being transported from Washington to Chicago.
As Petra and Calder try to resolve the mystery they find the following suspects:
Mrs.Sharpe. - because she had a copy of LO! And her husband was murdered while he was doing research in Vermeer.
Mrs.Hussey. - because she made a strange homework that involved bringing a extraordinary letter that changed somebody life (like the letter that Calder found), she also made a field trip to the Art Museum to look at painting that showed what was important to people long ago and the phone call she received at school a day after she was release from jail that Petra overheard "mistake … but why…it is here…but I can’t do that" she sounded really terrified and then started to weep.
Petra’s dad. -Petras heard her parents arguing, and her dad saying " But everybody has something to hide" and her mom answering a word that sound like "Letter" and "forgotten" and then the noise of tearing paper ( She never found the paper in the garbage)
During all this time the Theft sends more letters but now he post them in the Chicago Tribune, telling the public that only 26 of the 35 paintings of Johannes Vermeer were really his paintings. He ask the public to go look the paintings and try to see from themselves the differences between the work done in 1656 to 1669 and his later work. He ask the people to protest so that the experts correct these errors.
On a second letter he demands the National Gallery to send letters to all the owners of Vermeer’s paintings’ to tell them that the work done after 1669 wasn’t indeed Vermeer’s if not he will have no choice but to destroy "A Lady Writing a Letter".
At last Calder and Petra go to a place called Delia Dell that is a College, they start checking each floor with not luck until they reach the twelve floor and there it was
the painting that they where searching for a long time THE LADY WRITING A LETTER, they were truly amazed for the finding but there was one more thing they discover. The thief wasn’t the idealistic person they thought……
Opinion and Recommendation
Dear Friend
I would like your help in identifying a crime that is now centuries old. This crime has wronged on of the the world’s greatest painters. As those in positions of authority are not brave enough to correct this error, I have taken it upon myself to reveal the truth. I have chosen you because of your discriminating eye, your intelligence, and your ability to think outside of convention.
If you wish to help me, you will be amply rewarded for any risk you take.
You may not show this letter to anyone. Two other people on the world have received this document tonight. Although you may never meet, the three of you will work together in ways none of us can predict.
If you show this to the authorities, you will most certainly be placing your life in danger.
You will know how to respond. I congratulate you on your pursuit of justice.
That’s how the book starts with a chocking and intriguing letter, a Vermeer painting is stolen and two kids start following clues trying to find the missing master piece. The book gives you little pieces of information at the time making you interested and don’t letting you stop reading. On top there is a Code hidden in the pictures that the reader has to decode.
Chasing Vermeer was a really fun book to read is kind of hard to understand it at times but overall you get the story it tell you a lot of facts about Vermeer and the lack of information that we have on this painter, I start checking the facts that the book gives you and they were true, thanks to the book I learn many details about this painter like that most of his painting had windows on the left and the subject were mostly people inside their houses.
In a 1 to 10 scale I will give this book a 10 I think that everybody should read it because it is an amazing book.
Brandon Diaz
Characters
Calder- He is one of two main characters. He is eleven year old boy but later on the story he is going to become twelve. He is really snicky he always tries to solve a mystery and does. On the book he is a nice and kinda brilliant.
Petra-She is the second main character. She is female character and kinda weird at first but then she becomes a great investigator. She is eleven year old but then becomes twelve she seems really intelligent and found the book LO! She is the brains on the mystery team.
Mrs.Hussey-A teacher she is a female character. She gets one of three about Vermeer. She is always suspicious on the story. She makes her whole entire class into a mystery team after she receives the letter about Vermeer. She is a sunshine teacher.
Mrs.Sharpe-She is a strict lady. She’s the owner of the book LO! At the beginning she was a mean lady then she became friendly. Her husband studied all Johanes Vermeer paintings and mysteriously died.
