Book #17: Chasing Vermeer

Title: Chasing Vermeer


Author: Blue Balliett


My friend smartmama has been talking a lot about this book lately. On Saturday my parents and I took my kids to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Naperville, IL. After the thirtieth group of campaigners marched past us (no, I'm not exaggerating), Isaac started to get a little bit stir-crazy, so we ended up in Anderson's Bookshop, the greatest independent bookstore I've ever been in (and no, I'm not exaggerating, but I tend to end up in Barnes and Noble more often than not). As Isaac played at the train table (and didn't have to share, since all of the other kids were still engrossed by the bagpipers and storm troopers outside), I looked at the displays of books from authors who would be visiting in the near future and stumbled across Chasing Vermeer.


The book is basically a short, clean, not-too-obtuse version of the DaVinci Code. In this case, two twelve year-olds search for a missing Vermeer. It was really fun to read because I was in Chicago at the time and the book takes place in Hyde Park and on the campus of the University of Chicago. And even though smartmama's five year-old begs to listen to this story, I still think it's a good year or two over the head of my own five year-old. Even though I'm a self-proclaimed young adult lit hater, I liked the book. I didn't love it, but I bet my kids would. And I've decided that if we ever end up living near my parents in Chicago, I have to get them into the U of C lab school. It sounds fantastic!


--originally published 3/17/06