"Do not be afraid to go against what you were taught, or what you were told to see or believe. Every person, every set of eyes, has the right to the truth" (Balliett 2004)
I've officially read my favorite book of the challenge so far. "Chasing Vermeer" was unlike any of the books I have read this far, and it definitely made a lasting impression on me. This book would be an excellent inclusion for a classroom for upper elementary students. It incorporates all different subjects, such as art, history, math, and science.
The mystery takes place in Chicago near the University of Chicago. Two best friends, Calder and Petra, become mixed up in a town scandal when a painting by Johannes Vermeer is stolen while on the way to the Art Institute. Using articles in the newspaper, the thief tells the city that they will return the painting if someone cracks his code. The community must figure out which of Vermeer's paintings were actually done by him. Calder and Petra accept the task and look for the painting using various clues.
Throughout the book, there are several codes that the reader must solve while reading. These codes involve pentominoes and frogs hidden in the illustrations. The readers can count the number of hidden frogs in every other illustration, as well as find the hidden pentomino. Each pentomino corresponds to a letter. The letter and the number of frogs can be used to decode a secret message.
This book is so interactive and incorporates many different subjects. I can see this book being used in a 3rd to a 5th-grade classroom in a math unit. Pentominoes are a fun math manipulative that students love to use. Incorporating them into decoding messages is a fun way to make the book come to life for the students. This book can also be used for a history or art lesson. It discusses different artists and painting styles, as well as the history behind them.
This book has 3 sequels, and I definitely plan to read these next. I hope they are just as fun as this one. If you're looking for your next book to read, I definitely recommend this one!
I am glad that you found a book you love and will be able to use in your classroom! I love mysteries. This book sounds interesting, I have never read a book where I had to solve codes! It sounds really fun and interactive so I feel like your students would really like that. I think it is also really beneficial that you could use it for so many different subjects!
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