Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Chasing Vermeer is not your typical mystery.  To love this book, you need to love quirky characters and schools that are not quite typical.  Luckily, I am a fan of both of these things.  Another element about this book that I found particularly nice was that it was a  mystery that ... actually requires detective work! In a lot of middle grade and young adult mysteries I have read lately, there is a lot of luck involved, a lot of stumbling across clues, a lot of providential happenstance.  I felt that in Chasing Vermeer Balliett did an excellent job of creating characters who were smart and used their brains to seek out answers.  Sure, there is going to be a little bit of happenstance helping every mystery along, but this one was a little more reminiscence of true detective mysteries like Holmes and Poirot.  

Without giving anything away, Petra and Calder are two students at a school on a university campus.  Their teacher is very in to letting them explore their own interests and designing their own learning experiences.  When a famous Vermeer painting not only goes missing, but is in danger, Petra and Calder dive into the mystery with enthusiasm and a little bit of adventure.  

I think that this book will appear to a lot of different types of readers.  The mystery crowd, obviously, will be shoe-ins for enjoying this title.  Calder's math and logic focused perspective could draw in readers who would normally rather solve a sudoku puzzle than pick up a book.  Additionally, it is a rare book that can equally capture the interests of the mathletes and artists amongst middle school readers - but the art history elements of this story definitely appealed to me and made me want to go out and learn a little more about Vermeer.

Excellent job all around, Balliett.  I'm looking forward to reading The Wright Three next.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I must admit that I did not have high hopes for this book, but I can now understand why many people enjoy it.  It has action and adventure, but it is not all action and adventure.  Multiple mysteries build suspense and carry the reader along.  In the book, Eragon discovers an odd stone in the mountains near his home.  This discovery soon proves to be a dragon egg, and Eragon becomes the first in a new generation of a group called the "Dragon Riders."  In the past, the Dragon Riders had kept the kingdom safe and created peace throughout.  They have been gone for a long time, though, and the kingdom is in desperate need of a hero.  Eragon learns how to be just such a hero from Brom, his town's storyteller, who is wiser than anyone knows.  Together, Brom, Eragon, and Eragon's dragon, Saphira, set off on a journey that will change the kingdom forever.  At first, I was a little disappointed in the character of Eragon because he only seemed to want revenge for the men who hurt his family.  However, through his long and dangerous journey, Eragon soon learns that he needs to use his gifts to free and help all of his fellow countrymen from the king out to control them all.  I liked how at times Eragon and Saphira's relationship almost had the same feel as one of those "a boy and his dog books."  I also really enjoyed the character of Brom who was like a father to Eragon and the kind of mentor I think we would all like to have.  This is not the type of book I would normally choose for myself, but I am glad that I did.  I think you would like this book if you like adventure or fantasy.  Girls should not be turned off by this book just because it has action.  This story is very much about the journey more than the destination.  You would also like this book if you like to challenge yourself; it uses strong vocabulary and even some made-up words.  It is impressive that the author was only seventeen when he wrote it!  Take a look through the pages and see what you think.  You might be surprised!

Stats:
(c) 2002            Published by:  Knopf             Number of pages:  497

The City of Ember (The First Book of Ember) by Jeanne DuPrau

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who liked The Giver by Lois Lowry. Although it has a female protagonist, I feel that it would still be enjoyed by boys as well. Lina and Doon are two twelve year old citizens of what could be considered a "lost" city. However, the City of Ember is all they have known and all they really know to exist. Things in the city are corrupt and crumbling. They can only hope that there is a world outside of their own and that they can find a way to it. I think that this book shows a great example of kids doing something big and important even if the world thinks they can't. For those of you who are worried it might be too much science-fiction, don't worry; it doesn't really fit that genre at all.  It is equally parts mystery, adventure, friendship, and family. Overall, nicely done.  If you end up liking this book, you are in luck!  It is the first in a series of books.  The next one is called The People of Sparks, and I hope to read it soon.

Stats:
(c)2004     Published by: Yearling     Pages: 270     Awards:  An ALA Notable Book