Plot summary Chasing Vermeer

the first illustration in book brett helquist showing recipients of 3 letters. 2 frogs , v pentomino belong illustration code hidden in picture.

the book begins mysterious letter delivered 3 unknown recipients, 2 women , 1 man. letter tells them of great need sender, begs them not tell police.

sixth-graders calder pillay, enjoys puzzles , pentominoes, , petra andalee, aspires writer, classmates @ middle school in hyde park, chicago. young teacher, ms. hussey, interested in art , teaches them in creative way. through pressing questions, discover artist johannes vermeer , paintings, lady writing , geographer. petra finds used book called lo!, written charles fort, @ local powell s books, owned man named mr. watch. meet elderly neighbor, mrs. sharpe, fan of vermeer , fort. calder receives letters best friend tommy segovia, living in new york city new stepfather.

the children learn lady writing traveling national gallery of art in washington d.c. hyde park. next day there story in paper of how painting mysteriously disappeared. letter thief appears in newspaper, telling public not give lady writing until prove vermeer paintings painted him. sparks worldwide uproar. calder , petra investigate friendship grows. mrs. sharpe requests police protection , revealed , ms. hussey 2 of 3 recipients of thief s letter. calder , petra conclude painting hidden in local delia dell hall, , sneak out , find it. barely escape thief, later found dead massive heart attack on train police. learn man xavier glitts, known glitter man, posing tommy s stepfather under name fred steadman. known art thief, asked steal painting , sell sixty million dollars. other recipient of letter revealed mr. watch.

code

as stated in preface, there code hidden in illustrations throughout book. idea of brett helquist , ballet s editor, tracy mack. code involves images of pentominoes , frogs, recurring themes throughout book. understand code, 1 must count number of frogs in every other illustration , find hidden pentomino. pentominoes , quantity of frogs in illustrations correspond letter-number combinations in code calder , tommy use write letters throughout book. example, first code sequence included in illustration represented hidden pentomino corresponding letter v, , 2 frogs. means code sequence v:2, referring letter t in calder , tommy s decoding key. when entire message hidden in book decoded, spells out lady lives .