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Product Description
Supersleuths Petra, Calder and Tommy have an exciting new school project - saving a famous building from demolition. But there's much more to the Robie House than bricks, glass and history - eerie voices, dark shadows, a moving roof, and inexplicable accidents .. In no time the young trio are caught up in a petrifying search for ghosts, lost treasure, and a coded message from the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In a tangled mystery where life and art intermingle with death and danger, can they keep their wits about them and escape with their lives?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Twelve-year-old Tommy Segovia has returned to Chicago after a year away, and everything is different. His old house is completely different, and he doesn't live there anymore. His best friend, Calder, seems to have a new best friend, and it's a girl! And, the city wants to tear down Robie House, the historic Frank Lloyd Wright home that has always been a fixture in their neighborhood.
Calder Pillay is torn between his two close friends. He and Tommy have been best friends forever, but he and Petra solved a major mystery and crime together (CHASING VERMEER). They both have great and different talents, and Calder knows that if they could just all work together they could make an amazing team. Maybe even good enough to save Robie House. But it looks like he's going to be stuck in the middle for awhile. If only people could be more like his pentominoes. (Pentominoes are a mathematical tool, a set of twelve shapes of five connected squares. Calder keeps a set in his pocket; they help him think.)
Petra Andalee is a quiet girl who likes her books and writing, and she can't figure out why Tommy dislikes her so much. She and Calder make a good team, and Tommy and Calder make a good team, so where's the problem? She's torn between wanting to prove herself and feeling like she shouldn't have to. Either way, she intends to find a way to save one of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces.
Between Tommy's finding skills, Calder's logic, and Petra's unique analysis, they aren't about to let the house go quietly. Provided they trust each other enough. And the house might have a few things to say about it, too.
There is A LOT going on in this stand alone sequel to CHASING VERMEER.
Obviously there is the relationship between the three main characters, and the attempt to save Robie House. There is some Frank Lloyd Wright history, as well as Robie House-specific history. There is also mathematical figuring, and architectural oddities. There are even hidden pictures inside the illustrations. It also brings up some interesting ideas about the science of art and the art of science. There's so much happening that I almost feel like I need to go through the book a few separate times, looking at it from different angles.
There aren't many young fiction books geared toward a math/science type mind. If you're that type, I think you will really appreciate and enjoy this book. And even if you're not, it's still a good adventure!
Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman
Calder Pillay is torn between his two close friends. He and Tommy have been best friends forever, but he and Petra solved a major mystery and crime together (CHASING VERMEER). They both have great and different talents, and Calder knows that if they could just all work together they could make an amazing team. Maybe even good enough to save Robie House. But it looks like he's going to be stuck in the middle for awhile. If only people could be more like his pentominoes. (Pentominoes are a mathematical tool, a set of twelve shapes of five connected squares. Calder keeps a set in his pocket; they help him think.)
Petra Andalee is a quiet girl who likes her books and writing, and she can't figure out why Tommy dislikes her so much. She and Calder make a good team, and Tommy and Calder make a good team, so where's the problem? She's torn between wanting to prove herself and feeling like she shouldn't have to. Either way, she intends to find a way to save one of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces.
Between Tommy's finding skills, Calder's logic, and Petra's unique analysis, they aren't about to let the house go quietly. Provided they trust each other enough. And the house might have a few things to say about it, too.
There is A LOT going on in this stand alone sequel to CHASING VERMEER.
Obviously there is the relationship between the three main characters, and the attempt to save Robie House. There is some Frank Lloyd Wright history, as well as Robie House-specific history. There is also mathematical figuring, and architectural oddities. There are even hidden pictures inside the illustrations. It also brings up some interesting ideas about the science of art and the art of science. There's so much happening that I almost feel like I need to go through the book a few separate times, looking at it from different angles.
There aren't many young fiction books geared toward a math/science type mind. If you're that type, I think you will really appreciate and enjoy this book. And even if you're not, it's still a good adventure!
Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My parents got me this book in New York, and I questioned whether I would enjoy its seemlingly steryotypical and contemporary cover of New York style writing.
It is unreviewed on Amazon which doesn't surprise me, since it is an American book, but considering it got to the top of the New York Times review of books I thought it might appear actually reviewed.
The plot is exquisite, charaters realistic and resoureful, a great read.
C Maguire Age:13
It is unreviewed on Amazon which doesn't surprise me, since it is an American book, but considering it got to the top of the New York Times review of books I thought it might appear actually reviewed.
The plot is exquisite, charaters realistic and resoureful, a great read.
C Maguire Age:13
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
43 reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Everything's in place for a great story, but it never happens
8 Aug 2006
Format:Hardcover
I thought I'd give this author's second book a chance even though I found her first one ("Chasing Vermeer") rather disappointing. I like her Hyde Park setting, I like the way she works art into her stories, I like the way the teacher in the book runs her classroom as a place of exploration rather than a lecture hall. So--I thought, thought I--maybe with all these strong elements in place, the author will improve her plotting abilities in her second book.
Alas, no. The story has so much potential that is never met. Once again, coincidence and "intuition" play a huge, way too huge, role in the resolution of the storyline. The Scooby-doo type ending (wherein the bumbling adult bad guys are "unmasked" and supernatural events explained at least in part by their stupid criminal plans) is disappointing and unpredictable from the things we've seen earlier in the story.
The pentaminos storyline has grown wearisome, the bibliomancy one of the kids performs using "The Invisible Man" is irritating and irrelevant, the coded messages simplisitc and unintriguing.
The relationship between the three kids is nicely portrayed--their jealousies of one another, and their attempts to reconcile differences and balance individual needs with group needs. I also liked how the kids in the story work for a cause--saving the Robie House--and I found their demonstration in front of the house in which they "destroy" works of art by chopping them up to be the most interesting part of the book, far superior in terms of action and emotional content than any of the so-called mystery elements. This part of the book is worth reading, and worth having kids read, both because of its philosophies and because it shows how actions by individuals can make a positive difference. Hope the author's next book moves more in this direction and away from the pseudo-mystical, pseudo-supernatural, pseudo-mystery lines the first two have followed.
Alas, no. The story has so much potential that is never met. Once again, coincidence and "intuition" play a huge, way too huge, role in the resolution of the storyline. The Scooby-doo type ending (wherein the bumbling adult bad guys are "unmasked" and supernatural events explained at least in part by their stupid criminal plans) is disappointing and unpredictable from the things we've seen earlier in the story.
The pentaminos storyline has grown wearisome, the bibliomancy one of the kids performs using "The Invisible Man" is irritating and irrelevant, the coded messages simplisitc and unintriguing.
The relationship between the three kids is nicely portrayed--their jealousies of one another, and their attempts to reconcile differences and balance individual needs with group needs. I also liked how the kids in the story work for a cause--saving the Robie House--and I found their demonstration in front of the house in which they "destroy" works of art by chopping them up to be the most interesting part of the book, far superior in terms of action and emotional content than any of the so-called mystery elements. This part of the book is worth reading, and worth having kids read, both because of its philosophies and because it shows how actions by individuals can make a positive difference. Hope the author's next book moves more in this direction and away from the pseudo-mystical, pseudo-supernatural, pseudo-mystery lines the first two have followed.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
The Wright book (for people who like mysteries)
20 Mar 2006
Format:Hardcover
I think that this book was good and putting it next to the last one I thought that it was a little more interesting. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five was because I thought that the plot of this book was so similar to the last. Also it seemed that the new character, Tommy Segovia, had become the center of attention in the book and pretty much solved the whole puzzle. There did not really seem to be a need for Calder and Petra. Besides that the plot of the story was a really good one and you cant seem to stop reading. All of a sudden you are at the climax of the story. Overall the story was good and full of surprises.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
The Wright 3
1 Feb 2007
Format:Hardcover
I have to get this off my chest before I begin, I loved Chasing Vermeer. Loved it. At the heart of the story, I thought it was a clever mystery. While the intentional loose ends and coincidences drove me crazy, I thought it was all an integral part of what Blue Balliett set out to create. I couldn't wait to see what she did next and was probably one of the first people bursting down the doors of our local bookseller to buy a copy the day it was released.
Then I got busy, the life of a school teacher isn't easy, and The Wright 3 sat on my shelf for quite a while until recently, I was in the mood for a good mystery. I dusted off the beautiful jacket cover by Brett Helquist and kicked back, ready to see what Calder and Petra were up to now.
I usually like to include a brief synopsis of each book I review, but I have to tell you, I don't know where to begin on this one. Petra and Calder are once again the focus, and this time around, Calder's friend Tommy Segovia has moved back into town, causing all sorts of jealousy between our sleuthing protagonists. Instead of a mystery, this is what really drives The Wright 3 and Balliett does a great job with the trios developing relationship. Tommy struggling as a new kid in school, Petra struggling with Tommy and Calder's friendship, Calder wishing Petra and Tommy would just get along. The tension between the three is almost unbearable. But it's perfectly written.
If only I could say that about the rest of the story. I was okay with Balliett's obsession with coincidences in Vermeer, but this time around, it really gets annoying. In Vermeer, her obsession fit in nicely with the premise of the story. In The Wright 3, over half of Balliett's coincidences never even add up to anything. How many mysteries can Calder solve by building shapes with a bunch of pentomino blocks? How many mysteries can Petra solve in her dreams? I'm ready to see these kids do some real detective work. I guess in order to do some real detective work though, they need a real mystery to solve, something this book is desperately missing.
Balliett tries to create a mystery surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright's, The Robie House, but it falls flat because there is nothing to solve. The house is going to be torn apart with its pieces shipped to museums across the globe. Calder, Petra, and Tommy think they can put together the strange puzzle pieces flying around them and save the house from demolition but the puzzle pieces don't fit together. Most of them never add up to anything. This is a mystery story that is missing a mystery and it's terribly disheartening.
I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. Even while reading the final two chapters, I was faithful that Balliett could still wrap everything up neatly and astonish me. But it didn't happen. I really hope that Balliett will take a break from coincidences and maybe even from Calder, Petra, and Tommy, but I don't see it happening. She's got the talent, there's no doubt about that, but in order to write that one great book I know she's capable of writing, she has to switch gears. Until then, I guess I'll just keep reading, and hoping.
Then I got busy, the life of a school teacher isn't easy, and The Wright 3 sat on my shelf for quite a while until recently, I was in the mood for a good mystery. I dusted off the beautiful jacket cover by Brett Helquist and kicked back, ready to see what Calder and Petra were up to now.
I usually like to include a brief synopsis of each book I review, but I have to tell you, I don't know where to begin on this one. Petra and Calder are once again the focus, and this time around, Calder's friend Tommy Segovia has moved back into town, causing all sorts of jealousy between our sleuthing protagonists. Instead of a mystery, this is what really drives The Wright 3 and Balliett does a great job with the trios developing relationship. Tommy struggling as a new kid in school, Petra struggling with Tommy and Calder's friendship, Calder wishing Petra and Tommy would just get along. The tension between the three is almost unbearable. But it's perfectly written.
If only I could say that about the rest of the story. I was okay with Balliett's obsession with coincidences in Vermeer, but this time around, it really gets annoying. In Vermeer, her obsession fit in nicely with the premise of the story. In The Wright 3, over half of Balliett's coincidences never even add up to anything. How many mysteries can Calder solve by building shapes with a bunch of pentomino blocks? How many mysteries can Petra solve in her dreams? I'm ready to see these kids do some real detective work. I guess in order to do some real detective work though, they need a real mystery to solve, something this book is desperately missing.
Balliett tries to create a mystery surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright's, The Robie House, but it falls flat because there is nothing to solve. The house is going to be torn apart with its pieces shipped to museums across the globe. Calder, Petra, and Tommy think they can put together the strange puzzle pieces flying around them and save the house from demolition but the puzzle pieces don't fit together. Most of them never add up to anything. This is a mystery story that is missing a mystery and it's terribly disheartening.
I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. Even while reading the final two chapters, I was faithful that Balliett could still wrap everything up neatly and astonish me. But it didn't happen. I really hope that Balliett will take a break from coincidences and maybe even from Calder, Petra, and Tommy, but I don't see it happening. She's got the talent, there's no doubt about that, but in order to write that one great book I know she's capable of writing, she has to switch gears. Until then, I guess I'll just keep reading, and hoping.
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