Chasing Vermeer

There are a lot of coincidences in this book. Which one did NOT happen?

• Calder's grandmother chose to paint her house red because she did not think Vermeer used enough red.

• The painting "A Lady Writing" that Petra dreamed about is coming to Chicago where they live.

• Calder has a picture of a Vermeer painting on his box, and Mrs. Sharpe has that same painting in her house.

• Petra's mother loves Vermeer paintings, so she helped Petra create her Halloween costume to look like her favorite painting.

The person who sent the mysterious letters at the beginning of the book is ____________.

• the person who stole Vermeer's painting.

• Ms. Hussey

• a police officer who predicted the theft of Vermeer's painting.

• a concerned artist who wants to catch the art thief before his works are also stolen.

According to the letter published in the newspaper, why did someone steal "A Lady Writing?"

• It is worth millions of dollars, so the thief can sell it on the black market and get rich.

• The thief wants people to look closely at Vermeer's paintings to see if they were all really painted by Vermeer.

• The thief felt it was an ugly painting, not worthy of being displayed in a museum.

• The thief is a descendant of the lady in the picture, so he or she thinks it belongs in their family.

What does the thief do to keep the community interested in the theft of the painting?

• sends more mysterious letters to people asking for their help

• publishes letters in the newspaper

• sells T-shirts that say, "You will come to agree with me."

• takes a second Vermeer painting

What did Calder and Petra think they found in the basement?

• notes taken by Leland Sharpe involving a secret about Vermeer

• a letter from the art thief

• the original Charles Fort book, "Lo!"

• the missing painting

Why did Petra and Calder ask the principal to let them in the school basement?

• They needed a place to hide all the clues they had collected.

• They wanted to see if it would be a good place for Ms. Hussey to hide if the thief came after her.

• They were looking for the missing painting.

• They suspected that the thief was using it as a hideout.

What do we learn about Mrs. Sharpe's dead husband?

• He was an art thief.

• He was studying Vermeer when he was killed.

• He died of cancer, leaving Mrs. Sharpe millions of dollars in his will.

• He was the suspect in another mysterious disappearance.

What does Calder find in the school basement?

• the missing painting, "A Lady Writing"

• a painting that looks like it was done by a second grader

• nothing but school supplies

• evidence that the thief has been hiding there

Who are the two main characters?

• Calder

• Ms. Hussey

• Petra

• Tommy

Why did Calder and Petra decide to start a list?

• so they wouldn't forget all of their class assignments

• so they could keep a record of unexplained stuff

• so they could remember the names of all of Vermeer's paintings

• so they would remember the birthdays of their classmates