The Wright 3

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett, Brett Helquist (Illustrator) 2006

I enjoyed this sequel to Chasing Vermeer. The book has new codes and hidden pictures that will entice the reader to look again at the book. The focus of the story this time is Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House in Chicago's Hyde Park. In Balliett's FICTIONAL story, Robie house is facing destruction and Petra, Calder, and Tommy must work together to save it. The plot resolution reminded me of a Hardy Boys story but those books are fun for kids to read. The interesting history of Frank Lloyd Wright is part of the storyline. Calder is still intrigued with his pentominoes. Fibonacci sequencing is also part of the plot which is great on the heels of Greg's book deal. There are also allusions to H.G. Wells's Invisible Man. Petra, Calder, and Tommy are interesting characters who continue to grow and develop.

Spare me the comparisons to the DaVinci Code that plagued Balliett's Vermeer. This is just a fun read. I am in favor of any book that will spark a young reader's interest in Art (with a capital "A") and other aspects of cultural literacy. In the time crunch of our test-driven school culture, art and artists are getting left behind.