The Calder Game by Blue Balliett

Calder can't wait to go on the trip with his dad. He and his friends, Petra and Tommy, are having a rough year with their teacher. She almost managed to ruin a trip to the museum to see an exhibit on his namesake, Alexander Calder, the famous mobile maker! Calder's more than ready for some freedom to learn what he wants to learn.

On their trip to the museum to see the Calder exhibit, they learn about the Calder Game. The point is to make your own mobile, using whatever you would like. The only restriction is that each mobile must contain at least 3 components. As the kids ponder this, Calder leaves for a trip to Europe with his dad.

One of the first things they notice about Woodstock, England is the Calder statue in the middle of town, the Minotaur. Not everyone in town is as excited about it as Calder and his father; in fact, many seem to be very vehemently against it! There are some suspicious characters around town, and a famous Bleinheim Park maze that fascinates him. While Calder's dad attends the landscaping conference, Calder wanders around town. The night after he visits the maze, however, he disappears ... along with the statue of the Minotaur!

Upon hearing of his disappearance, Petra and Tommy fly to England to help look for him. The mystery of the missing Calder (times 2) has the kids stumped for a while, until they get some help from an unlikely source. Can the kids find Calder before it's too late?

Another great book by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist, and full of great mysteries for readers to solve along the way. A real gem for reluctant readers, art lovers, and mystery solvers.

"'Don't forget: You are never finished looking at a Calder mobile. Everything you see is shifting, in process - a sight that shouts, HERE! NOW! and reminds you that each second of your life holds its own world of experience." Ms. Hussey paused for breath, and the three grinned. 'So there!' She nodded, hands on hips," (Balliett pg. 46, 2008).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Balliett, Blue. Helmquist, Brett, Ill. (2008). The Calder Game. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.