Pieces and Players [Paperback]

THE PIECES

Thirteen extremely valuable pieces of art have been stolen from one of the most secretive museums in the world. A Vermeer has vanished. A Manet is missing. And nobody has any idea where they and the other eleven artworks might be . . . or who might have stolen them.



THE PLAYERS

Calder, Petra, and Tommy are no strangers to heists and puzzles. Now they've been matched with two new sleuths -- Zoomy, a very small boy with very thick glasses, and Early, a girl who treasures words . . . and has a word or two to say about the missing treasure.



The kids have been drawn in by the very mysterious Mrs. Sharpe, who may be playing her own kind of game with the clues. And it's not just Mrs. Sharpe who's acting suspiciously -- there's a ghost who mingles with the guards in the museum, a cat who acts like a spy, and bystanders in black jackets who keep popping up.



With pieces and players, you have all the ingredients for a fantastic mystery from the amazing Blue Balliett.

Advance Praise forPieces and Players:



Balliett again deftly merges mystery, art and friendship into another perplexing puzzler. --Kirkus Reviews



Fun and engaging. --School Library Journal





Praise forChasing Vermeer:



Balliett is an original . . . Thick with devilish red herrings, this smart, playful story never stops challenging (and exhilarating) the audience. --Publishers Weekly



Puzzles, codes, letters, number and wordplay, a bit of danger, a vivid sense of place, and a wealth of quirky characters enrich the exciting, fast-paced story that's sure to be relished by mystery lovers. --School Library Journal





Praise forThe Wright Three:



* Another tour de force. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review