Gift Guide: Best Books for Preteens

Chasing Vermeer

Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay are 12-year-old sleuths brought together by a series of strange coincidences and events involving a missing Vermeer painting, pentominoes, and the FBI.

Author/Illustrator: Written by Blue Balliett. Illustrated by Brett Helquist.

The Best Part: Hailed as The Da Vinci Code for tweens, Chasing Vermeer manages to be suspenseful and enlightening all at the same time. Readers must use their problem-solving skills and follow mathematical clues hidden in the illustrations.

Price: $6.99

Available at: Amazon.com

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