Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Spring Reading 2017 The Van Gogh Deception

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Did you enjoy Chasing Vermeer? Did you find Under the Egg intriguing? Perhaps you love the classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mr.s Basil E. Frankweiler? Then make room on your bookshelf for The Van Gogh Deception.

When a boy with amnesia turns up mysteriously at the National Gallery, no one is quite sure what to do with him or where he came from. Placing him in short-term foster care and running ads asking for information about him seems a good place to start. But a trip back to the museum to see if it stirs any memories turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse through D.C. The boy called Art (due to the name Arthur inside his jacket), and his foster parent's daughter Camille have to outwit trained operatives while still ignorant of what these agents are after.

Full of chase scenes, daring escapes, quick thinking and courage by our young duo, the pursuit leaves a trail from the museum through D.C. and has the police and Camille's mother following as quickly as possible. The references to classic pieces of art are accompanied by QR codes in the text that allow readers to pull up images of the painting or sculpture being discussed. And most of the images also have background information about the piece and its creator - perfect for anyone whose curiosity is piqued by the story.

Besides the books I already mentioned, other good comparisons would be to say this is a middle grade version of something like The DaVinci Code or "National Treasure." If you enjoy mystery and suspense mixed with action and clever protagonists, you need a copy of this book.

I read a copy provided by the publisher for review purposes

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