i liked this book because it has good characters, and it describes well- its a little slow moving, thoguh ( )

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

Calder, Tommy, and Petra are back for another art-filled mystery.

It all starts when they take a field trip to the art museum to see the new exhibit featuring work by Alexander Calder. Even though their nasty and fun-sucking teacher tries to make the trip as miserable as possible, the three friends manage to find great inspiration and fascination in Alexander Calder's work.

Before long, Calder's dad invites him on a trip to England with him. Calder is super excited about the opportunity and learns that the town they're staying in is home to one of Alexander Calder's sculptures, The Minotaur. When Calder and his dad arrive in the small town, they find that not everyone is as excited about the sculpture as Calder is -- and quite a few people want it gone.

While Calder's dad is off at his seminars all day, Calder starts exploring the town and even goes to the famous Blenheim Palace gardens and maze. This is the ultimate place for Calder as he loves puzzles and mazes. One night, though, both Calder and the sculpture go missing.....a coincidence... maybe? When Calder doesn't show up after a couple of nights, his worry-stricken father brings in some back-up, Petra and Tommy. Together they will try and solve the mystery of where Calder is and what happened to the sculpture.

As always, Blue Balliett has created an intricately woven story which takes art, mystery, and friendship and turns it into one heck of a book. What's especially nice about THE CALDER GAME is that you don't necessarily have to have read the other books in the series (CHASING VERMEER and THE WRIGHT 3) to understand what's going on; while it would be nice, this story is complete on its own.

While I really liked this book, I'm not sure it was quite as good as the first, which often happens, but it was still really good. I liked all of the twists and turns in the mystery and it was fun trying to figure out what happened. I loved the underlying art theme, which made the book very interesting. I definitely think that it takes a certain type of person to want to read this book, as there is a lot of art talk, which I love, but others may not. All in all, I really enjoyed THE CALDER GAME and look forward to more in the series.

One last note! The illustrations in this book, while sparse, were incredible. I thought they really added to the story and I loved them. ( )

Original review atThe Little Bookworm refers to audio book

Calder Pillay loves to solve puzzles. When he goes to England on a trip with his father, he is intrigued by the giant Alexander Calder (his namesake) sculpture in the town square of the sleepy British town where they are staying. Then both the Calders disappear on the same day. Did the Calders leave together or did something happen to each separtely? And what was Calder working on when he disappeared? Calder's friends, Tommy & Petra, are brought over to help find Calder since they both know how he thinks. In this engaging little mystery, art and numbers are brought together to find a boy and a sculpture.

This is the third in a series about these three friends. Each book deals with some sort of art and another mystery where each is connected to each other. There are very intellectuall books without stuffing it down the reader's throat which is good considering they are for children. Hopefully children will become intrigued by the art in the books and get interested enough to look it up. I know I did.

The three main characters are very different from each other. Petra is a dreamy girl who loves words and to write. Tommy is a treasure finder and Calder is a math whiz who carries pentominos wherever he goes. They are very clever children, very interested in everything and I would say good role models for children.

Deidre Lovejoy is the narrator for this audio book and she does a good job. She is American and does a fairly good British accent. She's narrated the other books and I enjoy her voice. ( )

A fun, well written and engagingly read young adult/juvenile mystery set in both Chicago and a small town in England. The story revolves are three friends: Calder, Tommy and Petra. After visiting an Alexander Calder exhibit in Chicago, the three friends find themselves enamored with mobiles, but little do they know how important Alexander Calder will be. Calder, named after the artist, and his father take a trip to England and while there, Calder ends up disappearing. Fearing a kidnapping, or something even more sinister, Calder's father calls the two people who know him best, Tommy and Petra. The two friends must, with the help (and hindrances) of the adults in their lives, try to find Calder before it's too late. Balliett's novel is entertaining and Deirdre Lovejoy does a magnificent job bringing each of the characters to life. The audio book makes any long car trip go by in a flash. ( )

Petra and Tommy team up for this mystery. This time they are looking for two Calder’s. . . .the artwork and Calder himself. Artist Alexander Calder’s Minotaur and the young Calder are discovered missing in the same day. Are the two connected? Will Petra and Tommy make it through this adventure unscathed? Will they find Calder before it’s too late?

As with “Chasing Vermeer” and “The Wright 3,” Balliet does a fabulous job creating a plot that keeps you guessing the whole time. She also has the remarkable ability to get the reader interested in and excited about art. Balliet’s latest work is a worthy read for any juvenile or young adult reader. It is suitable for public and school libraries. ( )