Theodora Tenpenny lives in a rundown home in Greenwich Village with her grandfather, Jack, and her socially non-functional mother. When her grandfather dies suddenly, Theo finds herself struggling to keep food on the table for her and her mother and wonders what will happen once her grandfather's retirement checks stop coming in. One day she spills rubbing alchol on one of her grandfather's paintings and finds that it was painted on top of a much older work. It looks like it might be valuable, so she and a new friend start researching to find out what the painting is and how her grandfather might have aquired it. As Theo digs deeper into her grandfather's past, she learns amazing things about art, her grandfather, and herself.
This is a great mystery for middle grade readers. It reminded me a lot of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, but I actually liked this one better. Theo's situation at home is more compelling than in the Balliett book. Her relationship with Bodhi is fun because of the rich/poor contrast. Fitzgerald does a good job of juggling the three stories; the painter Raphael's, her grandfather's in WWII, and the present time. The ending is a little too "coincidental" but I don't think kids will be bothered by that. (2014, 256 p)
No comments:
Post a Comment