The Calder Game
{{Short description|Book by Blue Balliett}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book
| name = The Calder Game
| orig title =
| translator =
| image = CalderGameCover.jpg
| caption = Front cover, designed by Brett Helquist
| author = Blue Balliett
| illustrator = Brett Helquist
| cover_artist = Brett Helquist
| country = United States
| language = English
| genre = Children's mystery novel
| published = May 1, 2008 Scholastic Press{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/0439852072 |title=The Calder Game|publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=13 March 2011}}
| media_type = Print (hardback & paperback)
| pages = 379 pgs.
| isbn = 0-439-85207-2
| congress = PZ7.B2128 Cal 2008
| oclc = 171287569
| preceded_by = The Wright 3
| followed_by =
}}
{{Portal |Children's literature}}
The Calder Game is a children's novel written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist, published in 2008. It is the sequel to The Wright 3, which in turn is the sequel to Chasing Vermeer. Some underlying themes include the art of Alexander Calder, pentominoes, and the freedom of public art.
Calder, Petra, and Tommy next appeared in Balliett’s book Pieces and Players, published in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Weltman |first=June |title=Book review: 'Pieces and Players' by Blue Balliett |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/books/2016/11/27/book-review-pieces-and-players-blue-balliett/15733190007/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US}}
Plot overview
Calder Pillay travels with his father to Woodstock, Oxfordshire and becomes interested in an unexpected Alexander Calder sculpture (who coincidentally is his namesake) in the town square. On the same night, both Calder and the sculpture disappear. His friends Petra and Tommy fly to England to aid his father in finding him.
Critical reception
The Calder Game received mainly positive reviews. School Library Journal called it "every bit as intricate, engaging, and delightful" as its two precursors and praised the structure of the novel.{{cite magazine|first=Connie Tyrrell|last=Burns|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6566226.html|title=Grades 5 & Up|magazine=School Library Journal|date=1 June 2008|accessdate=13 March 2011}} Publishers Weekly was positive and wrote that it was "an ambitious novel".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childens/childrens-book-news/article/4746-children-s-book-reviews-week-of-5-19-2008-.html|title=Children's Book Reviews: Week of 5/19/2008|magazine=Publishers Weekly|date=19 May 2008|accessdate=13 March 2011}} BookPage's Alice Cary praised the pacing and intriguing questions.{{cite web|first=Alice|last=Cary|url=http://www.bookpage.com/0805bp/children/calder_game.html|title=State-of-the-art mystery|publisher=BookPage|accessdate=13 March 2011}} The website Kidsreads.com claimed that The Calder Game is "Balliett's best work of fiction yet".{{cite web|first=Norah|last=Piehl|url=http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/9780439852081.asp|title=The Calder Game Review|publisher=Kidsreads.com|accessdate=13 March 2011}}
However, Kirkus Reviews felt that The Calder Game "falls short of Chasing Vermeer{{'s}} brilliance" and it was marred by a "problematic construction and too many tidy dei ex machinis".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/blue-balliett/the-calder-game/|title=The Calder Game|magazine=Kirkus Reviews|date=1 May 2008|accessdate=13 May 2011}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Calder Game, The}}
Category:Novels set in Oxfordshire