26010 Greenfield, Oak Park • 248-968-1190 • www.thebookbeat.com

welcomes . . . Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Danger Box New A boy in a small town who has a different way of seeing. Title A mischievous girl who won’t stay in one place. A mysterious notebook. A fire. A stranger. A death. Three Oaks, an actual Southwestern Michigan village, is the setting for Balliett’s new book. The Danger Box is the compelling story of a delightfully introspective and observant, if visually impaired, 12-year-old boy named Zoomy who comes into possession of a mysterious diary. Balliett demonstrates how danger boxes are all around us–not just as containers of physical objects for which people will hazard a great deal, but as vehicles that expose us to risky ideas and dreams.

Chasing Vermeer The Wright 3 The Calder Game

When a book of Spring semes- Sculptor unexplainable occur- ter at the Lab , ances brings Petra School in Hyde a mysterious Andalee & Calder Park finds Petra maze, and Pillay together, and Calder international strange things start drawn into an- intrigue are part to happen: seeming- other mystery of the mix in ly unrelated events when unexplain- Balliett’s third connect, an able accidents book. Calder eccentric old woman seeks their and ghostly Pillay is fascinated by a museum-wide company, & an invaluable Vermeer happenings throw a spotlight on exhibit of Alexander Calder’s mobiles painting disappears. Before they know it, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. and sculptures--and then surprised to the two find themselves at the center of Stir in the return of Calder’s friend find a sculpture by his namesake in a an international art scandal. As Petra & Tommy H.G. Wells’s The Invisible Man, tiny English town when he’s on a trip Calder are drawn clue by clue into a 3D pentominoes, and the hunt for a with his father. Some of the towns- mysterious labyrinth they must draw on coded message left behind by Wright, people seem to hate the sculpture, their powers of intuition, their skills at and the kids become tangled in a others are fascinated by it. But when problem solving, and their knowledge of dangerous web in which life and art Calder disappears after leaving a note Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that intermingle with death, deception, for his father about helping someone has left even the FBI baffled? and surprise. out, things get even stranger.

Book Beat is located at 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park (Lincoln Shopping Center) • 248-968-1190 Meet Blue Balliett

Blue Balliett grew up in , where she often visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Frick Collection. She took public transporta- tion to school around the city, and discovered early that every crowded bus or train is packed with mystery and drama and that stories are everywhere. Balliett studied art history at Brown University. She and her family lived year-round on Nantucket Island for many years, and now live in Chicago. Before becoming a full-time writer, she taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Balliett is a recipient of the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award, the first time the award was given to a children’s book writer. She has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and has been featured in various national and international publications.

What the critics had to say about Blue Balliett books... “Ingeniously plotted... Balliet is an original... Thick with devilish red herrings, this smart, playful story never stops challenging (and exhilarating) the audience.” - Publishers Weekly, starred review “Great reads... Fans of E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game will find equal pleasure in this debut by a talented writer.” - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Balliett has created an intriguing fictional world where patterns and coincidences deserve a second look, and happenstance can hold great meaning. The book’s masterfully detailed illustrations by Brett Helquist (of fame) add to the story’s appeal.”

Think Ahead: Signed Books Make Treasured Gifts!

Please return this Order Form to the Book Beat by Monday, October 4, 2010.

The Danger Box (New Title)...... H.C. ONLY $18.01...... $______❒ Author’s Signature Only ...... or ❒ Inscribed to:______The Calder Game...... H.C. $19.07, P.B. $8.47...... $______❒ Author’s Signature Only ...... or ❒ Inscribed to:______The Wright 3...... H.C. $18.01, P.B. $8.47...... $______❒ Author’s Signature Only ...... or ❒ Inscribed to:______Chasing Vermeer...... H.C. $17.97, P.B. $8.47 ...... $______❒ Author’s Signature Only ...... or ❒ Inscribed to:______

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $______Please make checks payable to: BOOK BEAT. Please pay by cash or check. If you wish to purchase books using a credit card, please call Book Beat at 248-968-1190 to place your order. Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express accepted. Books will also be available at the event. Book Beat is located at 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park (Lincoln Shopping Center).

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Book Beat is located at 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park (Lincoln Shopping Center) • 248-968-1190 • www.thebookbeat.com