# The Calder Game

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Book by Blue Balliett

The Calder Game Front cover, designed by Brett Helquist Author Blue Balliett Illustrator Brett Helquist Cover artist Brett Helquist Language English Genre Children's mystery novel Published May 1, 2008 Scholastic Press[1] Publication place United States Media type Print (hardback & paperback) Pages 379 pgs. ISBN 0-439-85207-2 OCLC 171287569 LC Class PZ7.B2128 Cal 2008 Preceded by The Wright 3

- [Children's literature portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Children%27s_literature)

***The Calder Game*** is a children's novel written by [Blue Balliett](/source/Blue_Balliett) and illustrated by [Brett Helquist](/source/Brett_Helquist), published in 2008. It is the sequel to *[The Wright 3](/source/The_Wright_3)*, which in turn is the sequel to *[Chasing Vermeer](/source/Chasing_Vermeer)*. Some underlying themes include the art of [Alexander Calder](/source/Alexander_Calder), [pentominoes](/source/Pentomino), and the freedom of public art.

Calder, Petra, and Tommy next appeared in Balliett’s book *Pieces and Players*, published in 2015.[2]

## Plot overview

Calder Pillay travels with his father to [Woodstock, Oxfordshire](/source/Woodstock%2C_Oxfordshire) and becomes interested in an unexpected [Alexander Calder](/source/Alexander_Calder) [sculpture](/source/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](/source/School_Library_Journal)* called it "every bit as intricate, engaging, and delightful" as its two precursors and praised the structure of the novel.[3] *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)* was positive and wrote that it was "an ambitious novel".[4] BookPage's Alice Cary praised the pacing and intriguing questions.[5] The website [Kidsreads.com](/source/Kidsreads.com) claimed that *The Calder Game* is "Balliett's best work of fiction yet".[6]

However, *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)* felt that *The Calder Game* "falls short of *[Chasing Vermeer](/source/Chasing_Vermeer)*'s brilliance" and it was marred by a "problematic construction and too many tidy [dei ex machinis](/source/Dei_ex_machina)".[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The Calder Game"](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0439852072). Amazon.com. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Weltman, June. ["Book review: 'Pieces and Players' by Blue Balliett"](https://www.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/books/2016/11/27/book-review-pieces-and-players-blue-balliett/15733190007/). *The Florida Times-Union*. Retrieved August 14, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Burns, Connie Tyrrell (June 1, 2008). ["Grades 5 & Up"](http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6566226.html). *School Library Journal*. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Children's Book Reviews: Week of 5/19/2008"](http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childens/childrens-book-news/article/4746-children-s-book-reviews-week-of-5-19-2008-.html). *Publishers Weekly*. May 19, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Cary, Alice. ["State-of-the-art mystery"](http://www.bookpage.com/0805bp/children/calder_game.html). BookPage. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Piehl, Norah. ["The Calder Game Review"](http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/9780439852081.asp). Kidsreads.com. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Calder Game"](http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/blue-balliett/the-calder-game/). *Kirkus Reviews*. May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2011.

Authority control databases Open Library

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Calder Game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calder_Game) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calder_Game?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.