Chasing Vermeer: Chapters 12–16

by Blue Balliett
In this mystery, middle-schoolers Calder and Petra get caught up in the search for a stolen painting by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–20, Chapters 21–24
15 words 257 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. blackmail
    exert pressure on someone through threats
    They also agreed that a scholarly terrorist should not be allowed to blackmail the art establishment and endanger one of the world’s greatest treasures simply to have his or her way.
  2. insight
    clear or deep perception of a situation
    If she liked both Fort and Vermeer, she might have some insights on the theft.
  3. scalding
    extremely hot
    Petra wanted to giggle, but instead choked on her cake and had to wash it down with a scalding gulp of Earl Grey.
  4. subdued
    restrained in style or quality
    Petra’s voice was subdued. “No, but guess what? My dad just left on a business trip and wouldn’t tell my mom where he was going...."
  5. queasy
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    Although she knew Ms. Hussey wouldn’t be angry, Petra had a queasy feeling.
  6. publicity
    a message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea
    There was more mail, there was more publicity.
  7. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
    He nodded to Calder and began lettering S-H-A-R with an indelible marker on the outside.
  8. plurality
    the state of being more than one
    They didn’t look like the kinds of books most people would bother with. There were several on the history of mathematics, a book called On the Plurality of Worlds, and another called The Roots of Coincidence.
  9. hefty
    large in amount, extent, or degree
    Calder noticed a hefty pile of papers next to her computer.
  10. outraged
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    Petra felt suddenly outraged for Ms. Hussey.
  11. gargoyle
    an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
    Fargo Hall, close to a century old, had stone gargoyles and carved human heads on every turret and ledge.
  12. radical
    markedly new or introducing extreme change
    Grade Hall, now the Lower School, had been built in 1903 as a home for John Dewey’s radical new school.
  13. quadrangle
    a rectangular area surrounded on all sides by buildings
    Forming the west side of the quadrangle, King Hall had been built almost thirty years later for the University of Chicago’s education department.
  14. reminisce
    recall the past
    Reminiscing about the kindergarten field trip to the basement, a tradition in the Lower School, Calder and Petra watched as the principal struggled with the bolt.
  15. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
    Stuffing them into her pants pocket, she headed toward to the basement entrance as fast as she could go without looking conspicuous.
Created on Wed Aug 22 20:43:13 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Jul 29 13:44:11 EDT 2025)

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