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Girl in hyacinth blue -
Susan Vreeland.
Denver : MacMurray & Beck, c1999.
242 p. ; 19 cm.
Best Books:
- Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
- Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY), 2000 Outstanding Book of the Year Storyteller of the Year United States
Reading Measurement Programs:
Accelerated Reader
Interest Level Upper Grade
Book Level 6.2
Accelerated Reader Points 7
Lexile, MetaMetrics, Inc.
Lexile Measure 950
Reviews:
- Diane Masla (VOYA, October 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 4))
The painting of the girl dressed in blue, gazing ahead with wondrous innocence, sewing forgotten on her lap, is truly an artistic masterpiece. Did the renowned Dutch artist Jan Vermeer actually paint it? By way of answering this question, Vreeland traces Girl in Hyacinth Blue from its ownership in the late twentieth century to the very moment of its creation more than three hundred years earlier. Each chapter is a story unto itself, bound together by the elusive beauty of the painting. There is the heartbreaking story of young Hannah, a Jewish girl who watches her life dissolve in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. This tale is followed by the bittersweet reflections of a middle-aged father, who watches his daughter glow in love. Then readers are treated to a hilarious depiction of a French woman and her dalliance in the Dutch country she hated. The reader also is caught in the spell of the mysterious girl of the painting, until at last Vreeland reveals the real girl with her own true story. This is not a quick read. The language is so elegant, the descriptions so evocative, and the characters so perfectly sketched that not one beautiful sentence can be rushed. Teachers and librarians working with older teens might find several ways to use this book, as it is equally art appreciation, historical fiction, and excellent literature. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 1999, MacMurray & Beck, 242p, $17.50. Ages 15 to Adult.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PS3572.R34 G57 1999 |
99027405 |
813/.54 |
1878448900 (hc.) 9781878448903 |