New York, NY (November 30, 2005) -- Flashlight Readers, a unique online book club for kids on Scholastic.com, introduces a virtual extension of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett as its newest book club installment.  Young readers can unravel the world behind this best-selling, mystery children’s book and have access to exclusive information about the author and her journey through her novel.   Flashlight Readers at www.scholastic.com/flashlight, for children in grades 3-5, has more than 100,000 unique members and features popular titles that kids love and parents and teachers trust. 
 
Published in 2004, Chasing Vermeer, a story that’s a puzzle wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure and delivered as a work of art, spent over 30 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and has been translated into 30 different languages. Characters Petra and Calder connect to Flashlight Reader club members by hosting the main activities.  Extras from author, Blue Balliett and illustrator, Brett Helquist give members a sneak peek at what it really takes to craft a book.  Fun, interactive pentominoes, pattern games, art adventures, behind-the-scenes author exclusives, puzzles, bulletin boards and flash boards are included exclusively for members of the Flashlight Readers club.
 
“This virtual experience gives Chasing Vermeer fans the opportunity to continue exploring this exciting adventure story,” said Sylvia Barsotti, Editor-in-Chief of Scholastic.com. “With Flashlight Readers, kids can extend their engagement with a great book well beyond the last page!”
 
Chasing Vermeer on Flashlight Readers has fun, interactive, exclusive features including:
 
· Flash Boards and Bulletin Boards – To share with other Chasing Vermeer readers, kids can post reactions and messages immediately in a moderated format. 
· Pattern Puzzles and Play Pentominoes – Kids can try out the famous puzzles that combine skill practice with story elements that inspire the characters in the book. 
· Masterpiece Match – This interactive game uses descriptive clues to link artists to their masterpieces, so kids can create their own virtual gallery exhibit. 
· Blue’s Photo Album – Kids will get an exclusive guided tour of Blue Balliett’s personal photos as she walks her fans through the writing process. 
· Flashlight Times – Combine a ‘mad lib’ style writing activity with well-known works of art to produce original newspaper articles just like in the book.
· Meet the Author and Illustrator – Get the story of Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist’s lives. 
· Reward: The Frog Fortune Teller – A secret surprise appears in the reward drawer once members have played all activities. 
 
Flashlight Readers is the ultimate multi-media experience for kids who love books.  Other titles on the site include, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Holes by Louis Sachar and Esperanza Rising by Pan Munoz Ryan.  Flashlight Readers also provides school to home learning opportunities with a comprehensive Teacher’s Guide that offers lessons and activities, and a Parent’s Guide with tips and advice on how to use the online reading club at home.  When readers join the virtual reading club they can create free membership cards, which give them access to participate in author chats, leave instant messages for other readers and engage in interactive games that bring books to life. 
 
About Scholastic.com
Scholastic.com is a leading Web site for PreK-8 teachers, students and families. For educators, The Teacher Area offers free, standards-based content, online activities and teacher tools that span reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. The Teacher Store at Scholastic.com features an extensive, relevant selection of classroom and professional development materials at preferred teacher pricing. Most recently special interest areas including a Librarian Area and Administrator Area have been created to provide resources that meet the needs for various educational fields. The Family Area on the site facilitates home-to-school connections with robust resources including rich content and The Scholastic Store Online, which offers a broad mix of merchandise carefully selected for its developmental appropriateness and kid appeal, with learning benefits endorsed by a panel of early childhood experts. The Kids Area offers games and activities featuring children’s favorite Scholastic characters, including Clifford the Big Red Dog™, Harry Potter™ and Captain Underpants™.  Visit www.scholastic.com for more information.

Contacts: