August 5, 2024
Visual artists

Connecting Visual Art and Literature, a guest post by Amy Brownlee


As a librarian and reading teacher, I am always looking for ways to make connections between what students are reading and the community.

In my 25 years in education, I’ve helped students connect to visual arts through picture books, novels, nonfiction, collaborations with the art teacher, and illustrator studies. I love art galleries, art museums, and public art. I believe our lives are enriched by viewing, discussing, and creating art.

I had been reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, an art mystery with a paranormal twist, with my fifth- and sixth-grade literature circle group for many years and was looking for a new book in the same genre. I was thrilled to discover Framed, by James Ponti, an intriguing middle grade mystery about paintings that go missing from an art gallery and a genius kid recruited by the FBI to help solve crimes.