The Frame-Up: A Fantasy About Living Paintings and Art Heist Intrigue for Children (Ages 8-12)

When Sargent Singer discovers that the paintings in his father’s gallery are alive, he is pulled into a captivating world behind the frame that he never knew existed.Filled with shady characters, devious plots, and a grand art heist, this inventive mystery-adventure celebrates art and artists and is perfect for fans of Night at the Museum and Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer. There’s one important rule at the Beaverbrook Gallery—don’t let anyone know the paintings are alive. Mona Dunn, forever frozen at thirteen when her portrait was painted by William Orpen, has just broken that rule. Luckily twelve-year-old Sargent Singer, an aspiring artist himself, is more interested in learning about the vast and intriguing world behind the frame than he is in sharing her secret.And when Mona and Sargent suspect shady dealings are happening behind the scenes at the gallery, they set out to find the culprit. They must find a way to save the gallery—and each other—before they are lost forever. With an imaginative setting, lots of intrigue, and a thoroughly engaging cast of characters, The Frame-Up will captivate readers of Jacqueline West’s The Books of Elsewhere.But when a masterpiece goes missing, can a boy who just wants to get to know his father and a girl who can’t leave her frame uncover the truth in time?Living Paintings: At the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the portraits whisper, scheme, and sometimes even break the rules. For thirteen-year-old Mona Dunn, this secret is her whole world.Middle Grade Mystery: When Sargent and Mona suspect a conspiracy is unfolding behind the scenes, they'll have to team up to expose a shocking art heist before their favorite paintings disappear forever.Art Gallery Setting: Explore a world of hidden passages, late-night meetings in famous works of art, and danger lurking where no one expects it—right behind the frame.Father-Son Relationship: Sargent just wanted to spend the summer getting to know his distant father, the gallery's director. He never expected to be the only one who could save his dad's life's work. Read more