Claim: Born Elizabeth Balliett, Blue Balliett wrote Chasing Vermeer, an award-winning novel which was illustrated by Brett Helquist, and won the 2005 Edgar Award in the Best Juvenile category and the Agatha Award in the category Best Children's or Young Adult.
Evidence: She was born Elizabeth Balliett, but her family started calling her Blue shortly after her birth. Blue Balliett (born 1955 in New York) is an American author, best known for her award-winning novel for children, Chasing Vermeer. Illustrated by Brett Helquist, it concerns the fictitious theft of a painting by 17th-century Dutch artist Jan Vermeer. The book was a bestseller and won a number of accolades and awards, including the 2005 Edgar Award in the Best Juvenile category. In addition, she was awarded the Agatha Award in 2004 in the category Best Children's or Young Adult.