"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)"—Midwest Children's Book Review
What Sammy should have done was put the binoculars down and call 911. What she does instead is tighten up the focus on her right eye to get a better look. There's something very familiar about this thief.
But when Sammy eventually spills her story to Officer Borsch, he doesn't believe her. He treats her like some snot-nosed little kid. Well, Sammy's not going to stand for that. She's a snot-nosed seventh grader now, and she knows what she saw. And somehow she's going to prove it.
The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.
WINNER
| 2000 Massachusetts Children's Book Master List
WINNER
| 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel
SELECTION
| 2003 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
SELECTION
| 2002 Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Master List
NOMINEE
| 2002 Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
SELECTION
| 2002 Indiana Young Hoosier Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
SELECTION
| 2001 Florida Sunshine State Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Arizona Young Readers Master List
NOMINEE
| 2001 Arizona Young Readers Award
SELECTION
| 2000 Maryland Children's Book Award
SELECTION
| 2000 New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2000 Utah Children's Book Award
SELECTION
| 2000 Virginia Young Readers Program Master List
Wendelin Van Draanen spent many years as a classroom teacher and is now a full-time writer. She is the author of many award-winning books, including the Sammy Keyes mysteries, Flipped, The Running Dream, Runaway, Wild Bird, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, Swear to Howdy, and Hope in the Mail, Reflections on Writing and Life. Ms. Van Draanen lives with her husband in California. Her hobbies include the “three R’s”: reading, running, and rock ’n’ roll. To read more about Wendelin Van Draanen’s books, please visit WendelinVanDraanen.com.
View titles by Wendelin Van Draanen
"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)"—Midwest Children's Book Review
What Sammy should have done was put the binoculars down and call 911. What she does instead is tighten up the focus on her right eye to get a better look. There's something very familiar about this thief.
But when Sammy eventually spills her story to Officer Borsch, he doesn't believe her. He treats her like some snot-nosed little kid. Well, Sammy's not going to stand for that. She's a snot-nosed seventh grader now, and she knows what she saw. And somehow she's going to prove it.
The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.
Awards
WINNER
| 2000 Massachusetts Children's Book Master List
WINNER
| 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel
SELECTION
| 2003 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
SELECTION
| 2002 Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Master List
NOMINEE
| 2002 Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award
SELECTION
| 2002 Indiana Young Hoosier Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
SELECTION
| 2001 Florida Sunshine State Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2001 Arizona Young Readers Master List
NOMINEE
| 2001 Arizona Young Readers Award
SELECTION
| 2000 Maryland Children's Book Award
SELECTION
| 2000 New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Master List
SELECTION
| 2000 Utah Children's Book Award
SELECTION
| 2000 Virginia Young Readers Program Master List
Author
Wendelin Van Draanen spent many years as a classroom teacher and is now a full-time writer. She is the author of many award-winning books, including the Sammy Keyes mysteries, Flipped, The Running Dream, Runaway, Wild Bird, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, Swear to Howdy, and Hope in the Mail, Reflections on Writing and Life. Ms. Van Draanen lives with her husband in California. Her hobbies include the “three R’s”: reading, running, and rock ’n’ roll. To read more about Wendelin Van Draanen’s books, please visit WendelinVanDraanen.com.
View titles by Wendelin Van Draanen
