Sammy Keyes #1-2

by Wendelin Van Draanen

Winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for best children's mystery, Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man is paired here with Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. This series is popular with 5th through 8th graders who enjoy adventure and mystery!

Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

About the author

Wendelin Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Warner Brothers feature film with Rob Reiner directing. Her novel The Running Dream was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience.

Van Draanen's latest book, Hope in the Mail, is part memoir, part writing guided, designed to encourage aspiring writers to pursue their dream.

Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie.

Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.

Reviews

[Theo kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series! Sammy is humorous, scrappy and endearing. Her natural curiosity and desire to help others often gets her into some tricky situations, making each book a unique adventure. She also matures and learns some important lessons about relationships, peer pressure, bullies, and everything else a middle schooler faces on an average day. I appreciated how effortlessly the life lessons were nestled into a compelling mystery every time. An absolute treat to read, for mystery lovers of any age!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

whole series is amazing

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all these books in 5th or 6th grade and I really loved them :D

[Jasmin Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Sammy Keyes, love Wendelin Van Draanen. Sammy was the first strong, independent badass girl I identified with, and wanted to be since fourth grade. I continued to read this series through high school and even college, and cried a little when it ended. Every single book was great though, and I wish every little girl who growing up in an opressive society/family reads them.