Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls

Sammy Keyes #14

by Wendelin Van Draanen

In her newest adventure, junior high detective Sammy Keyes and her friends take a detour through a graveyard on Halloween night and find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Sammy must figure out how three missing people, two human skulls, and one ghoulish embalmer add up before she winds up six feet under herself!

And school presents its own set of tricks and treats. Sammy knows that a classmate is guilty of beating up a man on Halloween night. Should she obey the law and tell Officer Borsch? Or should she obey the junior high code and keep quiet?

Life and death and truth and justice have never been so tangled up...


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Juvenile

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2011

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

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It still amazes me that a series written for the juvenile/young adult audience appeals so much to me, and I don't think it's because I'm a juvenile reader. Sammy continues to grow in intelligence and maturity, and the world of this series continues to expand as new characters enter and old ones return. This volume deals with death and how different cultures deal with it, from those of the United States to Mexico and to earlier Native American cultures (the title comes from an unusual and little-known tradition of one of these). The book manages to explore death rites and perspectives from religious and secular traditions without saying that one is the "true" answer, and I think it's a good book for young people who might not yet have a handle on what they feel about death.

With this book, the series has come full circle through the holidays and started over. My kids are convinced the holiday themes will still be a pattern; I'm still getting used to the fact that the series didn't end when Sammy finished seventh grade, so I'm happy for whatever comes next. Surprisingly, I'm also happy to know that the series will end after the 18th book, because I can't see it maintaining its charm with Sammy in high school. It's sad to see the end in sight, but that's better than being blindsided by it.

(Isn't it wonderful when you get a new book and have to wrestle two children to have a shot at it? It's thanks to the persistence of my youngest that we have it at all.)

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! A classic Sammy adventure. I feel like there was a hint of this mystery potentially being linked to a bigger mystery for the rest of the series - I hope so!

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember being interested in this series when it was new and I was about Sammy's age. between then and now, I actually lived in Los Angeles... I often seem to enjoy a book just a bit more when it's set somewhere that I've been. I picked this up just for the Halloween theme, not because I'm trying to get back into the series. the book ended up being a discussion about mortality, with Sammy confronting (perhaps for the first time) her feelings about her own death, which I'm guessing many younger readers might relate to. also: how to live a good life so that, I guess, when you reach the end, you feel satisfied with who you were and what you accomplished. Sammy has to explore her sense of ethics, too, as she navigates complex relationships.

a lot of the book is dialogue. I am not familiar with all of the characters, so it took me a while to figure out what their roles are and the patterns in their interactions. there is some exposition, but overall I think this series would be best enjoyed in order. also, and this is a weird complaint, but it would have been nice to have even one example of a parent doing some legit parenting.

[~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HE WAS HAVING LUNCH WITH HIS PARENTS ☹️😭😭😭

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how reflective this story was about death, though I don't think the mystery itself was completely solved.

Reveal: Two employees of the graveyard were helping the actual serial killer get rid of the corpses by hiding the victims below bodies that were officially scheduled to be buried. They also kept the previous groundskeeper hostage. We do not find out who they were working for, who was actually running the operation.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

aaaaand another one. love u sammy

[Amyanne Murray]

shooooot friends sammy is fighting organized CRIME now. they grow up so fast ),:

[Katie]

Basically Wendelin Van Draanen teaching us about burial customs around the globe. But also some fun old-fashioned feel Sammy Keyes shenanigans

[Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, Sammy Keyes is for kiddies, but I've been reading her mysteries since I was the proper age for them, and I'm not about to give up on ol' Sammy now!

This one was very good. Not quiiiite up there with my favorites, but better than some. Just like "Sammy Keyes and the Cold, Hard Cash" involved lots of musings about money and its role in Sammy's life and in people's behavior, this book involved Sammy mulling over the theme of death and how bodies are treated after they die. It was all interesting because the inner workings of a funeral home were described but it wasn't too gross because it was for younger people. It was also timely because I just saw a creepy segment on "60 Minutes" about how the burial/cemetery industry is very unregulated and there are not the same kind of consumer protections that most businesses have.

I guess the only issue with this book is that, even though at the end of ALL the books, Sammy and her young friends pluckily hand some dangerous criminals their downfall, this one seemed a little more preposterous than most. Maybe it was because Sammy didn't somehow accidentally get mixed up in something, she repeatedly went looking for it of her own volition. Also, there wasn't a lot of tie-up after the crime, and there was an explanation but it was a little rushed and vague.

But that's my only issue. The Sammy Keyes series is entertaining, gripping, and VERY well-written. If you know any middle-school aged kids, especially girls who don't fit the stereotype of "girlie," this is definitely a series they should be reading.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not as enchanted with this series as I used to be. The plot was interesing although a bit convoluted and quite creepy, but I'm just kind of tiring of certain things..the constant fighting and baiting between Sammy and Heather, etc.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am almost positive I have read this before...And the second time through was just as captivating and enjoyable as the first time through.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book in this series. We enjoyed that the Scooby gang all worked together to catch the 'bad guys'.

[Tamila]

Eighth grade Sammy Keyes is not as charming as the seventh grade Sammy that I have come to know and love. This book and the one before it feel a bit uninspired, like we’re just going through the motions now. There’s a lot of “this happened and then we did this and then he said this and then we went there.” The first 11 books were incredibly rich and each one was special, and it’s no longer like that. Is it because Sammy is more grown up, so there are fewer life lessons to learn? Not that there aren’t life lessons in this book - there definitely are. But it doesn’t feel the same. It also seems like the author is making an effort to give every supporting character equal screen time and contribution, which leads to the rambling pace of the story. Sammy now has so many friends that every scene features a different sidekick. I think my favorite thing about this book was that Dusty Mike didn’t die. For a book whose main themes center around death, and for a series that doesn’t shy away from the ugly truths of life, the fact that he survived was the biggest twist of all.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out revisiting Sammy Keyes around Thanksgiving or Christmas, going through them fairly leisurely. When a family crisis rocked my world in February, nothing else would do. I binged all the way up through book 13, then had to wait whole titles were on hold. But I finally got my hands on book 14 (and then checked out the rest of the series so it wouldn’t happen again).

I had trouble putting this one down and I really enjoyed it overall. Like The Search for Snake Eyes, there were a couple of cringey White People Learn Lessons moments, but they were thankfully short. And one of the related plot points felt like an afterthought. Maybe my rating is inflated because I’m just so happy to be sitting and knitting and spending time in Santa Martina with its ragtag bunch of misfits.

[Jasmine Hariri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy Keyes and The Night of Skulls by Wendelin Van Draanen is a very good book. First, Sammy and her squad go trick-or-treating and get chased by a man with a shovel when they trespass the graveyard. Then, Heather Acosta has to make their night even weirder by attacking them! When they get to Hudson's house they find out Billy had gotten two SKULLS in the sack that the beast chasing them had dropped. Then, they're suddenly following people who murder or whatever nonsense! What they don't know, is somebody is following them and they could be next. I recommend this to dare-devils and everyone else.

[chloe-phloe ₊ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What are you looking at?” Casey asks because my eyes are glued to the big walnut tree that’s off to our left.

“I saw something,” I whisper.

“A ghost?” he teases.

I stand up and head for the tree.

“Okay … maybe a squirrel?” he says, following me. “A bird?”

But when I get around the walnut tree, what I find isn’t a squirrel or a bird or a ghost.

It’s a man.

24.03.30
ghost hunting with bae

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d say perfect timing that I’m reading this around Halloween, but the way I’m going through these, I’ll have read almost the entire series in October, so it doesn’t really mean that much.

Anyway, this one was good. I really liked the drama around Danny Urbanski and the rest of the kids, and I’m very happy for Marissa. The mystery itself was good, on par with most of the others.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first two books of Sammy's grade 8 have really upped the stakes on the stories. More serious threats to Sammy and her relationships. More stain on friendships and relationships with family. Night of Skulls pushes the limit on the talk of death and as always Van Draanen navigates the story like no one else.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the more interesting of the last few Sammy Keyes books. I've always thought she should do the right thing, and when she tries, she gets rebuffed. She does have some very thoughtful discussions with Sergeant Borsch, and continues to develop friendships.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the hallmarks of Sammy Keyes books are the incredibly unlikely scenarios that lead to a mystery that must be solved. But this one was a bit far-fetched. Too many coincidental crises led to a book that stretched the limits of “realistic” fiction.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still loving this series. This one was a real roller coaster ride near the ending--I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I'm looking forward to #15--fingers crossed my library's ILL can get it to me!

[Isla Chiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

another fun entry in the Sammy Keyes series.

[Andi kain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good Halloween book

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the development of Sammy’s story. And the mystery is pretty good too. I also really like the exploration of death and burial customs in this one. It’s so interesting! This series is the best.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mall, office and picnic scenes truly rocked.

[Sydney Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how Van Draanen touched on other cultures in this one!

[Charly Troff (JustaReadingMama) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Sammy Keyes book that I couldn't put down! I once again loved the themes, the plot, the characters, and the friendships in this.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I cried at the end.

[Heather Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.
I feel sorry for the generations that are missing out on Sammy Keyesta’s adventures, due to this series being ‘outdated’.

[AP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters again, esp love it when Holly, Marissa show up.