Wendelin Van Draanen

The final mystery starring Sammy Keyes: “the most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)” —Midwest Children’s Book Review Sammy doesn’t go looking for trouble, but sh

"When youth sleuth Sammy Keyes travels to Las Vegas to stop her mom from marrying her boyfriend's dad, she never expects she'll learn the identity of her absent father in the process"--Provided by pub

Sammy thought she'd seen all the weirdness her town had to offer—and then she met Justice Jack, Santa Martina's very own superhero. Well, really he's just a guy in spandex and a mask who rides around

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 ho

For junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats!The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first se

The accidental junior high detective Sammy Keyes is back in her twelfth hysterical mystery adventure!Sammy has three wads of cold hard cash in her hot little hands. An old guy gave them to her. Well,

THIS IS NOT the summer camping trip of Sammy’s dreams. She imagined shade, streams, a deer or two. But she winds up in a phony forest with scrubby shrubs, blazing sun, rattlesnakes, and scorpions. Her

The bad news: Sammy’s made a deadly mistake.The good news: No one knows she did it.The delicious dilemma: Everyone thinks her archenemy Heather is to blame.Now Heather’s in a major jam, and in some wa

And this new adventure is Wendelin Van Draanen's most complex and compelling yet! It's Christmastime in Sammy's hometown of Santa Martina, but some people are being very, very naughty. Pranksters dres

Now in paperback! A paw-some new dog detective from an Edgar Award winning author. Mr. Whiskers is on the trail of a kidnapped dad, pirate treasure, and a place to call home... Mr. Whiskers is a street-wise stray dog with a nose for trouble and a fondness for two girls he calls the Shenanigan Sisters. So when Misty and Zelda's professor father is kidnapped, Mr. Whiskers follows that car, picking up vital clues. Then the two intrepid girls and one great dog follow the trail through the streets of San Francisco, discovering hidden passageways, buried secrets, and even pirate treasure. But will they be able to rescue Dad? You bet your best biscuit, they will! Wendelin Van Draanen's new mystery is the ulti-mutt kid-pleasing caper.

In this STEM-powered picture book, gravity becomes a very personal subject for a girl as she stumbles and tumbles through a long day.When Leda wakes up by falling out of bed, she knows that gravity must be in a very bad mood.Sure enough, she struggles with stumbles and bumbles at home, on the bus, in the classroom, at recess and lunch… A lesson on gravity illuminates what’s going on. And after a visit to a science center, Leda and gravity are both feeling better. Just in time for her to tumble-- happily!--into bed.With a very funny text from award-winner Wendelin Van Draanen and bright, bouncy illustrations from Cornelia Lia, Gravity is Bringing Me Down makes it hilariously clear how this science concept impacts kids' lives every day.

Mr. Whiskers is a paw-some new dog detective from an Edgar Award winning author. He's on the trail of a kidnapped dad, pirate treasure, and a place to call home...Mr. Whiskers is a street-wise stray dog with a nose for trouble and a fondness for two girls he calls the Shenanigan Sisters. So when Misty and Zelda’s professor father is kidnapped, Mr. Whiskers follows that car, picking up vital clues. Then the two intrepid girls and one great dog follow the trail through the streets of San Francisco, discovering hidden passageways, buried secrets, and even pirate treasure. But will they be able to rescue Dad? You bet your best biscuit, they will!Wendelin Van Draanen's new mystery is the ulti-mutt kid-pleasing caper.

From the author of The Running Dream comes a heart-swelling historical tale of friendship, family, and the power of sisterhood to help heal the wounds of the past and step boldly into the future.Ginny Rose and Peggy were best friends at seven, picking peaches on hot summer days. Peggy’s family owned the farm, and Ginny Rose’s were pickers, escaping the Oklahoma dust storms. That didn’t matter to them then, but now, ten years, hard miles, and a world war later, Ginny Rose’s family is back in town and their differences feel somehow starker. Especially since Peggy’s new best friend, Lisette, is a wealthy banker’s daughter. Still, there's no denying what all three girls have in common: Families with great fissures that are about to break wide open. And a determination to not just accept things as they are anymore. This summer they will each make a stand. It’s a season of secrets revealed. Of daring plans to heal old wounds. Of hearts won and hearts broken. A summer when everythin

Want to write a novel? This book is the motivation you need! Part writing guide and part memoir, this inspiring book from the author of Flipped and The Running Dream is like Bird by Bird for YA readers and writers.Wendelin Van Draanen didn't grow up wanting to be a writer, but thirty books later, she's convinced that writing saved her life. Or, at least, saved her from a life of bitterness and despair. Writing helped her sort out what she thought and felt and wanted. And digging deep into fictional characters helped her understand the real people in her life better as well.Wendelin shares what she's learned--about writing, life, and what it takes to live the writing life. This book is packed with practical advice on the craft: about how to create characters and plot a story that's exciting to read. But maybe even more helpful is the insight she provides into the persistence, and perseverance, it takes to live a productive, creative life. And she answers the age-old question Where do yo

From the award-winning author of The Running Dream and Flipped comes a remarkable portrait of a girl who has hit rock bottom but begins a climb back to herself at a wilderness survival camp.3:47 a.m.

A fresh and funny story about a boy learning to become the brave hero of his own life, perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and The Fourteenth Goldfish. My secret life is filled with psychic vamp

The final mystery starring Sammy Keyes: “the most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)” —Midwest Children’s Book Review Sammy doesn’t go looking for trouble, but she s

Sammy struggles to get to know her dad better on a cruise, only to be swept up in a perplexing case involving the disappearance of an heiress.

In this penultimate book in the Sammy Keyes series, Sammy solves a classic locked-room mystery aboard a cruise ship.Sammy knew that getting to know her new dad on a cruise would be a little uncomforta

In this pivotal book in the Sammy Keyes series, Sammy tackles the persistent mysteries of her own life.Mysteries like: Who is her father? And why has her mother kept it such a secret? How long can she

Sammy thought she'd seen all the weirdness her town had to offer—and then she met Justice Jack, Santa Martina's very own superhero. Well, really he's just a guy in spandex and a mask who rides around

"It's a cold, hard, cruel fact that my mother loved heroin more than she loved me."Holly is in her fifth foster home in two years and she's had enough. She's run away before and always been caught qui

Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book AwardJessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.From the Hardcover edition.

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 ho

Dave Sanchez is an average boy with an after-school job and a pet gecko named Sticky. All very normal—until the day Sticky talks. Sticky tells Dave a wild tale of a former life of crime, searching for

Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book AwardJessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a pro

For junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats!The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first se

EVANGELINE LOGAN WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your Fantasy (a self-he

EVANGELINE LOGAN WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your Fantasy (a self-he

Sammy Keyes trades in her hightops for hiking boots—and winds up with blisters.This is not the summer camping trip of Sammy's dreams. She imagined shady glades, meandering streams, a deer or two. What

"It's a cold, hard, cruel fact that my mother loved heroin more than she loved me."Holly is in her fifth foster home in two years and she's had enough. She's run away before and always been caught qui

Joey Banks is a walking adventure. He’s funny, daring, mischievous—and frequently in trouble. Or he would be if anyone found out about half the stuff he’s done. But Rusty Cooper knows how to keep a se

Sammy Keyes has a lot of nerve. Wearing high-tops to a fancy reception at an art gallery. Asking why a framed orange splot is worth $10,000. Eyebrows rise. Noses turn up.But then Sammy tackles a thief

Sammy’s softball team is in contention for the Junior Slugger’s Cup, and all she wants to do is hunker down behind home plate and catch strikes. But Heather Acosta brings new meaning to the term “foul

Joey Banks is a walking adventure. He’s funny, daring, mischievous—and frequently in trouble. Or he would be if anyone found out about half the stuff he’s done. But Rusty Cooper knows how to keep a se

The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. She says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first