Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen (born January 6, Chicago, Illinois) is an American author of children's books. She lives in California with her husband Mark Parsons and two sons, Colton and Connor. The daughter of chemists who emigrated to the U.S. from Holland, she worked as a math teacher and then as a high school computer science teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her books feature spunky lead characters and very real classroom dialogue. Van Draanen is probably best-known for her "Sammy Keyes" series of novels, featuring a teenage detective named Samantha ("Sammy") Keyes. "Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief" won the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. In 2004-2005 Van Draanen wrote a four-book series for younger readers called "Shredderman", about a 5th grade boy who assumes a secret identity to help him win the battle for truth and justice. These two series manage to be character driven and very funny while featuring fast-paced plots. Van Draanen also wrote the standalone teen romance "Flipped" in a he-said she-said style with the two protagonists alternately presenting their perspective on a shared set of events. Her latest book, "Runaway", is about a girl named Holly who tries to escape from her latest foster home. The 12th book of the "Sammy Keyes" series will be released in December of 2008.

Bibilography

Shredderman series

*"" (2004)
*"" (2004)
*"" (2005)
*"" (2005)

Sammy Keyes series

*"Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief" (1998) (1999 Edgar Award, Best Juvenile)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man" (1998)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy" (1999)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf" (1999)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary" (2000) (2001 Edgar Award nominee, Best Juvenile)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy" (2001)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake-Eyes" (2002) (2003 Edgar Award nominee, Best Juvenile)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception" (2003) (2004 Edgar Award nominee, Best Juvenile)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen" (2004)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway" (2005)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things" (2007)
*"Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash" (October 14, 2008)

Non-series

* "Flipped" (2002)
* "Runaway" (2006) (Texas Lone Star Book) (Based on part of one of the Sammy Keyes novels.)
* "Swear to Howdy" (2003)

ee also

*"Shredderman Rules"

External links

* [http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/ Wendelin Van Draanen's official web site]

References

*"Spring Attractions: Children's Authors Talk about New Projects and What's on the Horizon". (April 1, 2002). "Publisher's Weekly", pp. 24-26