Review Praise for the Sammy Keyes series: "Van Draanen offers such an explosive combination of high-stakes sleuthing, hilarity, and breathlessly paced action that it's impossible to turn the pages fast enough." --Kirkus Reviews "There's no stopping Sammy."--Publishers Weekly "An intelligent, gutsy, flawed, and utterly likable heroine."--Booklist "Move over, Nancy Drew--a new sleuth is on the scene."--Girls' Life "Think a combination of Carl Hiaasen's Flush and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and you'll be right on target." --School Library Journal"A high-quality, high-amp mystery series." --The Horn Book "This funny, clever series is NOT for kids only. I challenge the most seasoned mystery reader to guess 'who done it.'" --Cozies, Capers, and Crimes "Sammy Keyes comes armed with attitude." --Orlando Sentinel "Sammy doesn't find mysteries to solve--they find her." --Arizona Republic "Humor, romance and adventure; this story is an absolute blast." --Chicago Tribune "If you haven't met Sammy Keyes yet, now is the time." --Children's Literature Synopsis Sammy continues to make life with her grandmother interesting as she tries to discover who is stealing from St. Mary's church, befriends a homeless girl, and plays in a softball tournament against a bitter rival. From the Inside Flap While serving a detention in the soup kitchen at St. Mary's Church for an infraction committed during her last case, Sammy Keyes becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of Father Mayhew's prized ivory cross. Ace detective that she is, Sammy manages to prove her innocence but soon discovers that, under its calm exterior, St. Mary's is abuzz with gossip, jealousy, and intrigue--just like junior high! Meanwhile, back at school, Sammy's beloved catcher's mitt--her only connection to her father--disappears just when her team makes the semifinals. Add to this mix: a dog who eats everything in sight, a lesson in safe cracking from a homeless girl who bears a striking resemblance to Sammy, and an exuberant trio of gospel-singing nuns called the Sisters of Mercy, and you've got one wild ride of a mystery--or just another week in the life of Samantha Keyes. About the Author WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN was a classroom teacher for many years before becoming a full-time writer. The books in the Sammy Keyes mystery series have been embraced by critics and readers alike, with Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief receiving the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best children's mystery. Wendelin is also the author of many award-winning novels, including Flipped, The Running Dream, Runaway, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, Swear to Howdy, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, and Wild Bird. You can find her online at WendelinVanDraanen.com and @WendelinVanD, and you can follow Sammy Keyes on Facebook.
K**R
Good Condition
The cover was diferent than the one shown, but the book was almost close to new! This Sammy Keyes series book is very good
B**2
Sammy rules!
I love the part when she drives the nun mobile and thinks she has got the hang of it. Ha ha ha ha ha 😆
U**E
Cool
I loved the book. It was a cute book. It was interesting too. I love mystery so this book was great.
A**H
I love books about smart girls
I needed a break from all of the emotionally heavy books I was reading, and this fit the bill. To be fair, the book does cover some heavy topics, including homelessness and abandonment, but there is plenty of levity in the book that left me feeling hopeful and not in despair.I listened to the audio and Tara Sands does a lovely job with Sammy. I appreciate her voice from Hudson because it sounds exactly the way I would imagine a 12-year-old imitating a grandfather type.I think what I appreciate most about this book is though there's a mean girl character, this is not one of those mean girl narratives, and it doesn't fall into the trap of tweens coveting popularity above all else. In fact, at one point, Sammy says how happy she is to have two close friends instead of a lot of friends, and I think this may be the first time I've actually seen that explicitly addressed in a middle grade novel.Sammy is great. I love books about smart girls, and I especially love books about smart girls who go to grown ups for help when they're in over their heads.
S**N
FUN! FUN! FUN!
Instead of serving detention at her junior high, Samantha "Sammy" Keyes is putting in twenty hours of community service at St. Mary's church after school. It's almost fun until Father Mayhew's valuable ivory cross is missing. At first he suspects her and she's banished to the soup kitchen. She has to clear her name and fast. Then other things go missing and she's on the case with a whole bunch of suspects to choose from. The church's regular staff, a group of traveling gospel singing nuns, a homeless girl, and a carrot eating dog who devours everything in sight. What's really weird is that as she investigates she realizes that St. Mary's is a lot like junior high with its gossip, jealousies, secrets, and cliques. Things aren't perfect at school either. Her softball team is in the middle of the final playoffs. Someone has taken her catcher's mitt. It's the only thing she has of her fathers. Its theft is more than a little upsetting and threatens to affect her game. Although the mystery is a little predictable, it's fun. Full of quirky characters sure to keep a smile on any reader's face. You can't help cheering for Sammy as she battles tween angst and at the same time tracks down the thieves at both school and St Mary's. kidsmysteryreviews.com
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
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