Sammy Keyes facts for kids
The hardcover edition of the first book.
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| Author | Wendelin Van Draanen |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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| Publisher | Random House |
| Published | 1997-2014 |
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The Sammy Keyes series is a collection of mystery novels written by Wendelin Van Draanen. These books are for young readers aged 10 to 16. The stories follow Sammy's exciting adventures as a young, unofficial detective. Sammy herself tells the stories, sharing her thoughts and experiences. The books mix thrilling mysteries with lots of funny moments. Sammy starts her detective journey as a seventh-grader. The series plans to have eighteen books in total.
Contents
Story Setting
The Sammy Keyes novels take place in a made-up town called Santa Martina, located in California. This town is very much like the real city of Santa Maria, California. Many street names and famous places in the books are based on real ones. Other fictional cities mentioned often include Santa Luisa (like San Luis Obispo) and Sisquane (like Sisquoc). The city of Pomloc, a reference to Lompoc, is also mentioned once. All these places are close to the real Santa Maria. Sammy is a teenage detective who solves mysteries. She also deals with her friendships, family life, and relationships.
Main Characters
Samantha "Sammy" Keyes
Sammy is a curious and witty girl. She lives secretly with her grandmother while her mother pursues acting in Hollywood. Sammy solves mysteries around her town and other places she visits. She sometimes faces challenges from other kids. Sammy plays catcher on the school softball team. She uses a mitt that belonged to her dad. The series begins with Sammy starting seventh grade. By later books, she is halfway through her last year of junior high. Sammy has a complicated relationship with her mother.
Rita Keyes "Grams"
Grams is Sammy's grandmother and guardian. She cares deeply for Sammy. Grams often worries when Sammy gets involved in her adventures. They are very close. Sammy and Grams live in a "seniors-only" apartment building. They must keep Sammy's living situation a secret. They also try to avoid their curious neighbors, Mrs. Graybill and Mrs. Wedgewood. This helps them avoid being asked to leave.
Lana Keyes "Lady Lana"
Lana is Sammy's mother. She often keeps secrets from Sammy. She leaves Sammy with Grams to follow her acting dreams in Hollywood. Lana eventually shares information about Sammy's father. She also changed her own age to seem younger. Sammy is not always happy with her mother's choices. Lana acts on a soap opera as a character named Jewel. She is also known as the Gas Away Lady or Lady Lana.
Marissa McKenze
Marissa is Sammy's best friend. She comes from a wealthy family. Her parents are very busy, which gives Marissa more freedom. She has a younger brother named Mikey. Mikey used to love junk food. Marissa sometimes feels her parents work too much. Later in the series, Marissa's family faces financial challenges. This brings her closer to her brother. When Marissa is nervous, she bites her fingernails and bounces on her toes. She also has a crush on an eighth-grader named Danny Urbanski.
Brandon McKenze
Brandon is Marissa's cousin and a good friend to Sammy. He is in high school. Sammy used to have feelings for him in earlier books. She later became more comfortable around him. Brandon is on the swim team. He often invites Marissa and Sammy to his meets. He works at a smoothie shop at the mall. Brandon also comes from a well-off family, as his father is a doctor.
Margaret "Dot" DeVries
Dot was introduced in the second book, Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man. Her nickname comes from a beauty mark on her cheek. Dot first lived in a small, tall house. Later, she moved to a bigger house in Sisquane. Her grandparents live in Holland. Her mother often says "ja" instead of "yeah."
Holly Janquell
Holly was introduced in the third book, Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy. Sammy met Holly while doing volunteer work. Holly looked a lot like Sammy. Sammy found out Holly was a girl who had run away from her foster home. Holly had been living in a refrigerator box. Sammy helped Holly find a home at the Pup Parlor. This is a dog-grooming salon run by Vera and Meg Talbrook. Holly works there after school. Holly used to look through garbage. Later, she stopped this habit. In 2006, a book called Runaway was released. It shares Holly's story through her journal entries.
Heather Acosta
Heather is Sammy's main rival. Their dislike started when Heather tried to get money from Marissa. Heather then poked Sammy with a pin. Sammy reacted by hitting Heather's nose. Sammy was suspended for a day. Later, Sammy showed that Heather was pretending to be hurt. Heather was then punished. Heather has two friends who usually do what she tells them. Heather and her friends have been known to smoke cigarettes. Heather has a brother named Casey. Their parents are divorced. Heather lives with her mother. Casey lives with their father. Sammy and Heather found out they have the same birthday. They were not happy about it. Later in the series, Sammy and Heather seem to become friends. This happens after they help each other find their parents.
Casey Acosta
Casey is Heather's brother. He was introduced in the fifth book. Casey seems very different from his sister. He doesn't like Heather. He is good friends with Sammy and often supports her. Sammy is sometimes unsure about her feelings for Casey. They went to a school dance together. In Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things, Sammy started to have stronger feelings for him. Casey shows he cares for Sammy throughout the series. Sammy's friends often tease her about Casey. In "Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher," Sammy thought their relationship was over. She received a mean text message. She later found out Heather sent it. At the end of that book, Sammy and Casey kiss. In "Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls," they become an official couple. They often meet in secret at the graveyard.
Warren Acosta
Warren is the father of Heather and Casey. He lives alone with Casey. He sounds very much like his son on the phone. Warren has shown interest in Sammy's mother. This situation makes both Sammy and Casey uncomfortable. Warren has a distant relationship with Heather.
Candi Acosta
Candi is Warren Acosta's ex-wife. She is the mother of Heather and Casey. Candi often acts like her daughter. She also dislikes Sammy and her mother. Candi is known for her unique way of dressing. She lives in Santa Martina with Heather. Casey often visits them.
Officer Gil Borsch
Officer Borsch is a police officer in the series. He often thinks Sammy is causing trouble. He used to give her tickets for jaywalking. However, when Sammy helps him with a case, he changes his mind. They become friends over time. He gets engaged later in the series. He even asks Sammy to be in his wedding. In later books, he gets a promotion. Sammy doesn't see him as often.
Hudson Graham
Hudson is 73 years old. He always wears fancy boots, often made of reptile skin. Sammy often visits Hudson. She sits on his porch to think things through. Hudson gives Sammy advice. His advice often helps Sammy solve the mysteries. Hudson had a dog named Rommel. Rommel passed away at age 13. In later books, Hudson and Grams become close. They eventually get married.
Billy Pratt
Billy is a funny classmate of Sammy's. He is one of the popular kids. Billy was elected "School Clown." He was held back a grade. Billy once kissed Sammy on a dare. He made it up to her by kissing Heather during a school play. In Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls, he starts dating Marissa. Later, she breaks up with him. Billy is a good friend to Casey. He helps Casey communicate with Sammy. His real name is William, but everyone calls him Billy.
Sammy's First Adventure
Sammy secretly lives with her grandmother in an apartment building for older people. She has to be very quiet. To pass the time, she uses binoculars to watch her neighbors. One morning, she looks into a hotel across the street. She sees a thief breaking into a room. Sammy watches until the thief notices her. They stare at each other. Sammy breaks the silence by waving.
On Sammy's first day of school, she gets lost. She asks a girl named Heather Acosta for directions. Heather is rude to her. At lunch, Heather sits with Sammy and her friend Marissa. Heather asks Marissa for money. Sammy says no for Marissa. Heather then pokes Sammy with a pin. Sammy gets angry and punches Heather's nose. Sammy is suspended from school for this.
While walking home, Sammy sees police cars and many people around the hotel. Sammy is curious. She goes inside. She sees two police officers talking to a lady about a robbery. Sammy realizes it's the same hotel room she saw earlier. Sammy tells the officers what she saw. They don't believe her at first. But the lady who was robbed, named Gina, does. Gina explains that four thousand dollars were stolen.
Later, a threatening note is slipped under Sammy's neighbor's door. Their neighbor, Mrs. Graybill, thinks Sammy wrote it. Mrs. Graybill threatens to call the police, and she does. The same officers from the hotel arrive. Sammy says she didn't write the note, but no one believes her.
Awards
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief won the 1999 Edgar Award for Best Children's Mystery. The series has been nominated for this award five times. The nominated books include Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary, Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake-Pies, Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception, and Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things.
