See You Around, Sam! facts for kids
See You Around, Sam is a fun children's novel written by Lois Lowry in 1996. It's one of several books in a popular series about a girl named Anastasia Krupnik and her younger brother, Sam.
What's the Story About?
The story follows Anastasia Krupnik's little brother, Sam, who really, really wants fangs! He thinks they look super cool and funny. But there's a big problem: Sam's mom, Mrs. Krupnik, is scared of fangs. She won't even let him touch his plastic vampire fangs inside the house. Sam just can't understand why she doesn't see how awesome fangs are. Sure, they make eating hot dogs a bit tricky, but they make him look wonderfully disgusting – and Sam loves looking disgusting!
Because of the fang problem, Sam decides he's going to run away. He plans to go all the way to Alaska! Why Alaska? Because he imagines walruses with their big, sharp tusks hanging out there, and he thinks sharp teeth are totally normal in Alaska. He packs his warm mittens and his favorite teddy bear into his dad's gym bag and sets off on his big adventure.
But Sam doesn't get very far. Just down the street, Lowell Watson, the mailman, reminds him that he'll need food for his long trip to Alaska. Then, his neighbor, Gertrude Stein, offers him some delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies, which are just perfect for a snack. And how can he leave without saying goodbye to the Sheehans' baby, Kelly? He also needs a glass of water. Soon, Sam realizes there's no real rush to get to Alaska after all.
In See You Around, Sam!, Lois Lowry lets Sam tell his own story. As he visits the quirky and kind people on his block, he learns an important lesson about what it means to be part of a community.
Why Lois Lowry Wrote About Sam
Lois Lowry, the author, has explained why she decided to write books just for Sam. She said that Sam was born in the stories when Anastasia was ten years old. For a long time, he only appeared in Anastasia's books.
But kids who read the books really liked Sam! Maybe he reminded them of their own younger brothers. So, because young readers asked for more stories about him, Lois Lowry decided to give Sam his very own series of books.
