Wendelin Van Draanen facts for kids

Wendelin Van Draanen is an American author who writes exciting books for kids and young adults. She was born on January 6, 1965. Many of her stories are about growing up and solving mysteries.

About the Author

Wendelin Van Draanen was born in Chicago, Illinois. When she was young, a book called Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury really inspired her. She said it showed "the magic of growing up" and reminded her of fun times with her brothers. This book made her want to write her own stories. Other books she enjoyed as a kid were the Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys mysteries, and Encyclopedia Brown.

When Wendelin was in college, her family's business had a fire, which caused some tough times. She started writing to help deal with stress. Her first book, How I Survived Being a Girl, was published in 1997.

Wendelin's parents were both chemists who moved to the United States from the Netherlands. Before she became a full-time writer, she was a high school math and computer science teacher.

Today, Wendelin Van Draanen lives in San Luis Obispo, California, with her husband, Mark Parsons, and their two sons, Colton and Connor.

Her Amazing Books

Wendelin Van Draanen has written many popular books and series for young readers.

The Sammy Keyes Series

The Sammy Keyes series started in 1998 with Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. This book won a special award called the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery in 1999. The series has eighteen books in total. It follows the adventures of a smart teen named Sammy as she solves mysteries and deals with middle school life.

Shredderman Series

From 2004 to 2006, Van Draanen wrote the Shredderman series. These four books are for younger readers. They are about a fifth grade boy who creates a secret online identity to stand up to the school bully.

• Shredderman 1: Secret Identity (2004)
• Shredderman 2: Attack of the Tagger (2005)
• Shredderman 3: Meet the Gecko (2005)
• Shredderman 4: Enemy Spy (2006)

Flipped

She also wrote a standalone teen romance called Flipped in 2001. This book is told in a unique "he-said she-said" style. The two main characters, Bryce and Julianna, are neighbors. They take turns telling their side of the same events. Flipped was even made into a Warner Brothers movie in 2010, directed by Rob Reiner.

Other Great Books

In 2017, Van Draanen won the Josette Frank Award for her book The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones. This award is given for excellent fiction for children. The story is about eleven-year-old Lincoln. His mom gets a job helping people with memory loss, and Lincoln learns about the amazing people behind their illnesses.

Many of her books have been recognized as "Best Children's Books of the Year" by the Children's Book Committee. These include Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary, Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy, Shredderman, Runaway, The Gecko & Sticky, The Gecko & Sticky: Villains Lair, The Running Dream, Wild Bird, The Peach Rebellion, and Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters.

The Sammy Keyes Series List

The Sammy Keyes series has 18 books.

• Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief (Aug 1998) – Won the 1999 Edgar Award
• Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man (Apr 1998)
• Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy (Oct 1999)
• Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf (May 2000)
• Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary (Feb 2001)
• Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy (May 2002)
• Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes (Apr 2003)
• Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception (2003)
• Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen (Apr 2006)
• Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway (2005)
• Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things (May 2007)
• Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash (Oct 2008)
• Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher (Oct 2010)
• Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls (Oct 2011)
• Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack (Jul 2012)
• Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City (Jan 2013)
• Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise (Sep 2013)
• Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye (Sep 2014)

The Gecko & Sticky Series

• The Gecko & Sticky: Villain's Lair (Feb 10, 2009)
• The Gecko & Sticky: The Greatest Power (May 26, 2009)
• The Gecko & Sticky: Sinister Substitute (Jan 12, 2010)
• The Gecko & Sticky: The Power Potion (Jun 08, 2010)

Other Standalone Books

• How I Survived Being a Girl (1997)
• Flipped (2001) – Made into a movie in 2010
• Swear to Howdy (2003)
• Runaway (2006) – This book is about a character first seen in the Sammy Keyes series.
• Confessions of a Serial Kisser (2008)
• The Running Dream (2011)
• The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones (2016)
• Wild Bird (2017)
• The Peach Rebellion (2022)

See Also

• Shredderman Rules, a TV movie based on the Shredderman series.