Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things

My 12 year old daughter has just discovered this series of books. She has read several and I anticipate she will read them all before she's done. I keep having to make her turn off her light at bedtime because she wants to read "just one more chapter".

Sammy Keyes is one of the greatest characters in children's literature. I recommend Ms. Van Draanen's books to all my students, as well as my nieces and nephews. Sammy is about as alive as any character on paper can be - she's got a lot of strikes against her, and yet she perseveres, believing in herself and her great friends. I especially enjoy listening to the books read by the wonderful Tara Sands, who does a magnificent job with all the characters, but especially Sammy. Because these fun and cleverly written books (which are genuine mysteries by the way, with great clues and red herrings along the way, and usually a very surprising ending) are written in the first person, Ms. Sands gets to tell you the story in Sammy's own voice! A great marriage of vocal talent and writing talent - I'm waiting eagerly for this book to come out on CD. And I'm also hoping that Ms. Van Draanen will change her mind later, and choose to write more than 20 books. I know that's greedy, but like many, many readers (and listeners), I will ALWAYS want to know - what happens next to Sammy Keyes, great friend, granddaughter, and detective?

Every summer I look forward to reading the new Sammy Keyes book by Wendelin Van Draanen. Her first five Sammy books were amazing. The children in my classroom love them. I wasn't thrilled with the next three, particularly Snake Eyes. I kept those three in the drawer because I was worried about the lamguage and the level of violence in them. With this book, Van Draanen has returned to creative plot twists and language more suitable for my elementary students. Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things will definitely have a spot on my classroom bookshelf. I couldn't put it down! Appropriate for ages 8+

This book is enjoyable for all ages. Not only did I learn a lot about the preservation of endangered species and how much effort it takes to succeed, it gave me a new respect for wildlife. Sammy Keyes is tenacious in her endeavor to save the wild condors and her journey in this book is most interesting to read.

This is the first Sammy Keyes book I've read, but I definitely plan to read more now! Sammy's character is endearing because she's strong and capable while still being vulnerable. Especially to the guy she's crushing on and her ditzy mother. Watching Sammy try to figure out what's so great about a big ugly bird and why it's important to "save the condors" is hilarious! "Cool your heels" with this great Sammy Keyes book and you'll soon figure out why that expression has me giggling.