Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf - by Wendelin Van Draanen (Paperback)

About the Book

A dog Sammy is watching disappears from a parade, the owner receives a ransom note, and Sammy must use her detective skill to solve the mystery.

Book Synopsis

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" --Midwest Children's Book Review

The Christmas parade gets furry in a hurry when three pranksters dressed as wise men toss some cats onto Sammy's float. Dogs shoot off in all directions, and the prize Pomeranian Sammy's supposed to be watching disappears. Turns out the darn fuzzball's been kidnapped. The owner is demanding that Sammy find her doggone dog . . . and she's a woman who knows how to get what she wants.

But Sammy's a pretty tough cookie herself. Dognappers, blackmailers, and wise men be warned!

The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.

Review Quotes

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

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.