Wendelin Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Warner Brothers feature film with Rob Reiner directing. Her novel The Running Dream was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience. Van Draanen's latest book, Hope in the Mail, is part memoir, part writing guided, designed to encourage aspiring writers to pursue their dream. Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie. Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.
Series
Books
Flipped
2001
Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls
2011
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones
2016
Villain's Lair
2009
Enemy Spy
2005
Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack
2012
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
2008
Confessions of a Serial Kisser
2008
Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes
2002
Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher
2010
The Gecko and Sticky
The Greatest Power
2009
Swear to Howdy
2003
How I Survived Being a Girl
1997
Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception
2003
Wild Bird
2017
Meet the Gecko
2005
The Running Dream
2011
Runaway
2006
The Peach Rebellion
2022
Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise
2013
Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things
2007
Attack of the Tagger
2004
Hope in the Mail
Reflections on Writing and Life
2020
Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen
2004
Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye
2014
Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters
2023
Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
2001
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
1998
Sammy Keyes #1-2
1998
Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man
1998
Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy
1999
Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City
2013
Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary
2000
Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway
2005
Sinister Substitute
2009
The Power Potion
2009
Secret Identity
2004
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf
1999
