{"product_id":"sammy-keyes-and-the-dead-giveaway-isbn-9780440419112","title":"Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this adventure, Sammy is the one whodunnit--but will she get away with it?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This is one of the best entries in the popular long-running series.\" --\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eSammy's made a deadly mistake. The good news: No one knows she did it. The delicious dilemma: Everyone thinks her archenemy Heather is to blame.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow Heather's in a major jam, and it feels almost fair--Heather has pinned more than a few crimes on Sammy. Besides, there are distractions galore to keep Sammy from confessing. Like the end of the school year. And the Farewell Dance. Especially the dance, since she's going with Heather's (dreamy) brother Casey. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Sammy knows the truth has an uncanny way of resurfacing, and when it does, the stench can be more vile than the school cafeteria.\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for the Sammy Keyes series:\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“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.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There’s no stopping Sammy.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An intelligent, gutsy, flawed, and utterly likable heroine.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Move over, Nancy Drew—a new sleuth is on the scene.”—\u003ci\u003eGirls’ Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Think a combination of Carl Hiaasen’s \u003ci\u003eFlush\u003c\/i\u003e and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books and you’ll be right on target.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A high-quality, high-amp mystery series.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“This funny, clever series is NOT for kids only. I challenge the most seasoned mystery reader to guess ‘who done it.’” —\u003ci\u003eCozies, Capers, and Crimes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Sammy Keyes comes armed with attitude.” —\u003ci\u003eOrlando Sentinel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sammy doesn’t find mysteries to solve—they find her.” —\u003ci\u003eArizona Republic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Humor, romance and adventure; this story is an absolute blast.” \u003ci\u003e—Chicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“If you haven’t met Sammy Keyes yet, now is the time.” —\u003ci\u003eChildren’s Literature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWENDELIN 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 \u003ci\u003eSammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief\u003c\/i\u003e receiving the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best children’s mystery. Wendelin is also the author of many award-winning novels, including \u003ci\u003eFlipped,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Running Dream,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eRunaway, Confessions of a Serial Kisser,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSwear to Howdy,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eWild Bird.\u003c\/i\u003e You can find her online at WendelinVanDraanen.com and @WendelinVanD, and you can follow Sammy Keyes on Facebook.ONE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's funny how you can think you know someone pretty well, and then something happens or they do \u003cbr\u003esomething that makes you understand that you didn't really know them at all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy homeroom teacher, Mrs. Ambler, is that way. I always figured she was just another long-suffering \u003cbr\u003eadult who was sick to death of dealing with junior high school kids. I also always thought that she was at \u003cbr\u003eleast fifty. Probably well on her way to sixty. You know, old.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen one day she came into homeroom with two lovebirds. I'm talking the feathered variety, not the \u003cbr\u003egross pimply kind you see swapping spit behind the locker rooms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnyhow, these birds would've looked perfect on the shoulder of a midget pirate. They had orange faces, \u003cbr\u003egreen bodies, a little splay of bright blue tail feathers, and I thought for sure they were baby parrots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut when Mrs. Ambler parked the white domed cage on her desk and Tawnee Francisco asked, \"Are they \u003cbr\u003ecockatiels?\" Mrs. Ambler smiled at her and said, \"No, they're lovebirds.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, this may seem like a perfectly normal exchange to you, but (a) I didn't even know there was actually \u003cbr\u003esuch a thing as a lovebird, and (b) Mrs. Ambler's voice when she said \"lovebirds\" was all soft and sweet \u003cbr\u003eand...feathery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen I noticed her face. It was all soft. And sweet. And...well, not feathery, more glowy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was not the Mrs. Ambler I was used to seeing, that's for sure. I glanced at my best friend, Marissa \u003cbr\u003eMcKenze, who sits way up front in the corner, and she was sort of blinking at Mrs. Ambler, too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen Heather Acosta pipes up with, \"Lovebirds, Mrs. Ambler? How adorable.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI rolled my eyes and Marissa did the same, because ever since end-of-the-year elections for Class \u003cbr\u003ePersonalities started drawing near, Heather's been on the world's most revolting kiss-up campaign.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe whole idea of Class Personalities is stupid to begin with. It may be a \"tradition\" at William Rose Junior \u003cbr\u003eHigh School, but what it really is, is an overblown popularity contest. But since popularity is the pulse that \u003cbr\u003edrives Heather's blood, I guess that explains why she's dying to win something. Anything. You should see \u003cbr\u003ethe way she's been circulating through campus lately, oozing a diabolically contagious form of \u003cbr\u003econgeniality. She's nice. She's sweet. She's helpful. She's concerned. And she's all that with such true-\u003cbr\u003eblue sincerity it's frightening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnfortunately for her, after nearly a full school year of her schemes and lies, I think that most people are \u003cbr\u003esmart enough to be suspicious, except for one thing--Heather's also been acting contrite. You know--she's \u003cbr\u003ejust so, so sorry for her part in any trouble this year. I've heard her tell teachers, \"I know I made \u003cbr\u003emistakes, but I've learned so much!\" and \"You know, I'm just so grateful for the experiences--I feel I've \u003cbr\u003ereally grown as a human being!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat's the kiss-up game she's been playing with other people, anyway. To me she's been whispering, \u003cbr\u003e\"Count 'em and weep, loser.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease. Like I care if she wins some stupid popularity contest?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe's not just after Friendliest Seventh Grader, either. Oh no. She's hedging her bets by going for Most \u003cbr\u003eUnique Style, too. One day she comes to school looking like a punk princess in black and chains and ratted \u003cbr\u003ered hair; the next she's all decked out like an old-time movie star, wearing satin shoes and a matching \u003cbr\u003ehandbag, her hair all smoothed back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's so transparent it's pathetic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut anyway, the minute Heather finds out that Mrs. Ambler's birds are lovebirds, she kicks into total kiss-\u003cbr\u003eup mode. \"Oh, how adorable,\" she gushes. Then she asks Mrs. Ambler, \"Were they a gift from your \u003cbr\u003ehusband?\" like that would just have been the sweetest, dearest thing a man could do for his wife.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell, Marissa and I may be able to see right through Heather, but not Mrs. Ambler. She goes from, like, \u003cbr\u003eforty watts of glow to about seventy-five and gives Heather the brightest smile. \"How did you know?\" \u003cbr\u003eThen she nuzzles her nose at the cage and says, \"He gave them to me for our anniversary.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How romantic,\" Heather sighs. \"How long have you been married?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMrs. Ambler smiles at her again. \"Fifteen years today.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fifteen years? Wow! And he buys you lovebirds? He must be terrific.\" Then she asks, \"So how'd you \u003cbr\u003emeet?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMrs. Ambler keeps on letting herself be suckered. \"In graduate school,\" she tells Heather. \"We got \u003cbr\u003emarried shortly after I got my master's degree.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhoa now! A master's? A master's in what? Honestly, all I've ever seen Mrs. Ambler do is take roll and \u003cbr\u003eread the announcements and reprimand kids when they get out of line. I know she's in charge of the \u003cbr\u003eyearbook and has some class with special-ed kids. Oh, and she teaches eighth graders how to study or \u003cbr\u003eget focused on their goals or...I don't know what. But nothing that would seem to take a master's degree.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo while I'm busy trying to digest that, I'm also chewing on the math involved in this new Ambler \u003cbr\u003eInformation. I mean, let's say you're twenty-two when you graduate from college. A master's is what? \u003cbr\u003eTwo more years of college? So even if you tack an extra year on for good measure, Mrs. Ambler would \u003cbr\u003ehave been at most twenty-five when she got married. And if she'd been married for fifteen years, that \u003cbr\u003emeant that this fifty-, well-on-her-way-to-sixty-year-old woman that I'd seen nearly every day for the \u003cbr\u003ewhole school year was only...thirty-nine or forty?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was stunned. I mean, forty is plenty old, but not nearly as old as I'd thought she was. And she was \u003cbr\u003eprobably also a lot smarter than I'd given her credit for. Plus, at that moment she wasn't just my boring, \u003cbr\u003eworn-out homeroom teacher, she was a woman who was embarrassingly in love with her husband.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I hope I find a man like him someday,\" Heather was saying.","brand":"Yearling","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305553809637,"sku":"NP9780440419112","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780440419112.jpg?v=1767736082","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/sammy-keyes-and-the-dead-giveaway-isbn-9780440419112","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}