Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway [Library Binding]

Wendelin Van Draanen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2005 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Sammy Keyes

The bad news: Sammy’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.
Now Heather’s in a major jam, and in some ways it’s only fair–Heather’s 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, because she’s going with Heather’s brother, Casey. But Sammy knows that the truth has an uncanny way of resurfacing, and when it does, the stench can be more vile than the junior high cafeteria. . . .


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–From the untimely death of a lovebird and the corrupt politics of the school's Class Personalities election, to the broader issues of eminent domain and even murder, Sammy is once again at the heart of the action. Her disarming and endearing knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and her equally charming desire to do the right thing make her one of the most lovable sleuths around. While she confesses her responsibility for an accident to her teacher, she gives this description: Sheer panic set in. But there was no turning back. No getting off this ride. I was strapped in by my own conscience, about to catapult over the edge, hard and fast. I held my breath, closed my eyes, and prayed the drop wouldn't kill me. This comedy of errors with its final cascade of stunning revelations will have readers on the edge of their seats.–Elizabeth Fernandez, Brunswick Middle School, Greenwich, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Nearing the end of seventh grade, Sammy begins to display convincing and admirable wisdom along with realistic anxiety about such teenage rites as a school dance. Her increasing maturity clearly shows in her attitude toward an ailing senior citizen, who lives in a decayed neighborhood that seems ripe for urban renewal. While helping the elderly lady with her dog,^B Sammy notices the local council member seems to be working both sides of the eminent domain issue. She also becomes aware that someone is purposefully throwing rocks through the windows along the street. Following a "group nondate" to the dance, Sammy and her friends go into the crumbling neighborhood, and that's when Sammy figures out what's going on. This is one of the best entries in the popular, long-running series. Sammy and most of her friends are well-developed characters with adventurous spirits, and the clever twist at the end of the story is sure to delight Sammy's fans. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 288 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375923500
• ISBN-13: 978-0375923500
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,956,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Argh! Join Sammy and her pirate friends!, October 19, 2005

By 

Jenni "jenni35" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway (Library Binding)

The Sammy Keyes series just keeps getting better. In this newest installment, we have a great twist. For once, Sammy ISN'T blamed for something that happens and Heather, her archenemy, is. This book begins and, as the others in the series have proved, has the reader along for a wild ride for the remainder of the story.

Sammy, as usual, finds comfort in telling Hudson her problems and also by opening up to Grams. Noticeably missing from this book entirely, however, was Officer Borsch. I don't know what happened to him, but when the police were summoned, we were introduced to two new characters, Squeaky and the Chick.

This book will be a must-read for fans of the series. In it, Sammy tells about her middle school life and how it's still hard to avoid that "Where do you live?" question that she often gets from the grown-ups around her. Sammy even joins Casey and his friends for the 8th grade dance (although she is a 7th grader). The first REAL date for Sammy, the boys have rented a black Hummer limo, which they designate "The Black Pearl". The pirate banter is hilarious and will have you saying "argh!" while trying to get the song "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" out of your head.

Sammy is always TOPS on my list and this book is nothing to miss!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway" is dead-on!, November 5, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway (Hardcover)

Have you ever had a big secret that you couldn't tell anyone? Maybe a bad test grade that you couldn't tell your parents about or a mistake that made you so embarrassed your cheeks turned scarlet red? Whether you're willing to admit it or not, we've all had skeletons in the back our closets at some point or another. In Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway, Sammy definitely has one- literally too!

Wendelin Van Draanan, the award winning author of Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway, is also the author of the other installments in the Sammy Keyes mystery series and other novels like Flipped. The main character in this novel and the other books in the series is, as you may have guessed, Sammy Keyes. Sammy is a 13 year old girl finishing up seventh grade and is like any other normal teenage girl who plays softball and wears her signature high tops, or so it seems. In reality, Sammy actually lives illegally with her Grams in the Senior Highrise because her mom went off to become a superstar in Hollywood and her dad's whereabouts are unknown. She's bullied around by Heather Acosta, the pierced archenemy of Sammy's since her first day of school at William Rose Junior High School. She's friends with a wealthy girl who does a special dance every time she gets nervous, a Dutch girl who goes by the name of Dot, and a young lady who used to live in a box. She is a clever, witty, and quick teen who knows how to push peoples' buttons. She has a 72 year old friend named Hudson Graham who loves to rack her brain when she is confused about a mystery she's trying to solve. Mysteries you ask? Yes, Sammy is a local super sleuth in the town of Santa Martina. She solves the crimes before the police and knows how to think outside of the box. In this suspenseful novel, Sammy is faced with a big internal secret. Not only does she feel like she's being chased down by the "Army of the Bird God" after she has an incident with her homeroom teacher's bird, but she also is trying to figure out how she can stop the city from disrupting the lives of the people who live on neglected Hopper Street. At the same time, Sammy still has to deal with the typical junior high school issues- boys, bullies, and school dances.

As Sammy is investigating why someone would want to have Mrs. Willawago, the elderly lady who has Sammy walk her dog, Mr. and Mrs. Stone, a strange dressing couple who gets checks from the government, a young lawyer, who might have his own personal agenda, and an unknown owner of vacant lots, removed from Hopper Street, she is distracted by her bird crisis. Sammy feels ultimately guilty for her teacher's lovebird's accident, especially after being scared into a closet when her rival Heather walks in the door. Not only does Sammy feel ashamed, but her nemesis gets blamed for the bird's disappearance! Continuing Sammy's life of a Shakespearean drama, her crush, and Heather's brother, is yet again trying to woo her. When he invites her for a night out on the town, Sammy is uncertain whether to accept his invitation or blow him off.

I would certainly recommend Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway. It is an incredible story with twists and turns that you wouldn't expect. The Sammy Keyes series is a great, modern version of Nancy Drew and is in keeping with a modern tone that is up-to-date with current issues. While it is a fantastic mystery novel that is a real page-turner, I think this book is geared more towards girls, as they will definitely understand Sammy's point of view more when it comes to girls' crushes. If you are a guy who is interested in a good mystery series without puppy love, I suggest reading the earlier suspenseful books in the series. I also advise for all interested readers that you begin this series with the first book, as it will be more difficult to follow if you start in the middle of the series. "If you like page-turning, cliffhanger mysteries, than you'll love the latest Sammy Keyes adventure," is just one of the great comments that people are saying about this series.

Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway is a chilling novel that I fully enjoyed. This book was an entertaining story filled with unexpected surprises and humor. I enjoy the whole Sammy Keyes series and think that it is a great chain of novels that will keep you wanting more, as it has me. Try the Sammy Keyes series now before you're the last one to be in on this incredible series. And maybe invite that skeleton out from your closet to a tea party. He might be getting lonesome!

Kyra S.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but not the best in the series, August 7, 2006

By 

sapoguapo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway (Hardcover)

This book is good, but not as funny as some of Wendelin's other books. Sammy is a strong character, as always, and I especially liked the way the teacher goes nuts after her bird disappears, Sammy feels quite guilty about that. It was a very pleasant read, but the mystery part itself wasn't all that compelling, and for me it wasn't laugh-out loud funny like the Art of Deception, but it's definitely at par with other Sammy Keyes books. It features a strong moral in terms of sticking up for what's right even when it's the tough choice. Wendelin's Shredderman series is hilarious and Flipped is also a really good book, whereas this book features some fun pirate talk but not much in the way of the funny and embarrassing teen romance scenes that cropped up in the Art of Deception, and the mystery bit is never tense or particularly exciting. Four stars is maybe even a bit much for this book, 3.5 is probably more like it.