Carolyn is a girl with strong opinions. On being a girl: ‘stupid.’ Wearing dresses: ‘only when forced, and then with shorts underneath.’ Summer nights: ‘make you feel invincible.’ Girls with MaryJjanes: ‘no use at all.’ The boy next door: ‘I do not have a crush on him!’ The top bunk: ‘for really great dreams.’ She thought she knew how she felt about everything. But the summer before the sixth grade, though everthing seemed the same, it all felt different. In this wonderfully funny first novel, Wendelin Van Draanen perfectly captures the emotional earthquakes of growing up and growing into oneself.

How I Survived Being a Girl

Children's Books

Van Draanen, Wendelin

Koelsch, Michael

Literature & Fiction

Harpercollins

Possessing strong opinions and beliefs, Carolyn seems to have a hold on the world and knows her place in it, yet the summer before she enters sixth grade, everything seems to change as she enters a new stage in her life.

Humor

Carolyn's tips for survival: 
Keep your hair too short for ribbons. Get a great dog. Avoid girls who wear Mary Janes. Spy on the neighbors. Play in the mud. 
Carolyn likes to break the rules. To her great surprise, it turns out that's what being a girl is all about.

Carolyn is a girl with strong opinions.  On being a girl: ‘stupid.’  Wearing dresses:  ‘only when forced, and then with shorts underneath.’ Summer nights:  ‘make you feel invincible.’ Girls with MaryJjanes:   ‘no use at all.’ The boy next door:  ‘I do not have a crush on him!’ The top bunk:  ‘for really great dreams.’ She thought she knew how she felt about everything. But the summer before the sixth grade, though everthing seemed the same, it all felt different.In this wonderfully funny first novel, Wendelin Van Draanen perfectly captures the emotional earthquakes of growing up and growing into oneself.

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Trophy Pr

The acclaimed author of Flipped delivers a powerful and healing story that’s perfect for the millions who watch the Olympics or anyone who’s ever thought that something was impossible. Readers will revel in the story of a girl who puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before—after she’s told she’ll never run again. Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run? As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her. With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award From the Hardcover edition.

The Running Dream

Sports & Outdoors

Listening Library (Audio)

Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book Review Sammy thought she'd seen all the weirdness her town had to offer—and then she met Justice Jack, Santa Martina's very own superhero. Well, really he's just a guy in spandex and a mask who rides around town on a dirt bike, hoping to find some crime to fight. The old folks in town think he's wonderful. So wonderful that they've asked him to track down Sammy's neighbor Mrs. Wedgewood, who seems to have disappeared—along with a lot of other people's cash. Sammy's friends think Justice Jack is funny and cool. Billy Pratt's even auditioning to be his sidekick! But Sammy thinks he's kind of . . . lame. He's more of a showstopper than a crime stopper. And when a real mystery comes along, Sammy finds herself right in the middle of it. . . . 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.

Yearling

Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book Review In this pivotal book in the Sammy Keyes series, Sammy tackles the persistent mysteries of her own life. Mysteries like: Who is her father? And why has her mother kept it such a secret? How long can she manage to hide out in Grams' seniors-only building before someone catches on? Is her mother really planning to marry her boyfriend's father? (Ew.) And why, why is Heather Acosta so nasty? During one crazy weekend in Las Vegas, with the help of an entire army of Elvis impersonators, Sammy finally gets some answers. But of course knowledge comes at a price—and solving the mysteries of her own life will cost Sammy more than she ever meant to pay. . . . 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.

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book Review Sammy knew that getting to know her new rockstar dad on a cruise would be a little uncomfortable. . . . But when the heiress to a perfume empire disappears from the ship, it turns out everyone's in for a rocky ride. In this penultimate book in the Sammy Keyes mystery series, Wendelin Van Draanen pays homage to the mystery genre. This book is a classic locked-room whodunnit—Sammy Keyes style. 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.

Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise

The final mystery starring Sammy Keyes: “the most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)” —Midwest Children’s Book Review Sammy doesn’t go looking for trouble, but she seems to find it everywhere. She’s forever sniffing out clues and chasing down bad guys—and driving her friends a little nuts. She’s gone up against thieves and counterfeiters and gangsters and blackmailers and murderers, and always stayed one step ahead. Until now. Last night, one of the bad guys caught up. Last night, someone followed Sammy up the fire escape and pushed her from the third story. Now she’s in the hospital, out cold. And her friends are left with the questions Sammy’s always been so good at answering: Why? How? But most of all . . . WHO? In this emotional conclusion to her beloved long-running series, Wendelin Van Draanen shows just how many lives one nosy girl can touch and pays tribute to a life well sleuthed. Praise for Sammy Keyes: “If Kinsey Millhone ever hires a junior partner, Sammy Keyes will be the first candidate on the list. She’s feisty, fearless, and funny. A top-notch investigator!” —Sue Grafton “Sammy’s brave, resourceful, observant and a loyal friend, but this girl sleuth is no well-mannered Nancy Drew. She’s endearingly hot-tempered, nosy, and not always obedient—in short, she’s someone I want to read about again.” —Margaret Maron

Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye

This diary of a runaway girl and her search for a home celebrates hope, resilience, and happy endings as only Wendelin Van Draanen, the author of Flipped and other acclaimed novels, can. Holly has run away before, but this time she actually gets away—and what at first felt like an escape soon becomes a daily struggle for survival. She is smart and resourceful, and she manages to make it across the country on her own. But how long can this go on? It’s getting harder to avoid the truth—Holly is now homeless. Runaway is a remarkably uplifting portrait of a girl still young and stubborn and naive enough to believe there’s a better place for her in the world. “Will grab readers from the first entry.” —Kirkus Reviews “Holly’s lively self lingers in the way the best characters do. Runaway is certainly one of the best young adult books of the year.” —The Sacramento Bee

Runaway

Teen & Young Adult

Ember

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Van Draanen, Wendelin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Van Draanen, Wendelin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Van Draanen, Wendelin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

How I Survived Being a Girl

How I Survived Being a Girl

How I Survived Being a Girl

How I Survived Being a Girl

The Running Dream

Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack

Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City

Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise

Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye

Runaway