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12th out of 100 books
—
145 voters
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief (Sammy Keyes #1)
Grams always told her those binoculars would get her into trouble. Now Sammy's witnessed a crime at the Heavenly Hotel-a light fingered thief stealing $4,000 from Madame Nashira, the astrologer with the fire-hazard hair-do. Thing is, while she was watching him, he was watching her, too...
Fast-paced and funny, packed with menacing suspects and clever clues, the Sammy Keyes...more
Fast-paced and funny, packed with menacing suspects and clever clues, the Sammy Keyes...more
200 pages
Published
(first published April 14th 1998)
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Samantha (Sammy) Keyes needs to live on the down low in her grandmother's government subsidized elderly person's residence on a city block. Her father, who knows, her mother, left her a year ago and is off looking for a big acting break in Hollywood. (Haven't we heard that one before?)
Needing to stay inside a lot has lead her to using her grandmother's binoculars to watch the comings and goings in the neighborhood. Then one day she spies a man taking money out of a woman's purse on the 4th floor...more
Needing to stay inside a lot has lead her to using her grandmother's binoculars to watch the comings and goings in the neighborhood. Then one day she spies a man taking money out of a woman's purse on the 4th floor...more
Also Found On: A Book and A Record
If you’re looking for a great series for your middle grade reader that is a little bit more modern than The Boxcar Children (which are some of my favorites) and will appeal to both boys and girls, look no further than Sammy Keyes. I cannot recommend this series highly enough! Like an updated, spunkier version of Nancy Drew, Sammy wins you over on the first page. She is, by far, one of my most favorite protagonists in the world. She is so hilarious, fun, and rela...more
If you’re looking for a great series for your middle grade reader that is a little bit more modern than The Boxcar Children (which are some of my favorites) and will appeal to both boys and girls, look no further than Sammy Keyes. I cannot recommend this series highly enough! Like an updated, spunkier version of Nancy Drew, Sammy wins you over on the first page. She is, by far, one of my most favorite protagonists in the world. She is so hilarious, fun, and rela...more
This book is about a girl named Sammy Keyes. Her mother, Lana Keyes (or Lady Lana), abandoned her when she was 5 to her Grams. Lady Lana then left for Hollywood to become an actress. Sammy is now twelve, almost thirteen, and is starting seventh grade at William Rose Junior High, with her friends, Marissa and Dot, meeting her archenemy, Heather Acosta. Heather makes fun of Sammy's high-tops and then tries to get Marissa to give her money and sticks Sammy in the bottom with a pushpin. But suddenly...more
Read this as a preview for our Page Turners Book Club and we will definitely do one from this series this year. What a great character and story. This is a series that began right after Sara was born and there was a time period where I really wasn't that engaged with much juvenile fiction (especially mysteries because that wasn't Jacob's thing)..so I had missed this series. Glad a colleague recommended it, because I want to read more in the series - not just for the book club's sake but for mine...more
Sammy Keyes is a Nancy Drew for a new generation. She's smart, funny, and very sassy with lots of spunk. Sammy has a temper and she's not always going to follow the rules, but that's part of her charm. Sammy will let you know what she thinks!
There's more than just mystery in the story. Sammy has to deal with a school bully and she learns to stick up for herself. She also is living (illegally) with her grandmother since her mother left to become an actress and Sammy has to sneak through the apart...more
There's more than just mystery in the story. Sammy has to deal with a school bully and she learns to stick up for herself. She also is living (illegally) with her grandmother since her mother left to become an actress and Sammy has to sneak through the apart...more
Another meh! Maybe walking up and down the shelves of the library and picking out books at random isn't working out so well for me. This is the first in a series of mystery books written for kids. I was really hoping it would be good because, now that I'm done with H Pot and Lemony, I need a new series in my life. Sadly, this one will not be it.
This book centered on a girl, Sammy. She is trying to figure out who stole some money from the hotel across the street from her grandma's senior residenc...more
This book centered on a girl, Sammy. She is trying to figure out who stole some money from the hotel across the street from her grandma's senior residenc...more
i first read this book on a family road trip when i was in high school. My eight yr old cousin had gotten it randomly for her book for the trip. She was having a hard time reading it as it was above her level, so my lil sis and i took turns reading it aloud to her. Sam (my lil sis) and I enjoyed the book so much we have avidly anticipated the release of each susequent book. Each book in a month in sammy's life in the seventh grade. she makes friends, enemies eventually meets a boy and that one t...more
Sammy Keyes mystery series, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways--well, I CAN'T because you are so WONDERFULLY AMAZING. I want to put every book in your whole dang series on my favorites shelf, but I know I shouldn't because that would be excessive. But here are just a few of the things I love about you:
I love how Sammy, 12 year-old solver of small town crimes, never wastes time worrying about how pretty or thin she is, despite being in the high-peer-pressure world of middle school. Her app...more
I love how Sammy, 12 year-old solver of small town crimes, never wastes time worrying about how pretty or thin she is, despite being in the high-peer-pressure world of middle school. Her app...more
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Author: Draanen, Wendelin Van
Tired of the old fashion mystery books where it revels or gives hints in almost very end of the book? Well is time for a change, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Is a young adult’s mystery novel written by Draanen, Wendelin Van. Sammy Keyes is a new detective in the town; her reckless, but friendly; crazy, but nice personalities will take you into a whole different kind of mysterious adventure!
In the Sammy Keyes series, this boo...more
Author: Draanen, Wendelin Van
Tired of the old fashion mystery books where it revels or gives hints in almost very end of the book? Well is time for a change, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Is a young adult’s mystery novel written by Draanen, Wendelin Van. Sammy Keyes is a new detective in the town; her reckless, but friendly; crazy, but nice personalities will take you into a whole different kind of mysterious adventure!
In the Sammy Keyes series, this boo...more
Sammy Lives with her Grandmother in a senior housing building where she is not allowed to be. Her adventures have her sneaking in and out of the building so her Grandmother doesn't get in trouble. Starting at a new school she immediately comes under the eyes of the local popular mean girl. In the mean time she witnesses a crime through the window in the hotel across the street. Can she tell the cops without getting her grandma in hot water? Will the popular girl ever get tired of trying to trash...more
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief starts out with Sammy doing her usual spying with binoculars from the window of her grandmother's bedroom. She enjoys watching the block when she's bored. Suddenly,she sees a man on the fourth floor from the window of the hotel across the street. He is moving quickly, and Sammy notices him holding a purse with his black gloves. Now,what most thirteen year old kids would do at that moment is call 911. However, Sammy continues with her investigation, and she gets ex...more
The first of Sammy Keyes’s adventures introduces us to Sammy just as she is getting herself into trouble yet again: eavesdropping on the hotel across the street with her grandmother’s binoculars, she witnesses a burglary – and the thief sees her. Now Sammy must discover who the thief is, while battling a bully in middle school, and avoiding the snoopy neighbor down the hall who threatens to report that Sammy is living with her grandmother illegally.
Though it won the Edgar award, this first nove...more
Though it won the Edgar award, this first nove...more
Summary: Sammy Keyes's grandmother always told her that her binoculars were going to get her into trouble and they would. While people watching she accidentally watches a burglar steal $4000 from a fortune teller across the street at the heavenly hotel. Unfortunately, the burglar sees her too. So, while trying to avoid getting caught by the burglar, Sammy must, with help from her best friend Marissa, discover the bad guy and get him arrested while dealing with an unbelieving cop and a school bul...more
Very cute series - something like Nancy Drew but a little more rugged (I can't explain that very well), but I think kids who like mysteries will love Van Draanen! It does have a little sad background, the protagonist being pretty much adopted by her grandmother because her mother (probably my age, too) decided to be an actress and ditch her child. Lovely. So Sammy is constantly nervous about people finding out her background, and she sleeps at her grandmother's apartment, sneaking around so her...more
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief is a very interesting book that keeps you guessing what’s going to happen next. One day when Sammy is playing with her favorite toy binoculars she notices something odd. As she is looking out the window there is a peculiar man with gloves on looking threw a purse in the hotel across the street. When the thief looks at her she waves. When she tries to tell the police and other citizens they don’t believe her. She needs to get through to an adult that can help her o...more
This book was about this girl 12 year old girl named sammy. She gets these new set of binoculars from her grandmother for a present and used it one day and looked at people at the other buildings. She catches a robber stealing money. She reports it to the police but they dont believe her so she went to find out who the robber was her self.
Sammys main external conflict is that she has to find this robber and do it by herself. No one would believe her so she gets really mad. Then she eventually fi...more
Sammys main external conflict is that she has to find this robber and do it by herself. No one would believe her so she gets really mad. Then she eventually fi...more
Sammy Keyes amuses herself by observing the world outside her Gram’s apartment through binoculars. Her sightings are common until one day Sammy witnesses a burglary in the Heavenly Hotel across the street. When she tries to report her findings, no one wants to listen to a middle schooler turned sleuth. However, the burglar is on to Sammy and she has to use her wits to solve the crime and prove her evidence.
This modern-day Nancy Drew has the same deductive brain, but a little more sass. Sammy’s a...more
This modern-day Nancy Drew has the same deductive brain, but a little more sass. Sammy’s a...more
This is another one of those books that have been sitting on our shelves since my oldest (18) was in elementary school and had to read for summer reading. Why the heck did I wait so long to get around to reading it? It was a wonderful book. I loved the story. I would give it a 3-1/2 stars if I could. Sammy Keyes is such a smart and witty kid. I found myself cheering her on throughout the book. It's a good thing we have another Sammy Keyes story, because I can hardly wait to pick it up and start...more
Summary:
Samantha, “Sammy” Keyes is a feisty 13 year old who lives with her grandmother in an apartment designated for retirees only because her mom is off pursuing a Hollywood career. At home one day, a bored Samantha trains her binoculars on the world outside and witnesses a robbery in the hotel across the street. She can't call 911 because the authorities might discover that she is living with Gram. Instead, she waves at the thief. The burglar spots her right back, setting in motion a headlon...more
Samantha, “Sammy” Keyes is a feisty 13 year old who lives with her grandmother in an apartment designated for retirees only because her mom is off pursuing a Hollywood career. At home one day, a bored Samantha trains her binoculars on the world outside and witnesses a robbery in the hotel across the street. She can't call 911 because the authorities might discover that she is living with Gram. Instead, she waves at the thief. The burglar spots her right back, setting in motion a headlon...more
I think this book was recommended in Nancy Pearl's "Book Crush" but I have to disagree. Sammy Keyes is living with her grandmother, but on the down-low because her grandmother is living in government-assisted living for people over a certain age. Sammy gets into trouble when she notices a man taking money out of someone else's room in a nearby hotel.
Normally I would like a book like this but this one just didn't click. Not sure why, may have been the narrator's voice (started by listening to the...more
Normally I would like a book like this but this one just didn't click. Not sure why, may have been the narrator's voice (started by listening to the...more
Clever and spunky, Sammy Keyes is a sassy detective ready to take on both junior high and all those pesky local criminals. What I liked about this book was that it was not ridiculously simple to predict the outcome; there were actually many twists and turns in the plot. Plus, Sammy is a complex character - she is good at heart, but acts out at school and home. As she feels abandoned by her flaky mother, she also finds it difficult to control her emotions and outbursts. What prevails is a story w...more
This book was on my daughter’s summer reading list between 4th and 5th grade. We read it together and loved it. Inquisitive and resourceful, Samantha (Sammy) Keyes makes a great tween protagonist. We decided to read the second book in the series (The Curse of Moustache Mary) as a family, including my husband in the fun. Then we listened to the next two (Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things and Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash) on CD in the car as we travelled for our summer vacation. Because the ch...more
This book is about a girl named Sammy who spies on his neighbors. Sammy one day saw a thief stealing from a hotel and is noticed by the thief himself. The thief sent threatening messages to Sammy and her neighbors. Sammy has to catch the thief herself because the police did not want to help.
This book is fairly interesting but i was very confused about Sammy's past about his mother and grandmother. I was only able to understand the book nearly halfway into it. Overall, this is a very good book...more
This book is fairly interesting but i was very confused about Sammy's past about his mother and grandmother. I was only able to understand the book nearly halfway into it. Overall, this is a very good book...more
The book i am reading right now is "Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief." I absolutely love this book because it is a mystery. i love mystery books because they get me curious and want me to read more so i can find out what is going to happen at the end. But back to the book, this book is about Sammy that uses his binoculars and spying around his block. But one day he saw a robber taking $4000 from a woman's purse. And the robber looked right at Sammy back. When Sammy went to the police station to...more
This is one of my favorite middle grade mystery series, and I kinda think it doesn’t get talked about enough. I don’t know WHY, either, because they’re really good books. The writing: excellent. The characters: layered and complex and amazing. The mysteries: not super complicated, but still interesting and (y’know) mysterious.
What hit me the most during this reread is how much Sammy is like a tiny Veronica Mars. The book series came out before the TV show, and I am seriously wondering whether th...more
What hit me the most during this reread is how much Sammy is like a tiny Veronica Mars. The book series came out before the TV show, and I am seriously wondering whether th...more
Sammy Keyes is the antithesis of Daddy's girl Nancy Drew who dresses ever so smartly, drives a red sports car, and is on the best terms with the cops. Sammy doesn't even know who her father is, dresses from the second hand store, and has a tenuous relationship with the police. Most important Sammy is smart and sassy. As I kid, I read all the Nancy Drew and felt I was a super sleuth because I always figured things out before Nancy. After I realized Nancy was just stupid I gave up on mysteries. Sa...more
great book, really cool
Thirteen-year-old Sammy, who lives illegally at her grandmother’s “seniors only” apartment sees a crime committed while she’s looking through her binoculars—and the thief sees her. Booktalk: Sammy Keyes’ life is already crazy. She’s living illegally with her grandma in a seniors-only apartment complex while her mother tries to find an acting job out in California. While looking through her binoculars at the “seedy hotel” across the road—when her grandma has specifically told her NOT to be she se...more
Edit: I just read some of the reviews and I'm a little disappointed. Sammy does tell a lie or two in the book, but let's be honest: didn't you tell a lie once in a while when you were a kid. And tell me a book in which the character was absolutely perfect that you still love to the day. Sammy's lying is what we call a flaw and it's part of what makes her such an interesting character. The thing that bugs me the most about the reviews I just read, however, is that those of you upset about her lyi...more
There's a lot to like about Sammy Keyes. She knows how to work the system, she's savvy, and she is an excellent friend. Van Draanen builds up a detailed world of characters (some more wacky than others) and shows us how Sammy operates carefully among them in order to survive. There are a few personal issues introduced in this book (a social conflict with Heather and the emotional distance from Lady Lana) that are unresolved so that the reader wants to continue reading the series, but that's unde...more
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Wendelin Van Draanen (born January 6, 1965, Chicago, Illinois) is an American author of children's books. She lives in California with her husband Mark Parsons and two sons, Colton and Connor. The daughter of chemists who emigrated to the U.S. from Holland, she worked as a math teacher and then as a high school computer science teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her books feature spunky l...more
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Aug 16, 2012 07:54pm