Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher

by Van Draanen, Wendelin

• ISBN13: 9780375854569
• ISBN10: 0375854568
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-13
• Publisher: Yearling

Summary

For junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats! The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first seems funny. He#x19;s horrible! Everystudent wants Mr. Vince gone. But as the threats become more serious, the question becomes-who wants him deadand gone? With her own name near the top of the suspect list, Sammy#x19;s determined to get to the bottom of things. But she#x19;s distracted by a mother bearing bad news, an almost-boyfriend ducking her calls, and a date with a poofy lavender bridesmaid dress. This latest Sammy Keyes adventure blends mystery, comedy, and a dusting of fairy tale magic as Sammy takes off her high-tops, puts on some party shoes, and steps into a whole lot of trouble. From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography

WENDELIN 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 Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief receiving the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best children’s mystery. Wendelin is also the author of many award-winning novels, including Flipped, The Running Dream, Runaway, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, Swear to Howdy, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, and Wild Bird. You can find her online at WendelinVanDraanen.com and @WendelinVanD, and you can follow Sammy Keyes on Facebook.

Excerpts

ONE

I was almost looking forward to eighth grade starting. Not because I missed getting up early or couldn't wait to be saddled with homework again.

Please.

No, I was looking forward to school starting up again for the only reason anyone in junior high looks forward to it.

I'd get to see my friends every day.

My best friend, Marissa, was ready, too. Her family is in crisis mode, and I think going back to school seemed like a way for her to escape all that. Plus, we'd be eighth graders instead of lowly seventh graders, and last year's stress of being at a new school would be totally gone.

But then the first day of school arrived, and I got my final schedule.

"No!" I cried when I saw it.

"What?" Marissa asked.

"I've got Mr. Vince! For homeroom and history!"

"Eew," she said as she inspected my schedule. "Bad way to start the day."

Then I leaned over to see her schedule and saw that we only had one class together--drama, at the very end of the day. "No!" I cried again. "This is the worst schedule ever!"

Our friends Dot and Holly joined us, and I found out that they had three classes the same as Marissa . . . and that all of them had some guy named Mr. Jefferson for history instead of Mr. Vince.

"This is so unfair!"

"Maybe you can get switched?" Marissa said.

So I marched right up to the office. It wasn't just that I had only one class with Marissa, it was that I had only one class with Marissa and they'd stuck me with Mr. Vince.

Mr. Vince!

Let's just say that there was no way I would survive the year with Bad Mood Bob. And that's not just because he hates kids. He may teach history, but he and I have history. Last year he covered up a total sabotage of my softball team by one of his players so his team could play at the Sluggers' Cup. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but in Santa Martina, the Sluggers' Cup is huge, and since I was part of why his little shenanigans backfired, anywhere near him is now definitely enemy territory.

So, yeah. As Grams would say, I had good grounds to demand a change. Trouble is, when I got to the office, I found out from the office lady that my counselor couldn't see me. "She's swamped, sweetie," Mrs. Tweeter said with a tisk. She leaned forward and whispered, "She's new this year, so have a little patience, all right?"

"But she put me in Mr. Vince's class!"

Her eyes did some rapid-fire blinking over the tops of her reading glasses, and I could tell she was remembering the Sluggers' Cup fiasco. "Oh my."

"Exactly!"

She took a prim breath and a little step back. "Well, Mr. Vince is a professional, dear. And if you stay on your best behavior--"

"No! This will never work!" I looked past her to the vice principal's office door. "Can I please see Mr. Caan? He'll straighten this out."

"Hmm. I would see about that," she said, drawing out the words, "but Mr. Caan no longer works here."

"He what? Wait. Why not?"

"Didn't you read the August newsletter, dear? He's now principal at the high school. Mr. Foxmore is our new vice principal."

"Mr. Caan is at the high school?"

"That's right, dear." She gives me a cheery smile. "So you'll reunite with him next year."

"Well, what about Dr. Morlock?" I ask. "Can I see him?"

She looks at me like, You're kidding, right? because Dr. Morlock is a totally absentee principal. I only saw him about three times last year, but one of those was at the Sluggers' Cup tournament, so he knows about me and Mr. Vince.

"He's not even here?"

"He was, dear, but he had a meeting." She reaches to answer the ringing phone. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn to see Miss Anderson, just like everyone else. I'm sorry."

I left there so frustrated that even the janitor noticed. "Hey, hey, hold on now, Sammy," he said, catching up to me. "What's wrong?"