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Sammy Keyes #1
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Look out Harriet the Spy! Here comes Sammy Keyes, a resourceful, brave, too-curious-for-her-own-good young sleuth who gets into trouble with her grandmother's binoculars. Sammy was just killing time when she looked across the avenue with the binoculars. She certainly didn't imagine that she would see a thief in the act of stealing something from one of the rooms at the Heavenly Hotel. The worst part is that the thief saw Sammy spying! And what did "smart" Sammy do then? She waved at the thief! Now Sammy is in loads of trouble. Can she solve the mystery of the hotel thief before the thief finds her and before the police discover that she has been living illegally with her grandmother? (Oh, don't ask--it's just another stressful situation in this young detective's life.) Teens of all ages, shapes, and persuasions (especially reluctant readers) will adore Sammy and her crazy adventures. She is much more than a brilliant detective: Sammy Keyes, who is curious in all the right ways, is the sort of person you'd love to have as a friend.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 1998
293 people are currently reading
3996 people want to read
About the author
Wendelin Van Draanen
52 books2,170 followersWendelin Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Warner Brothers feature film with Rob Reiner directing. Her novel The Running Dream was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience.
Van Draanen's latest book, Hope in the Mail, is part memoir, part writing guided, designed to encourage aspiring writers to pursue their dream.
Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie.
Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.
Van Draanen's latest book, Hope in the Mail, is part memoir, part writing guided, designed to encourage aspiring writers to pursue their dream.
Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie.
Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 577 reviews
November 2, 2019
3.5 Stars!
The book follows the crazy adventures of thirteen-year-old Sammy Keyes who accidentally spots a hotel thief with her binoculars. And then she waves at the the thief! There are also many side adventures going on in her day-to-day middle school life. I do not object this as it introduced many other characters in a detailed manner and helped them emerge into to main plot.
I got bored at some points in the book. But the ending was satisfying. I'd like to read the other books in the series.
Recommended to anyone who'd like to read a fun mystery that both children and adults would like. It may also help in reading challenges as it is short as well as a part of series too.
The book follows the crazy adventures of thirteen-year-old Sammy Keyes who accidentally spots a hotel thief with her binoculars. And then she waves at the the thief! There are also many side adventures going on in her day-to-day middle school life. I do not object this as it introduced many other characters in a detailed manner and helped them emerge into to main plot.
I got bored at some points in the book. But the ending was satisfying. I'd like to read the other books in the series.
Recommended to anyone who'd like to read a fun mystery that both children and adults would like. It may also help in reading challenges as it is short as well as a part of series too.
August 8, 2021
Omg it's been so many years since I've read these XD. I was addicted with these along with Nancy Drew.
May 22, 2016
May 2016: So it took me a while to get back around to this but so, so glad I did. Just as good as I remembered - great little plot twists, fantastic lead characters and surprisingly plausible storyline, and despite the rather huge age gap (pretty sure this is both for and about 12 year olds) I really enjoyed reading it again.
Jan 2016: Haven't read this in nearly a decade (scary thought, that) and remember the series as being really great, might give it another go and who cares if it's "too young" - if it's good, it's good!
Jan 2016: Haven't read this in nearly a decade (scary thought, that) and remember the series as being really great, might give it another go and who cares if it's "too young" - if it's good, it's good!
July 27, 2012
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 appearance is totally irrelevant to her--what matters is her brains, her heart, and her guts.
I love how Sammy is not afraid of bugs or dark alleys or heights, and plunges into danger head-on.
I love how Sammy is nice to the weak, mean to the wicked, and sometimes even nice to the wicked.
There're just too many things about this series that I like to name them all! In any case, I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
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 appearance is totally irrelevant to her--what matters is her brains, her heart, and her guts.
I love how Sammy is not afraid of bugs or dark alleys or heights, and plunges into danger head-on.
I love how Sammy is nice to the weak, mean to the wicked, and sometimes even nice to the wicked.
There're just too many things about this series that I like to name them all! In any case, I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
September 5, 2014
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 lying didn't give the rest of the series a try. If you did, you would see her character grow and see that she eventually turns into a trustworthy and responsible young woman, despite the fact that she is only 12 years old! Sammy is a very real and relatable character, which is why I adore her so much.
Now, on with my original review.
Let me start this review by stating that I am a 20 year old woman and I have been reading the Sammy Keyes series since I was 13 years old and with each new novel published, Sammy is still my hero.
This is the first book in the Sammy Keyes series, although it is not the first one I read and you definitely don't need to read these in order. But this is one of my favorites of the series and I'm pretty sure I've read it over a dozen times. Its simplicity and the great characters that are expertly introduced in so little words make this book an easy and fun read.
The writing is definitely geared toward the junior high population, but I still enjoy it - and all the others - just as much as I did when I first read it. In a lot of books I've read that involve some sort of mystery that the protagonist stumbles upon while he/she is trying to juggle a crazy home life and a not so great social life, the parts where he/she is involved in the bigger, more life threatening mystery seem almost like the character is taking break from real life for a minute. But with Sammy Keyes, everything meshes so beautifully. I care just as much about whatever mess she's gotten herself into with her grams and her arch nemesis Heather as I do with whatever psycho she happened to wave at while he's stealing money from a hotel room across the street.
And Sammy may get into a lot of trouble, but she doesn't really mean to and she does her best to fix things up when she can. She's a character with a good heart, straight morals, and just a little too much courage to keep her out of trouble.
Like I said, Sammy is my hero and a great role model for girls and women everywhere. I'll be sad when her adventures come to an end.
Now, on with my original review.
Let me start this review by stating that I am a 20 year old woman and I have been reading the Sammy Keyes series since I was 13 years old and with each new novel published, Sammy is still my hero.
This is the first book in the Sammy Keyes series, although it is not the first one I read and you definitely don't need to read these in order. But this is one of my favorites of the series and I'm pretty sure I've read it over a dozen times. Its simplicity and the great characters that are expertly introduced in so little words make this book an easy and fun read.
The writing is definitely geared toward the junior high population, but I still enjoy it - and all the others - just as much as I did when I first read it. In a lot of books I've read that involve some sort of mystery that the protagonist stumbles upon while he/she is trying to juggle a crazy home life and a not so great social life, the parts where he/she is involved in the bigger, more life threatening mystery seem almost like the character is taking break from real life for a minute. But with Sammy Keyes, everything meshes so beautifully. I care just as much about whatever mess she's gotten herself into with her grams and her arch nemesis Heather as I do with whatever psycho she happened to wave at while he's stealing money from a hotel room across the street.
And Sammy may get into a lot of trouble, but she doesn't really mean to and she does her best to fix things up when she can. She's a character with a good heart, straight morals, and just a little too much courage to keep her out of trouble.
Like I said, Sammy is my hero and a great role model for girls and women everywhere. I'll be sad when her adventures come to an end.
September 14, 2018
3.5 stars
Sammy Keyes lives with her Grandma in a seniors-only apartment when one day she catches someone stealing money from one of the hotel rooms across the street. There are a number of burglaries that follow and leave everyone a little anxious for this individual to be caught.
This really did entertain me. Sammy is a spunky individual who is ready to stand up for herself and those she cares about and boy is she curious. I couldn't help but love her more and more as I read on. She has so much life and I think the author did an excellent job of bringing that to light.
The mystery was fun, but I think it did take a while to build up and there were a lot of other things that happened that did distract from it. But, I didn't mind it because I thought it really brought to life not just the Sammy, but the other characters as well. It allowed them to have more depth than they might have otherwise.
Sammy Keyes lives with her Grandma in a seniors-only apartment when one day she catches someone stealing money from one of the hotel rooms across the street. There are a number of burglaries that follow and leave everyone a little anxious for this individual to be caught.
This really did entertain me. Sammy is a spunky individual who is ready to stand up for herself and those she cares about and boy is she curious. I couldn't help but love her more and more as I read on. She has so much life and I think the author did an excellent job of bringing that to light.
The mystery was fun, but I think it did take a while to build up and there were a lot of other things that happened that did distract from it. But, I didn't mind it because I thought it really brought to life not just the Sammy, but the other characters as well. It allowed them to have more depth than they might have otherwise.
February 28, 2018
Not a favourite one. Too many factors to get over with this story.
Firstly, the plot is too simple and doesn't even begin to unfold until almost the first half of the book is over. Secondly, there are so many sub plots in the main plot. The main plot is catching a robber who continues to steal money and valuable things from the locality. The sub plots include many incidents in Sammy's personal life. The way I felt here, is that the writer focused more on portraying the characters than focusing on finding the thief. As the title suggests a mystery story, I felt very much disappointed at the extra life events. It became Samantha's daily life rather than Samantha being sort of an investigator.
Even though the last part of the story is quite good, overall it doesn't go that well with the genre. Hence, the 2 stars.
Firstly, the plot is too simple and doesn't even begin to unfold until almost the first half of the book is over. Secondly, there are so many sub plots in the main plot. The main plot is catching a robber who continues to steal money and valuable things from the locality. The sub plots include many incidents in Sammy's personal life. The way I felt here, is that the writer focused more on portraying the characters than focusing on finding the thief. As the title suggests a mystery story, I felt very much disappointed at the extra life events. It became Samantha's daily life rather than Samantha being sort of an investigator.
Even though the last part of the story is quite good, overall it doesn't go that well with the genre. Hence, the 2 stars.
December 14, 2008
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 sees someone who looks vaguely familiar committing a crime and then, the thief sees her. No way the thief could be sure she saw him right? Well, maybe not if she hadn’t waved at him. To complicate things, her grandma’s neighbor has taken to spying on the apartment trying to prove that Sammy’s living there, which means that Sammy and her grandma have to get pretty creative to get Sammy in and out. Oh, and did I tell you that, on the first day of middle school, Sammy gets poked in the butt with a pin and gets suspended? Will the neighbor catch Sammy? Will the thief figure out who she is and come after her? Will her entire seventh grade year come crashing down around her? Read Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen to find out.
Notes: As an avid mystery fan, I am all too often looking for a new series to read when I “catch up” with a favorite author’s latest. Looking at the genesis of this illness, I realized that it started in elementary school when I got hooked on two mystery series--the Three Investigators (Hitchcock) and Nancy Drew (Keane). Reading each new book in those two series was like having a mini-reunion with old friends. Sammy Keyes promises to be a series and a character well worth revisiting.
Notes: As an avid mystery fan, I am all too often looking for a new series to read when I “catch up” with a favorite author’s latest. Looking at the genesis of this illness, I realized that it started in elementary school when I got hooked on two mystery series--the Three Investigators (Hitchcock) and Nancy Drew (Keane). Reading each new book in those two series was like having a mini-reunion with old friends. Sammy Keyes promises to be a series and a character well worth revisiting.
October 22, 2019
This is the first book of a wonderfully written mystery series, sure to entertain both children and adults!
Junior detective/sleuth, Sammy Keyes, is quick-witted, gutsy, and amusing, with a knack for solving mysteries. I love this character and highly recommend getting to know her in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the Sammy Keyes mysteries!
Junior detective/sleuth, Sammy Keyes, is quick-witted, gutsy, and amusing, with a knack for solving mysteries. I love this character and highly recommend getting to know her in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the Sammy Keyes mysteries!
August 28, 2019
A very fun and clever first entry with a heroine who really is a modern day Nancy Drew. B+ (83%/Very Good)
October 21, 2024
با اینکه این کتاب برای نوجووناست، ولی از خوندنش لذت بردم. و کاملا ترغیب شدم که جلدهای بعدش هم بخونم.
یه چیزی که جدیدا توی کتابهای کودک و نوجوان میبینم، اینه که با اینکه اخر داستان همیشه با خوبی و خوشی تموم میشه، اما توش به موضوعاتی مثل تنهایی یا غم از دست دادن والدین پرداخته میشه. به نظرم خیلی خوبه. درک این مفاهیم که با زبان خود کودک و نوجوان بیان میشه، خیلی خوبه.
یه چیزی که جدیدا توی کتابهای کودک و نوجوان میبینم، اینه که با اینکه اخر داستان همیشه با خوبی و خوشی تموم میشه، اما توش به موضوعاتی مثل تنهایی یا غم از دست دادن والدین پرداخته میشه. به نظرم خیلی خوبه. درک این مفاهیم که با زبان خود کودک و نوجوان بیان میشه، خیلی خوبه.
Read
April 16, 2017Sammy Keyes is a middle-school girl living illegally with her grandmother in a seniors-only high-rise in California. Her mother is away trying to make it as a Hollywood actress. One afternoon, trying to occupy her time, she gets out her grandmother’s binoculars and starts scanning neighboring buildings – and becomes a witness to a burglary in the Heavenly Hotel! There are a series of burglaries in the neighborhood, and Sammy just spotted the latest one. When the burglar catches sight of Sammy watching him, what does she do? She waves! This fun mystery novel follows Sammy’s wild ride as she tries to identify the burglar before he finds her. And with the police poking around, she can’t let them find out her illegal living situation. Adding to the complexities in Sammy’s life, she just made enemies with the popular girl at school and got suspended on the first day of seventh grade. She needs to solve this crime before more gets out of hand! Sammy is observant, smart, funny, and seems to know how to get herself into trouble – deep trouble. Can she help solve this crime and undo some of the trouble, too?
Wendelin Van Drannen is an award-winning author; this book won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best children’s mystery. There are 18 books in this series. Van Drannen used to be a school teacher – she certainly knows what kids like!
I would recommend this book for upper elementary grades. This book could be used as a genre example to introduce mystery writing. Students could describe what the mystery is, what plot problems need solving, and what clues were helpful in solving the crime. This book would also be a great book to read in conjunction with a forensic science unit where students are studying crime-solving science such as finger-prints, shoe tracks, and handwriting analysis. As a read-aloud, this is a great way to introduce students to mysteries and get them hooked on this very fun series!
Wendelin Van Drannen is an award-winning author; this book won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best children’s mystery. There are 18 books in this series. Van Drannen used to be a school teacher – she certainly knows what kids like!
I would recommend this book for upper elementary grades. This book could be used as a genre example to introduce mystery writing. Students could describe what the mystery is, what plot problems need solving, and what clues were helpful in solving the crime. This book would also be a great book to read in conjunction with a forensic science unit where students are studying crime-solving science such as finger-prints, shoe tracks, and handwriting analysis. As a read-aloud, this is a great way to introduce students to mysteries and get them hooked on this very fun series!
August 22, 2020
I don’t know how to rate a Sammy Keyes book. Sure they’re middle grades fiction and not a “5 star read” according to my usual definition. But for what it is and who it is meant for- totally a 5 star series and this book is a fantastic intro for the series. In this book we meet a lot of our cast of characters for the series: trouble-finding Sammy, her cautious best friend Marissa, Grams, Hudson, Officer Borsch, Andre at the Heavenly Hotel, and more. The Hotel Thief introduces Sammy and shows she’s not a detective the way Nancy Drew is, but instead she stumbles into trouble and can’t help but involve herself and find out what’s going on.
I needed a palate cleanser after way too many romance novels close together and this was the perfect one. I will probably reread these until I’m 100 years old and still not grow tired of them.
I needed a palate cleanser after way too many romance novels close together and this was the perfect one. I will probably reread these until I’m 100 years old and still not grow tired of them.
October 24, 2018
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief reminded me of a good old fashioned children's book from when I was a kid. I won't tell how long ago that was!
Sammy lives illegally with her grandmother in a seniors only apartment building and tries her best to stay under the radar. I don't think that's so easy when Sammy witnesses a burglary using her gram's binoculars. The burglar spots Sammy and now Sammy is not sure if he knows who she is. Then she's suspended from school for putting a mean girl in her place. She really doesn't have the time for that drama when she's trying to solve the burglary mystery.
This MG novel leaves me wanting to see what's up with Sammy in the future.
Many thanks to Wendelin Van Draanen for sharing Sammy adventures and crime solving skills,
Al Monte
Sammy lives illegally with her grandmother in a seniors only apartment building and tries her best to stay under the radar. I don't think that's so easy when Sammy witnesses a burglary using her gram's binoculars. The burglar spots Sammy and now Sammy is not sure if he knows who she is. Then she's suspended from school for putting a mean girl in her place. She really doesn't have the time for that drama when she's trying to solve the burglary mystery.
This MG novel leaves me wanting to see what's up with Sammy in the future.
Many thanks to Wendelin Van Draanen for sharing Sammy adventures and crime solving skills,
Al Monte
May 6, 2021
I would have liked to have given this book a three because I liked the plucky, curious heroine who's making the best of a difficult life.
But with the growing problem of violence pervading our society, I think having a heroine who punches another girl in the nose, then later holds the girl over an escalator and threatens to grind off her nose, is far from acceptable. Yes, she certainly was provoked, but she should have chosen other options to deal with the situations.
But with the growing problem of violence pervading our society, I think having a heroine who punches another girl in the nose, then later holds the girl over an escalator and threatens to grind off her nose, is far from acceptable. Yes, she certainly was provoked, but she should have chosen other options to deal with the situations.
March 26, 2021
I read a lot of Children's books, and I love Wendelin Draanen's novels.
Here we have the story of Sammy Keyes, our detective hero.
Woah, I didn't expect the culprit would be the least suspicious of them all.
I would have enjoyed reading this book more in my younger years.
If you like family-oriented and friendship-oriented stories, this is for you.
Here we have the story of Sammy Keyes, our detective hero.
Woah, I didn't expect the culprit would be the least suspicious of them all.
I would have enjoyed reading this book more in my younger years.
If you like family-oriented and friendship-oriented stories, this is for you.
January 22, 2008
great book, really cool
April 28, 2024
As always, Sammy Keyes just opens my heart and fills it with joy.
March 8, 2019
More "Jr. High" read than expected. Read because I really liked this author's other works. Very well written. Good story. Unexpected ending. Very good!
December 26, 2022
i hate the new covers :/
their friendship is so cute !
their friendship is so cute !
August 10, 2019
Cute, snarky, and a lot of fun! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
Read
January 10, 2021hell yeah.
July 29, 2025
2025- Listened to this with Ellie and we loved it!
2022- Super cute book and one of Lily's favorite series 😁
2022- Super cute book and one of Lily's favorite series 😁
July 18, 2025
As part of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge (2025) I was tasked to re-read a childhood favorite. I immediately thought of the Sammy Keyes books that I was obsessed with as kid. Partly because we share the same name, but also because Sammy is courageous, curious, quickwitted, and is being raised by her grandmother (my dream scenario).
This story was just as fun all these years later, and I highly recommend this series to any middle graders that would feel empowered reading about a spunky inner-city girl detective 🥰
"He shakes his head at me. 'You've got a lot of bubbles in your soda, young lady.'"
This story was just as fun all these years later, and I highly recommend this series to any middle graders that would feel empowered reading about a spunky inner-city girl detective 🥰
"He shakes his head at me. 'You've got a lot of bubbles in your soda, young lady.'"
August 29, 2024
I was a big Sammy Keyes fan back in the day and I totally get why. She's the kind of young person I aspired to be: a no-nonsense, funny, smart tomboy type that would ride a skateboard and wear a backwards baseball hat (it was the 90s) and wouldn't take anybody's crap. Reading this as an adult, it feels surprisingly edgy. There are porcine cops, seedy motels, little girls punching each other in the face, adults blowing cigarette smoke in kids' faces, breaking and entering, and stolen goods. Sammy threatens to grind down the nose of her nemesis in a mall escalator at some point. I appreciate this unhinged quality that is an element of girlhood that is probably overlooked, and it was fun to rediscover it in this book.
November 11, 2024
I read this aloud to my class of fifth graders, and they enjoyed it. They kept up with all of the characters and shenanigans. Personally, I had some issues with it, in terms of some of the content. First of all, there are many mentions of cigarette smoking, which really put me off. Secondly, toward the beginning of the book, there’s a fight at school, with a lot of “she deserved it,” types of comments. As a teacher, I wasn’t comfortable reading that to my students. All of that being said, I do think it’s a fine book, but perhaps it being published over 25 years ago makes it a big dated.
June 15, 2020
This book was a fun and cute charming read. I enjoyed a quick read of a mystery. It reminds me a lot of Harriett the Spy or Cam Jensenother among other young middle schoolers who end up saving the day and solving mysteries. I think it's a fun premise to write about. I only wish I could have been solving mysteries and catching bad guys as a young middle schooler.
January 4, 2019
Never read childhood books as an adult. Rating reflects how much I liked it as a kid!
December 26, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5. This was a lot of fun to listen to! I'm definitely planning to see if Overdrive has the other audiobooks.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 577 reviews