Van Draanen, Wendelin

I didn't set out tryin' to keep secrets. But how can I explain that I spend most afternoons with folks who've lost their minds? Who would believe even half the stuff I've seen there? Or that being there is still way better than the place we escaped. Or that I saw two people die last Thursday, but what really scares me is a being stalked by a girl named Kandi Kain.

Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.

When teen sleuth Sammy Keyes travels to Las Vegas to stop her mom from marrying her boyfriend's dad, she never expects she'll learn the identity of her absent father in the process.

"Sammy Keyes has spent the last few years solving other people's mysteries; now her friends (and some foes) come together to unmask the fiend who has put Sammy in a coma"--Provided by publisher.

When the diabolical Damien Black robs a bank and steals a tiger-eye of great sentimental value, he is pursued by thirteen-year-old Dave Sanchez and his sidekick, a talking gecko named Sticky, who are armed with a magical Aztec armband.

When Nolan witnesses a serious crime, he realizes he may not be able to hide behind his Shredderman identity this time.

A homework pack that contains book and audio versions of "Flipped," the story of two teenagers who, in alternating chapter, describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years; and includes a student worksheet and teacher's guide.

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!.

While on her first hiking and camping trip, thirteen-year-old Sammy tries to solve a mystery involving endangered condors while avoiding scorpions, ticks, and embarrassment.