Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen ("Van Draw-nen") has written more than thirty novels for suitable for young readers to adults. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes mystery 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. Her latest novel, The Peach Rebellion, is suitable for teens and adults. It is the story of three young women from very different backgrounds who collide, then forge a partnership that shocks their families but unites their community. Her book for teen and adult writers, Hope in the Mail, is part writing guide, part memoir, and is designed to encourage aspiring writers to "dream big, work hard, and not give up." Her other stand-alone titles include Wild Bird, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, Runaway, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, Swear to Howdy, and The Running Dream which was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience. Van Draanen has also created two four-book series for younger readers. The Shredderman books--featuring a boy who deals with a bully and adapted by Nickelodeon as a TV movie--received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit,” and The Gecko & Sticky books, which are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers. Her latest middle-grade mystery, Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters, is a fun adventure starring a scrappy stray dog (Mr. Whiskers) and two sisters (dubbed the Shenanigans). Van Draanen's recent picture book Gravity Is Bringing Me Down has a follow-up volume titled I Like Pi in the works. Both are STEM-based and humorous, making science learning fun for kids. A classroom teacher for fifteen years, Van Draanen is married to Mark H. Parsons, also an author (Road Rash, The 9:09 Project). They have two sons. Find her on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter at @WendelinVanD