Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash

Gr 4—6—Sammy Keyes, 13, sneaks up the fire escape to her grandmother's apartment and encounters an elderly man exiting the fourth floor. He sees Sammy and then collapses from an apparent heart attack. Before he dies, he instructs Sammy to get rid of the wads of cash stashed in his pocket. She throws the money into the bushes below. Sammy thinks that she scared the man to death and is racked with guilt. Once the coast is clear, she retrieves the money for herself. Then she learns that a mysterious man ransacked the elderly man's room. Sammy wants some answers to her questions about the man and the money. Part of the charm of Wendelin Van Draanen's story (Knopf, 2008) is that the supporting characters are fully fleshed out and have some fun problems of their own. And despite everything going on, Sammy and her friends are consumed with boys and the angst that comes with it. Fans of the previous 11 titles in the series will not be disappointed. For those new to the series, the book does stand alone, although there are some comments about previous events. Tara Sands does a stellar job of bringing the characters to life. A real treat.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL