Wendelin Van Draanen

  • 25

    Catalog books

  • 4

    Works

  • 1999 to 2018

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Wendelin Van Draanen writes with sharp observation and quick humor about the messy truths of growing up. How I Survived Being a Girl captures a teenager’s tangled feelings about family, identity, and change, using short, candid chapters that balance emotional honesty with wit and plainspoken voice.

Her work centers on characters navigating everyday upheaval rather than grand plot mechanics. In How I Survived Being a Girl, Van Draanen sketches intimate scenes and realistic dialogue that reveal how small decisions and stubbornness shape a young person’s sense of self and resilience.

Best Place To Start

The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones

Yearling • 2018 • standard commitment

It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Teen coming-of-age stories • Honest adolescent voice • Everyday family and school conflicts

Genres and themes: Contemporary YA fiction • Gender and identity • Friendship and resilience

Who this author is best for: A good fit for readers who prefer realistic, empathetic YA novels about growing up and navigating family and peer challenges.

Start with How I Survived Being a Girl to sample Van Draanen’s frank, first-person teen perspective.

Top Books To Start With

  1. The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones

    Yearling • 2018 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2018 • 288 pages.

  2. Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher

    Perfection Learning • 2011 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2011 • 296 pages.

  3. Flipped

    Knopf Books for Young Readers • 2010 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2010 • 240 pages.

  4. Confessions of a Serial Kisser

    Knopf Books for Young Readers • 2008 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2008 • 304 pages.

  5. Sammy Keyes and the psycho Kitty Queen

    Yearling • 2006 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2006 • 293 pages.

  6. Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes

    Tandem Library • 2005 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 277 pages.

  7. Shredderman Secret Identity

    Scholastic • 2004 • quick commitment

    It stands out because it asks for less time than many of the longer volumes on this page.

  8. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief (Sammy Keyes)

    Scholastic • 2003 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2003 • 208 pages.

  9. Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man

    Random House Childrens Books • 1999 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1999 • 208 pages.

  10. Enemy Spy (Shredderman Series)

    Live Oak Media • 2007 • commitment varies by edition

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2007.

How The Picks Compare

  • The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is the easier short commitment, while Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher asks for more reading time up front.
  • Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones leans later in the catalog.
  • Flipped is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones.

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