Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf

Sammy Keyes tries to help out a friend and ends up in a mystery that must be solved or she could lose her home in this book by Wendelin Van Draanen. A prize dog is missing and its owner, who blackmails most of the town, forces Sammy to find the dog. At the same time, Sammy must find out why a little girl keeps running away, discover what happened to her grandmother's nosy neighbor that turned her into a mean old woman, and find a way to get even with her school enemy, Heather. Even with this many subplots, the action moves clearly and swiftly, with each tying into the main lesson of the story: forgiveness is as good for the forgiver as for the forgiven. This is the fourth adventure in the series, but stands well on its own. Sammy is a strong heroine who has a hard life. The narrator, actress Tara Sands, gives all the characters their own voices, and makes it seem like 13-year-old Sammy is telling the story. A good choice for libraries looking for mysteries for middle school girls.