Wendelin Van Draanen

 Biographical Information:

Wendelin grew up in Chicago, Illinois.  Now, Ms. Van Draanen is living with her husband and two sons in her house in California. 

 What was the start for Wendelin?

She was exposed to books by her mother, who taught her how to read at a very young age.  She remembers when her father would host family story night.  She has fond memories of snuggling with him and enjoying his entertaining stories. 

Ideas and Inspiration for Wendelin:

"The past, the future, the struggle for a happy ending!" is what inspires Ms. Van Draanen.  She gets ideas from real life happenings in a teen's life.  Mostly she writes mysteries.  This is because she enjoys the thrill of a great ending.

How was the decision made for her to become an author?

It was completely accidental!  She was writing a screenplay (as an adult) about a family tragedy, and discovered she really had a knack for writing.

Some Fun Facts:

She was born on January 6th Chicago, Illinois.  Her previous jobs include a fork lift driver and a high school computer science teacher.  She loves dark chocolate and the three r's: reading, running, and rock and roll.  P.S. from Wendelin, her name is actually Wendelin Van Draanen.  "Blame my mom!" she claims.

  Click here for a book review of some of her books:

Bibliography

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Pyscho Kitty Queen.

"Van Draanen, Wendelin." Something About The Author. 1st ed. Farmingron Hills, MI: Gale Group, Inc., 2001.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. "Wendelin Van Draanen." Wendelin Van Draanen. <http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/index.html>.

 credits: http://www.kidsreads.com/art/authorphotos/120w/van-draanen-wendelin.jpg