SAMMY KEYES AND THE SEARCH FOR SNAKE EYES

The navel-ring generation’s Nancy Drew gears up for another all-out dash into peril that begins at a video arcade in the mall, and almost ends in a boarded-up basement, looking down the barrel of a gun. There’s not a dull moment to be found here. A new neighbor noses out Sammy’s illegal residence in her grandma’s seniors-only apartment, old adversary Heather Acosta gets her and her friends kicked off the softball team just before a major tournament, a frantic teenager passes her a bag with a baby hidden inside. Moreover, a chilling punk “hatred for eyes. Steel for a mouth,” and a snake tattoo is relentlessly stalking her. Thanks to some sturdy friends, and a winning combination of guile and good intentions, Sammy ultimately comes out on top. But first she learns more than she ever wanted to know about baby care in one endless overnight, and then drags reluctant but doughty sidekick Marissa into gang territory for a series of scary encounters that lead to a wild, daring rescue. Readers unfamiliar with Sammy’s earlier escapades may stumble over some continuing plot threads, but along with a cast of thoroughly likable, or thoroughly despicable, characters, each of whom gets exactly what he or she merits, Van Draanen offers such an explosive combination of high-stakes sleuthing, hilarity, and breathlessly paced action that it’s impossible to turn the pages fast enough. (Fiction. 12-15)