WebQuest for Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen has made a recent splash on the young adult literature scene in 1997 with the publishing of her book How I Survived Being a Girl, a warmhearted narration of her family, friends, neighborhood and small town adventures as a young girl growing into a young woman. Her other works include the Sammy Keyes mystery series, and Flipped. The later being a story about just how two people really view things and how sometimes you don't see the things that have always been right in front of you.

Wendelin, grew up in suburban Chicago where her mother taught her to read at an early age, and she has fond memories of story time with her father, when she and her brothers would cuddle up around him and listen to him read stories. She now lives in a town located on the central coast of California. There she is a computer science instructor at the local high school; she also coordinates the yearbook and manages the school newspaper. This schedule takes discipline and Wendelin starts at 5 a.m. to get her writing underway before answering the demands of motherhood- she has two young sons- and her teaching job. Her bio also says that she is a part time singer in a rock band. That and her close association with students undoubtedly give her insights into the tumultuous world of today's teens. She says however, that her inspiration comes from "The past, the future, the struggle for a happy ending!"

E-mail the authors! Megan.Kearney@asu.edu and Julie.Gavin@asu.edu