They are each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be with. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. Wendelin Van Draanen is at her best here with a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. And just as he’s thinking there’s more to her than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. Annotation: The first time she saw him, she flipped.Narrated by Wendelin Van Draanen, Ryan Gesell, and Tara Sands 4.5 star 11 reviews headphones Audiobook 7 hr 1 min.In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. Wendelin Van Draanen is the winner of the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Children’s Mystery Book for Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief and lives with her husband and two sons in California. Van Draanen hopes to leave her readers with a sense that they have the ability to steer their own destiny-that individuality is a strength, and that where there’s a will, there’s most certainly a way. It doesn’t get any better than that,” she said.

“One girl came up to me and told me I changed her life. She soon stumbled upon the joys of writing for children.įeedback from her readers is Van Draanen’s greatest reward for writing. When she tried her hand at writing a screenplay about a family tragedy, she found the process quite cathartic and from that experience, turned to writing novels for adults. She did not decide that she wanted to be an author until she was an adult. Growing up, Van Draanen was a tomboy who loved to be outside chasing down adventure. 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. 'Flipped' by Wendelin Van Draanen tells the story of two youngsters whose diverse views of their relationship evolve over many years until those perspectives are 'flipped.

Books have always been a part of Wendelin Van Draanen’s life.

Flipped book by wendelin van draanen