The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

Cam Jansen Mysteries #1

by David A. Adler

When Jennifer "Cam" Jansen and her friend Eric are at the mall, they witness a robbery at the jewelry store! Can Cam's amazing photographic memory help catch a thief?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Adventure

58 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 1980

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Cam Jansen - real name Jennifer, but nicknamed "The Camera" for her photographic memory - and her best friend Eric Shelton witness the aftermath of a jewelry robbery at the mall in this beginning chapter-book, the pair soon realize that the police have made a mistake. With Eric's baby brother Howie in tow, they set out to track down the diamond thieves themselves...

Well this was a trip down memory lane! I used to read the Cam Jansen mystery series as a young girl, but hadn't picked one up in years. The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds is one I recall particularly enjoying, and rereading it today on my train commute, as part of a project to familiarize myself with more titles intended for this beginning chapter-book stage, I was filled with nostalgic happiness. First published in 1980, some of the developments seem a little unlikely in 2019, especially carrying little Howie along while confronting jewel thieves. Still, I don't think that this bothered me at all as a young reader, so perhaps today's children will be likewise unconcerned. Recommended to mystery fans who are just getting going with chapter-books.

[Kate Bobholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #2 for our Mother/Daughter bookclub! We really enjoyed this book as it had a mystery we needed to solve. We had many theories along the way which was fun to see how her little mind was working 🥰

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cam Jansen's career as a fifth-grade sleuth gets off to a fine start in her inaugural adventure, Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds. Cam isn't a proven veteran of dozens of investigations at this point, merely a bright girl hailed for her unfailing photographic memory, but that gift is in rare form as her first case ever pops up when she's at the mall with her friend Eric. The case is challenging, convoluted enough that the police can't get to the bottom of it, but no detective on the force is as observant as the soon-to-be-legendary Cam Jansen. Trusting her own instincts and faultless memory, she's about to establish her reputation as a kid detective on par with the very best.

Eric's mother leaves him with his baby brother Howie at the mall for a few minutes on the morning Parker's Jewelry Store is robbed at gunpoint. Seated on a bench with Eric outside the shop in the mall's main corridor, Cam sees only the commotion after the heist, when a man pushes his way out of the store and runs away. Other patrons file out moments later, looking dazed and frightened: a man with his wife and baby, a pair of elderly ladies. The police arrive shortly and go after the man who ran off, but Cam asks questions of the other people in the store when the holdup occurred. These witnesses should be able to identify the culprit.

The authorities conduct their investigation professionally, but only Cam perceives the situation well enough to deduce how the jewelry theft really went down and who's responsible. There's no time to alert the cops; she and Eric must bring the perpetrator to justice on their own, or the bad guy will get off scot-free. It's Cam's debut as a detective capable of solving crimes the police can't, but it might be her last case if she's not careful about getting involved with armed robbers. Desperate criminals take desperate actions to preserve their liberty. Can Cam and Eric prove the offenders' guilt and alert the police to come rescue them before the robbers silence the junior gumshoes permanently?

Easy-reader mysteries are a popular genre, and David A. Adler put together a propitious start to this series with Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds. The case makes perfect sense, with a few smart twists I didn't see coming. The solution is simple enough for the earliest readers to grasp, yet with plenty of pop to keep older kids engaged. The climactic chase is exciting, with the thrill of real danger for Cam as she eludes capture by villains. Kids who enjoy this book are sure to want more, and there's a whole Cam Jansen series out for them to find, thanks to the great David A. Adler. I look forward to many more adventures with Cam Jansen. She sure is a brilliant detective.

[Sarah Schupanitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with my nieces for “book club.” I loved this series growing up probably cuz she has red hair. This also explains my true crime obsession that started pretty young.

Story is very unrealistic, however. Don’t go into strangers homes!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun dose of 80s nostalgia, even though I never encountered these in my own 80s childhood. We got the edition with the original illustrations. Fun! The story moves along at a quick pace. Though the outcome seemed pretty obvious to me, I think it is a good "first mystery" for children to piece together. I don't feel it has quite the style or personality of Nate the Great and I think it's geared to a little older audience than the Nate books, though my children (7 and 4) both were attentive. While I wasn't wowed, I will probably look for more since my children enjoyed it. Modern parents should note it is certainly dated in that the children are on their own the entire time, chase after the thief (with baby brother in tow) without telling any adults, that sort of thing.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story about a young girl with photographic memory who solves a mystery based on her observations. She's a female version of Encyclopedia Brown of sorts.

As a mom, I don't like that the youngsters are left alone in the mall to babysit nor that they leave the area and put themselves in danger, but this is just a story.

On the other hand, I like that Cam is the lead character, providing a strong female role model for young girls. We will definitely look for other Cam Jansen stories by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

What does it take to write a successful children's series? 1) Here, we have a character with a photographic memory, hence her nickname is "Cam." 2) In the first book of this series, she solves a crime using her special talent. 3) Some, but not all, adults are made to look silly. This specific book is indeed rather clever and far better than, for example, Dahl's very odd and unlikeable "The Twits". Oh, and 4) Cam is in the fifth grade and surely this book was written for perhaps students in the first or second grade, so these children would look up to Cam, thus children want heroes and heroines. All in all, there is a lot to like here, for my 3-star rating. I've never tried to write a children's book, but why not? I'm going to read more in this series to get a better understanding of this field of literature.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following is a confession from Stella Chen:
I've always wanted to be like Cam Jansen. Photographic memory? Heck yes! I thought I'll ace every test in school and become a detective one day. Unfortunately, that never happened so I have to rely on stupid studying to get me through school. -le sigh-

Also, please read my review of The Absent Author by Ron Roy to take a peek at my childhood and how I became The Girl That Loves Mystery Books. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book in the Cam Jansen mystery series. A man and woman stole diamonds from the jewlery store. Cam and her friend Eric solve the mystery. I learned never to steal because then you get in trouble.

Maddie

[Sarah Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

As enjoyable as I remember it being as a child. Of course as an adult who has read it before, even though it was many years ago, I knew the answer right away. I always wanted Cam's photographic memory.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this book based on my experience right now reading this with my 5 year old. This is definitely too old for her in its content. This is about a jewelry heist and they describe making the owner lay on the floor, putting the other shoppers against the wall, etc. and she was scared. This is meant to be an early reader for older elementary kids and I think its more appropriate to read it that way than as a read aloud to a younger kid. As an adult, its a pretty straightforward mystery where there is a decoy and then a couple who actually committed the crime. Justice is served and the story is wrapped up in an easily digestible 60ish pages. There are pictures on every 3rd or 4th page. This is a book from the 80's and it does make me wonder what kind of content is upcoming in the series. Definitely one I want to pre-read before trying again with the kids.

[Laura]

I found this book in a little free library the other day and picked it up for my sisters baby.


I then did a dramatic reading of it to send to my other sister because I find myself hysterical.

So I read it as a joke. But I also loved this series when I was a kid and honestly it was still a fun little mystery that I can see why I liked it as a child.

[Lily by Misi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised by who stole the diamonds. I really liked this book.

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Rachel Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

in the 80s when they didn’t care about toning things down for children! i guess this is real life kids sometimes in a casual day at the mall you’re going to witness a guy point a gun at adults and children as he lines them up to face the wall in a jewelry store

[Sophie Vergne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this aloud to a kid last week. Basic storytelling but the 6 year old loved it!

[Justin Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, 1980

Cam Jansen is a young girl with a photographic memory that has a pension for solving mysteries. One day while waiting in the mall with a friend Eric, they see that there is a commotion at the jewelry store. They see many different people come running out of the store before the police arrive and Cam learns that the store has been robbed. Using her excellent memory, Jan recalls that immediately after hearing the alarm she saw a man with a mustache run out of the store, then a young couple with a baby and two older female friends left. All of these people were gone by the time the police arrived and chased after the first man that left. When the police returned to the store with the man, they were told that he was not the one that stole the jewelry. With the police thoroughly confused, Cam decides that it is up to herself and Eric to solve this mystery. They decide to follow the mustached man to a house not far from the mall. Once there, Erica and Cam see that he is meeting with the young couple from the store. Cam enters the building while Eric looks for the police officers. After a close call, Cam discovers that all three worked together to steal diamonds, and Eric arrives with the police to arrest the thieves.
The Cam Jansen series is leveled around the second grade level, but would be a good option for some students from first grade through fifth. It is difficult to find books for upper grade students that read at a lower level. Cam Jansen is a good option because it is a short read, but is still entertaining for a variety of ages. This could also be a good book to introduce mysteries to younger ages and maybe work with predictions.
How do you think Cam and Eric feel about needing to watch Eric's little brother? What do you think happened in the jewelry store? Who do are the suspects? Which do you think stole the jewelry? How are Eric and Cam similar different? What traits would you use to describe them? How does Cam feel being alone in the house with the thieves? What about Cam makes her a good detective? What about this story makes it a mystery?

[Michelle Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My youngest daughter is 6 years old an in 1st grade, but her reading level is more on the line of a 4th grader, which makes finding books difficult. I need to find things interesting and difficult enough to engage her, but yet she is still a 1st grader and as such not mature enough for some books.

Last night, she and I sat down to read this book. Now, having been a Literacy Assistant (basically a teachers aide that taught reading) in our local school for the past two years, I knew that Cam Jansen would be a pretty good fit. I had taught a number of the Cam Jansen books in my 1st grade high ability reading groups. So I picked out the first book in the series, always best to start in the beginning I always say.

Although she was not as interested as I wished she had been, she is rebeling against reading at the moment, which hurts her father and I to no end, as we both are big readers. But at the same time, I know it is a phase and shall pass, as it has with the other kids. We ended up reading the whole book.

It was a cute story. Loved the main character Cam, or Jennifer Jansen. Thought it was well done to encourage memory in shildren, they talked about playing the memory game to build your memory. Her best friend is Eric, a boy, and it was great to see a boy-girl friendship that was exactly that. Too many times on these supposed preschool and young kids tv shows and books based on the tv shows, they are more about dating, and who wants their 6 year old thinking about dating!

It's great book for the 1st or 2nd grader in your life.

[Edward Creter · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the streets get too hot, and crime is at its worst, count on Cam Jansen! She's a twelve-year-young junior detective with a photographic memory like a steel trap, and a sense of right and wrong which has trumped and stumped most older male private eyes! Her first adventure has Cam the Camera hanging with associate (read: BFF) Eric Sutton and Eric's baby brother. Then a lowlife happens to run from a jewelry store...one he just robbed! Then two others are seen as carrying a baby of their own, and a rattle....with suspicious paraphernalia inside! Could they have made off with enough diamonds to stun Liz Taylor herself into a bling-loving coma? It's up to DETECTIVE Cam Jansen to rattle some doors and bring three jewel thieves to jail (since they went to Jared!). Simple? Yeah, right! THERE IS NO THING AS TOO SIMPLE for Cam Jansen! Come. Join the search! Match wits with the world's second-greatest detective! This girl (dare we say it?) ROCKS!

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Cam Jansen chapter book series featuring a fifth-grade girl with a "photographic" memory. These books are not whodunit type of mysteries, but each story contains a conundrum, which Cam's eidetic memory helps to solve. The protagonist and her bff are a bit old for a chapter book. The books in the series are all short, (less than 60 pgs each) quick reads. They can be read independently of one another, and are easily understood if read out of order. Published in the 1980s, the books are somewhat dated, mostly in terms of technology (i.e. cameras requiring film that needs developing, pay telephones in boxes, kids running around without a cell phone or any way to contact parents/authorities, etc.).

In this book, Cam and her best friend, Eric, catch jewelry store thieves, after the police apprehend and release the wrong suspect.

[Evelynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger, perhaps nine or under, I was enamored with this series. I bought another Cam Jansen book somewhere (probably a thrift store) and read it last year. I can see why I really liked them back in the day, but now I realize that the writing is very much for a younger audience: very simple sentence structure, simple descriptions, simple dialog.

If I were to rate this Cam Jansen book (and the others) based on how I viewed them when I was younger, they would all be 4.5 to 5 stars. But I'm rating them as I see them now, thus the three stars. But I would definitely recommend this series for mystery lovers 9-12 years old, maybe even younger, depending on the kid.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

*Please Note that the following review is the general review on the Cam Jansen Mysteries *

I loved this series as a kid. I believe I was about 6 to 8 when I read these books and it would be the beginning of my love of mysteries. Cam Jansen, about 10 years old, uses her photographic memory to solve mysteries. They remind me of Agatha Christie novels but for children beginning to read chapter books. I would call these one step above the easy readers.

[Stephanie Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in 1980 and thought it was genius. But after reading it as an adult I have some reservations about these mystery books. The author seems to put the characters in danger. Kids leaving the mall to follow possible thieves? In what world would this be appropriate? It was well written and the joy of the click was nostalgic but this book needs to come with a discussion that kids should not be following anyone.

[Claudia]

cam and erick went to the mall and they saw in the jewelry store and they saw went one man stolen the diamonds and cam and erick call the polices mans and they don't know what to do so. the police take who stolen the jewelry store...

[Madison Van Niekerk]

I think this book was really great because of how much mystery there was in the book. And also because of the action that was in the book.

[Madison Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

My students told me I should give this 2 stars. They were not fans lol 😂 I think it’s a great early mystery book though!

[Jahnvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i've read almost all the books from the cam janson universe released before 2018 but didn't want to tag them all as read so here i am.

[Jacqueline Materna]

Title: Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book
Theme(s): mystery, photographic memory, robbery, jewelry, friendship

Opening line/sentence: “It was the first morning of spring vacation.”

Brief Book Summary:
This book follows Cam Jansen, a girl known for her impeccable photographic memory skills, and her close friend Eric Shelton as they witness a robbery occur at their local mall’s jewelry store and assisting in capturing the thieves. Like many transitional chapter books, there were varying pictures that corresponded to different parts of the story, but nothing too substantial to give the book a better image or different perspective. In the end, with the assistance of the two young teenagers, and the police, they were able to find and rightfully accuse and capture the real robbers.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Jessie Grearson (Audiofile, October/November 2003)
The main character in this popular adventure series, Cam Jansen, is a spunky girl with a photographic memory. She uses her mental pictures ("click!") to solve mysteries. Here, Cam and her friend, Eric, puzzle over how diamonds were taken from a nearby jewelry store. The capable Christina Moore narrates the tale; her Cam and Eric are fully engaged in solving this mystery, and other incidental characters (the nice young couple and an elderly woman) sound authentic, too. Moore creates a strong feeling of suspense that will capture the imaginations of young listeners, who will collect clues, eliminate suspects, and guess "whodunit" along with Cam.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Recorded Books (Recorded Books, LLC.)
When Cam and her best friend Eric are interrupted in the middle of the memory game by the alarm bell of a nearby jewelry shop, they watch the police catch a man running from the scene of the crime. But when the police find he doesn’t have any stolen jewels, they have to let him go. Cam's not so sure the man is as innocent as he claims. Can her photographic memory provide some clues that the police might have overlooked?

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Grearson really captures Adler’s talents used to create an easy-to-read, intriguing, and suspenseful story that really differs from different transitional chapter books. She hits on the authenticity of the story, which makes the story more lifelike and allows children to see this through the glass window, or even potentially step through the glass door and relate back to things happen in the worlds around them as readers. Additionally, both readers include some form of her impeccable memory and how this is the basis for the story. Again, something that some readers can relate to, which is a reason that these books are so popular amongst readers who are beginning to transition into chapter books. Reading becomes easier when you are able to relate and can picture these happening in your own lives. Through this book, readers can start to see similarities between their lives and even get a different perspective that they might not have thought of without reading this type of book.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
As we move away from picture books, and into these types of transitional chapter books, it becomes more evident the different types of literary elements included within the books. While it includes the essentials of a novel, such as a plot, setting, narrator, theme, etc., it also includes more dialogue than traditional picture books do. now instead of just seeing the characters within the book, you are able to see, read, and comprehend the conversations, feelings, and emotions felt by all the characters through their own words. Additionally, this book begins to capture different pieces of literary techniques like imagery, which can somewhat be seen in the illustrators, but for the most part, the reader is creating these images within their mind and seeing it the way they construct and envision it.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book focuses on the photographic memory of Cam Jansen and her frequent use of “click!” to remember different aspects of the mystery and later used to put all the clues together to find the thieves. Because of this, students can be encouraged to draw out different scenes from the book in a chronical sequence to depict what happened from the beginning to the end of the book. Essentially, children would be turning this transitional chapter book into a wordless picture book, capturing the most iconic moments and making it easy to understand and figure out how the robbery happened, how Cam and Eric solved it, and how the book concludes as a whole. This can be done on multiple pieces of paper and made into their own little booklet or even set up like a graphic novel.

[MKE Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

We consumed this book in audiobook form on a long drive, and we really liked it! If read with a patient parent who can clarify details, we would suggest it for ages 7+. Independently, maybe 9+.

What we liked:
💎 a great intro into the mystery genre
💎Cam is so brave and smart
💎 Her best friend Eric is a great sidekick and sweet big brother
💎 Eric’s baby brother was so cute!
💎 We liked being able to make predictions about whodunnit
💎 our jaws dropped at the big reveals!

Some notes for parents :
(1) there is a jewelry store robbery where the thief holds the owner at g*nppoint. The g*n is mentioned a few more times as well, but no one gets shot or hurt with it.
(2) reading this with a very smart almost-7-year-old, I did have to pause it from time to time to make sure she was following and clarify some details for her
(3) there are kids and babies in danger, but none are harmed. We used this as an opportunity to talk about fiction vs real life. And how they should immediately tell an adult if they’re ever in a dangerous situation. But because it’s fiction, we can enjoy the adventure!

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cam is one of a kind! She has a gift, and that gift is a photographic memory. When cam sees something, she stores it as a picture inside her brain. Cam uses her photographic memory to solve mysteries around town, and this time there was a robbery! Cam and her friend Eric are spending the day at the mall. Everything seems to be fine until the jewelry store is suddenly robbed! Cam saw sees the thief and saves the picture inside her brain. Unfortunately, the police arrest the wrong guy which leads Cam to take matters into her own hands and make it right. Cam and Eric hunt for the true robber and eventually, they are able to catch him. Cam and Eric are thanked and rewarded and the two carry on to another day waiting for another adventure to take place and another mystery to be solved.
I gave this book five stars because it was simple, mysterious, and adventurous. Additionally, I like that this book is great for transitioning children into chapter books. This is because it is easy to read and easy to understand but takes the reader on a longer adventure than a non-chapter book would.