The Green School Mystery

Cam Jansen Mysteries #28

by David A. Adler, Joy Allen (Illustrator)

Cam Jansen?s school is going green. For each can or bottle Cam and her classmates bring in to be recycled, the school earns a nickel. But when all the nickels go missing, everyone suspects they were stolen. Can Cam click! and use her photographic memory to solve this mystery?

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

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2008

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]

Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton solve another mystery in this twenty-eighth entry in David A. Adler's beginning chapter-book series devoted to their crime-solving adventures. When a box full of dimes - earned over the course of the year through the recycling activities of the schoolchildren - goes missing on Green Day, the friends jump into action, determined to find the thief...

Much like its predecessors, the solution to the puzzle in Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery is brought to light through Cam's photographic memory. For my own part, I knew the identity of the thief on page five, but then, the books in the Cam Jansen series often follow a particular pattern, and I knew to be on the lookout. Although I didn't find it particularly suspenseful, I would imagine many in the target audience will, and will enjoy following Cam and Eric as they get to the bottom of the mystery. Recommended to fans of the Cam Jansen books, and to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery stories.

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

This was a short little mystery about a school that has a can drive to raise money for a skylight for their school. All the money goes missing and Cam has to figure out what happened. It was interesting enough and it was possible to think things through and figure it out on your own, but it definitely wasn't obvious.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I solved the mystery, and got everything right in the observation practice. Yay for small triumphs! Would seven year old me have been able to? Probably, but I'm not absolutely sure.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was what about how Cam Jansen solved the mystery of the stolen dimes. The school is trying to go green and have the students bring in cans to recycle and get nickels. They did this in order for the school to put in solar panels to save money on electricity. This is a great book to learn about fossil fuels and recycling.

[Annie ⚜️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

She clicked entirely too much in this one. It started to get on my nerves, lol. Otherwise, my son and I really enjoy these. I get bored with a lot of the kids books but these are a step up.

[Anna Salvesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

At Cam's school, they raised dimes for the school to help the environment. They were going to use the dimes to buy seeds and other stuff for the environment. Then a fake delivery guy came with bricks wrapped in bread wrappers to trick people. He stole the dimes and put the bricks in their place so they'd feel heavy. When everyone got together to see how much money they raised, they brought up people who brought the most money in. Cam and Eric got Golden Green buttons for being some of the biggest money raisers. When they opened the case to see how much money there was, they only found bricks. They didn't tell the rest of the school that the money was gone. They figured out who had stolen the money because she remembered the guy's truck said Angel's Bakery. They got their dimes back and he got arrested.

[Patricia Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt like it was written purely to make a statement about going green. Although that’s something I’m 100% behind, I don’t think kids need to be given a list hidden as a story. My kids knew everything that was mentioned already!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Cam has a photographic memory. She uses her memory to help find out where the money went that the school had been fundraising.

[Elyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam is always doing the police’s job

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book my son and I both liked. Not only did it focus on 'being green', it also had a solvable mystery.

[Zuleidy]

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[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer "Cam" (short for 'camera', a nickname given to her for her photographic memory) Jansen and her friend Eric Shelton help the school principal and teachers solve an Earth Day mystery. The kids at school have worked hard collecting cans to be recycled, earning a nickel from the recycling center for each can they bring in. When the final fundraising announcement is about to be made, however, the coins are missing and some bricks are sitting in their place. It is up to Cam's photographic memory to solve the mystery and find the money so the school can pay for their new skylights, which they plan to install in the school to cut back on electricity usage during the day.

This book is an example of contemporary realistic fiction because the kids will be able to relate to the realistic scenario of a school fundraiser and kids who want to help the grown-ups solve a real mystery.

This book would compliment an Earth Day unit nicely with its tips and lessons about energy conservation placed throughout the story. In school, Cam, Eric, and their classmates are learning all about becoming a "green" school and how they can help their homes be more environmentally friendly as well. After reading this book, students could make lists about how they can be more "green" in their lives both at home and at school. Students could also create Earth Day posters to display at school, urging others to take care of our resources. As with any mystery story, the element of foreshadowing and the strategy of making predictions can be incorporated into the lesson as students try to figure out the mystery.

Scholastic Teacher Store recommends this book for grades 2-3 and AR Finder places the reading level of this story at 3.5. I would agree that this story would be most enjoyed by 2nd-3rd grade students.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an effort to become a “green school,” the elementary students collect cans for recycling. Each can earns a nickel. The money will be used to buy skylights so the school can conserve electricity. Mr. Day is in charge of trading the nickels for dimes and putting them into coin rolls. Dr. Prell calls a school assembly to present all of the coin rolls to the school. Sometime after Mr. Day put the rolls in a box, someone replaced them with several bricks. Someone stole 180 rolls of dimes! Mr. Day, Cam, and Eric decide to start looking in the gym. The gym teacher insists on looking in two lockers with padlocks. They didn’t find anything but moldy crackers and lots of old papers. Cam believes that the thief has already left the school. She looks through her memory banks at all the deliveries that morning. Then, she asks the cafeteria lady for a cheese sandwich. Cam learns that the cafeteria didn’t get the usual sandwich bread delivery that day. This confirms her suspicions. She knows who stole the money, and how they got the coins out of the school.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written by my six-year-old...It goes a little off the topic at times...

Cam Jansen is someone who can remember everything she sees. She's really cool. I wish I could have a memory like that because I would pass every spelling test. She helps the principal and the gym teacher solve the mystery of who stole the dimes for the new sky lights at the school. They are really like windows in the ceiling and not really lights. The school is trying to help the environment. That means they are doing good things for Earth. Sometimes Cam- her real name is Jennifer- hides under her desk, so the teacher won't tell her to stop saying "click." She says that because her mind is like a camera, and she can remember in pictures. That's why they call her Cam. It's short for camera. I guess that's about it. Oh, I like her friend who helps her. I think his name was Eric.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our girls love the Cam Jansen series of mysteries by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti and this is a new one. It's environmental themes are common now, but along from the mystery, the story offers some simple ways children can do their part to help the environment. We really enjoyed reading this story together.

[A.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cam’s school is celebrating Green Day. She and her friend, Eric, have been walking to school instead of riding the bus and bringing in cans and bottles to recycle. However, right before the assembly when the amount of money they’ve collected from recycling is to be revealed, the money gets stolen. Not to fear, Cam is on the case. With the help of her photographic memory, Cam solves the mystery, and the money is returned.
This is a short and easy book for young readers that presents an interesting and entertaining mystery and teaches caring for the environment.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The students at Cam's school raise money to help get solar panels added to the school. When the money comes up missing, Cam uses her photographic memory to help solve the crime. Students from 2nd-4th can use critical thinking skills to see if they can solve the mystery on their own.

[Sharlet Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Cam Jansen easy chapter books. When ever a child is moving to chapter books I think Cam Jansen is a great place to start. They are quick reads so children do not get bored, still have pictures and mysteries are always fun.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, quick read that helps introduce the concept of environmental awareness. I would use this to help get students to be more aware of their physical environment, and the concept of recycling and the benefits to be gained.

[Kallie Krammes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and easy read for beginning chapter book readers. I think that this would be a good book to use in class to introduce environmental awareness and teach kids about the importance of recycling. I would have this book and this series in my classroom.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute but cheesy. I know kids will enjoy this. might be hard for some kids to relate to because not all areas have a recycling program like that. but I like that the issue of saving power is still contemporary and relevant.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an exceptional book, but not terrible either. Cam's character is likeable and accessible to early chapter book readers.

[Lauren Raimondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book with my students, and I totally time-traveled to 1991 (when I read it for the first time). Cam Jansen is the ultimate protagonist - smart, savvy and independent! Loved it!

[Leiera Monae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children's Reading Adventures Book Club, Summer 2014

*D.E.A.R. Time -- Read with 7 year olds*

07.07.2014

[Susan Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fun read that moves along nicely. I would use this book to teach energy conservation, recycling.

[Mrs.Capuano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept of Cam Jansen, and the books are a good transition to chapter books for students who love mysteries.

[Aubrey]

It is green day for Cam and Eric at school it is a Mystery for Cam