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Cam Jansen Mysteries #22
The First Day of School Mystery
No mystery is too great for super-sleuth Cam Jansen and her amazing photographic memory!
Mysteries follow super-sleuth Cam Jansen everywhere she goes...even to school. It's the first day of fifth grade, and Cam and Eric have just met their new teacher, Ms. Benson. The school day has barely begun when two policemen come and arrest Ms. Benson! She insists there must be a mistake. Now it's up to Cam to solve this important mystery!
The Cam Jansen books are perfect for young readers who are making the transition to chapter books, and Cam is a spunky young heroine whom readers have loved for over two decades.
Mysteries follow super-sleuth Cam Jansen everywhere she goes...even to school. It's the first day of fifth grade, and Cam and Eric have just met their new teacher, Ms. Benson. The school day has barely begun when two policemen come and arrest Ms. Benson! She insists there must be a mistake. Now it's up to Cam to solve this important mystery!
The Cam Jansen books are perfect for young readers who are making the transition to chapter books, and Cam is a spunky young heroine whom readers have loved for over two decades.
51 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
41 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
David A. Adler
400 books202 followersDavid 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 10, 2021
It's the first day of fifth grade, and Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton are on the way to school when their bus is held up by traffic. It turns out that a car has crashed into a tree nearby, causing a traffic jam. When the friends finally get to school, they discover that their new teacher, Ms. Benson, is being arrested for leaving the scene of the accident. Cam, with her photographic memory, sets out to prove that Ms. Benson is innocent of the crime...
The twenty-second entry in David A. Adler's series of beginning chapter-books chronicling Cam Jansen and Eric Shelton's many crime-solving adventures, Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery is an entertaining tale, and something of a departure. Like its predecessors, the story here concerns a theft - of Ms. Benson's car - but it ups the ante a bit, also including a car accident, leaving the scene of a crime, and a false arrest. Heady stuff! I have fond memories of reading the early entries of this series, when I was in the third grade, but this was published long after I had moved on to other books. Recommended to fans of Cam Jansen, and to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery stories.
The twenty-second entry in David A. Adler's series of beginning chapter-books chronicling Cam Jansen and Eric Shelton's many crime-solving adventures, Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery is an entertaining tale, and something of a departure. Like its predecessors, the story here concerns a theft - of Ms. Benson's car - but it ups the ante a bit, also including a car accident, leaving the scene of a crime, and a false arrest. Heady stuff! I have fond memories of reading the early entries of this series, when I was in the third grade, but this was published long after I had moved on to other books. Recommended to fans of Cam Jansen, and to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery stories.
December 28, 2025
“I would give this book 10 stars. It’s the best chapter book I’ve read!” Joanna age 8
February 2, 2024
It’s the first day of school, and Cam and Eric’s school bus has stopped. There’s a long line of cars ahead and behind, and nothing is moving. Mr. Day, the P.E. teacher, comes from the school to walk them back. On the way, they see a green car crashed into a tree. Cam looks into the car and takes mental pictures of the things laying around- papers on the front seat, sneakers on the floor, and a tennis racket on the back seat. Cam, Eric, and their classmates are completing that first assignment for fifth grade when two police officers enter the room and take their teacher, Ms. Benson, away for questioning. They say she left the scene of an accident. Eric realizes that the green car they saw must belong to Ms. Benson. Mr. Day comes to cover the class and tells everyone to get a book to read, but Cam can’t read. She keeps looking at her memory of the car. Ms. Benson couldn’t have crashed her own car because it was facing away from the school! And, the pink paper on the front seat was from the dry cleaners. Ms. Benson tells Cam that she hadn’t dropped anything off at the cleaners that morning so the slip must belong to the thief!!
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
June 4, 2015
This book was great! This book has 9 chapters and 50 pages. This book is about a girl named Cam Jansen who has a camera like brain. What I mean by that is that whatever she sees and then if she closes her eyes and says click she will always remember what she saw. In this book of this series there is a mystery at the first day of school. Will Cam find out? This book will leave you to the end of your seat. I would rate this book 4/5 stars. It was great but not awesome. Please read this book you will enjoy it!
May 13, 2008
Always try to help out!!!
October 6, 2021
On the way to their first day of school, Cam and Eric saw a car that had crashed into a tree. The cops came and asked Mrs. Benson their teacher if she had driven to school. She said yes, and they told her that she had left the scene of an accident. Turns out, someone had stolen her car. Dr. Prell called the police again and told them that it wasn't Mrs. Benson. The cops caught the robber and he went to jail.
December 9, 2021
Fred and I are trying hard to double his AR goal and these Cam Jansen books are great! They are something we can read together in one night and keeps his attention because who doesn't love a good mystery with an amazing girl w/ a camera like memory! I will say that the PE teacher is kind of a jerk and I was mad that they never actually gave a name for the thief.
December 9, 2024
I found this chapter children’s book laying around my place of work. I was bored so I read it. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a read it was. It was about an elementary school girl named Cam (short for camera) who solves mysteries with her photographic memory. In the story her teacher gets arrested by the police on the first day of school. Thanks to Cam the mystery is cleared up.
May 30, 2019
The first day of school, any school, could intimidate the bejewilikers outta anybody! Lucky for you if you befriended an idetic memory whiz like Cam Jansen! (Or whoevertheheck you befriended. I mean, it was probably great.)
August 16, 2019
I love reading how Cam solves the mysteries she encounters everyday! Great books to encourage children to be observant! In this one, Cam's new teacher is accused of leaving the scene of an accident and Cam saves the day!
December 1, 2024
I thought this was okay. I didn't really think noticing a car was facing the wrong direction was great proof of who was driving it. But this is kind of a fun introduction to mystery series for my first grade daughter.
October 9, 2018
Eh. Aud liked it, and I liked that it had a young girl as protag, but it also had some problems. Why was the gym teacher such a needless jerk?
April 30, 2019
The memory of Cam is really amazing!
January 9, 2021
Can and Eric's teacher on the first day of school is going to be taken away but can takes it to yourself to help her teacher by solving the mystery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2021
Danny is too funny 😂, and I would prefer to be like Cam and solve a mystery instead of listening to what the teacher says.
March 1, 2021
Very cute mystery series. My seven-year-old son loved it. The memory game at the end was lots of fun.
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March 25, 2016Title: Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book, Mystery, Fiction
Theme(s): (Photographic) Memory, School, First Day of School, Mystery & Sleuthing
Opening line/sentence: “I give up!” Mrs. Lane said. “We’ll never get to school!” Mrs. Lane was driving a school bus. It was stuck in traffic.
Brief Book Summary: Cam Jansen is back at it again, solving mysteries with her pal Eric along side her. With her photographic memory and wit Cam sets of on the first day of school to solve a mystery that will prove her teacher’s innocence.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery 53 pp. Viking 2002. ISBN 0-670-03575-0 (4) 1-3 Illustrated by Susanna Natti. Cam Jansen Adventure series. It's the first day of school, and Cam Jansen, the girl detective with the photographic memory, lands in the principal's office for passing notes. But it's all in the name of good detective work, as the fifth-grader rushes to exonerate her new teacher, who's suspected of leaving the scene of an accident. A loudmouth classmate injects some mild humor into this tame mystery, which is illustrated with black-and-white drawings.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Dec. 1, 2002 (Vol. 99, No. 7)) On the first day of school, the police come into the classroom and arrest Cam's teacher for leaving the scene of an accident. But as always in Adler's lively, easy-to-read, chapter-book mysteries, Cam uses her photographic memory to find important clues and save the day. The twenty-second book in the popular series, this is one of the best, from the opening scene on the school bus stuck in traffic to Cam's clever discovery of a dry-cleaning ticket that leads her to the criminal. With the informal storytelling and the immediacy of the scenarios, this is sure to draw beginning readers to the pleasure of mystery stories with a protagonist close to home. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2002, Viking, $13.99. K-Gr. 2. (PUBLISHER: Viking (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2002.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews on this book were positive. I remember devouring these books when I was younger. Both reviews talk about how the novels are fast paced, and east-to-read (which makes it the perfect type of transitional chapter book). The reviewers also comment on how these books are a series that might hook a young reader.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The books have both full pages of text, but also illustrations on some of the pages (very few double spreads). This is helpful so students can see the story and visualize the mystery as it is going on. Some of the stories include clues in the illustrations too.
Consideration of Instructional Application: These books would be good to use in a study of predictions. After the mystery is first presented students can make predictions. They can also search for clues and follow along with Cam & Eric and attempt to solve the mystery before them.
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book, Mystery, Fiction
Theme(s): (Photographic) Memory, School, First Day of School, Mystery & Sleuthing
Opening line/sentence: “I give up!” Mrs. Lane said. “We’ll never get to school!” Mrs. Lane was driving a school bus. It was stuck in traffic.
Brief Book Summary: Cam Jansen is back at it again, solving mysteries with her pal Eric along side her. With her photographic memory and wit Cam sets of on the first day of school to solve a mystery that will prove her teacher’s innocence.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery 53 pp. Viking 2002. ISBN 0-670-03575-0 (4) 1-3 Illustrated by Susanna Natti. Cam Jansen Adventure series. It's the first day of school, and Cam Jansen, the girl detective with the photographic memory, lands in the principal's office for passing notes. But it's all in the name of good detective work, as the fifth-grader rushes to exonerate her new teacher, who's suspected of leaving the scene of an accident. A loudmouth classmate injects some mild humor into this tame mystery, which is illustrated with black-and-white drawings.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Dec. 1, 2002 (Vol. 99, No. 7)) On the first day of school, the police come into the classroom and arrest Cam's teacher for leaving the scene of an accident. But as always in Adler's lively, easy-to-read, chapter-book mysteries, Cam uses her photographic memory to find important clues and save the day. The twenty-second book in the popular series, this is one of the best, from the opening scene on the school bus stuck in traffic to Cam's clever discovery of a dry-cleaning ticket that leads her to the criminal. With the informal storytelling and the immediacy of the scenarios, this is sure to draw beginning readers to the pleasure of mystery stories with a protagonist close to home. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2002, Viking, $13.99. K-Gr. 2. (PUBLISHER: Viking (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2002.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews on this book were positive. I remember devouring these books when I was younger. Both reviews talk about how the novels are fast paced, and east-to-read (which makes it the perfect type of transitional chapter book). The reviewers also comment on how these books are a series that might hook a young reader.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The books have both full pages of text, but also illustrations on some of the pages (very few double spreads). This is helpful so students can see the story and visualize the mystery as it is going on. Some of the stories include clues in the illustrations too.
Consideration of Instructional Application: These books would be good to use in a study of predictions. After the mystery is first presented students can make predictions. They can also search for clues and follow along with Cam & Eric and attempt to solve the mystery before them.
November 12, 2014
Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery is a short mystery chapter book about a student named Jennifer who goes by Cam because of her amazing photographic memory. In the book, Cam’s first day of school is turned upside down when her bus driver pulls over and has the students walk to school because of a wreck ahead. Soon, her teacher is taken away by the police and all Cam can think about is solving the mystery. She uses her photographic memory to remember clues from the crime scene and reports them back to the principal and the teacher.
This book could be read aloud to children in first and second grade through several read aloud sessions. Children in third grade and higher could read and enjoy this book independently. Late first graders to second graders could most likely read this book independently as well. Because this book would have to be broken into several read aloud sessions if read in this format, the teacher may choose to incorporate some sort of activities between readings to keep students engaged. A group discussion with predictions may be a good way to start or end readings. Students will enjoy the mystery involved in this book and it is simple enough that they should be able to try and solve the crime as well. There is a whole series of Cam Jansen mystery books so, some children may become hooked on them and have more motivation to read.
This book could be read aloud to children in first and second grade through several read aloud sessions. Children in third grade and higher could read and enjoy this book independently. Late first graders to second graders could most likely read this book independently as well. Because this book would have to be broken into several read aloud sessions if read in this format, the teacher may choose to incorporate some sort of activities between readings to keep students engaged. A group discussion with predictions may be a good way to start or end readings. Students will enjoy the mystery involved in this book and it is simple enough that they should be able to try and solve the crime as well. There is a whole series of Cam Jansen mystery books so, some children may become hooked on them and have more motivation to read.
February 14, 2017
My little boy has discovered Cam Jansen mysteries, so he liked this one. There were a few things I didn't like, including the PE teacher and how the teacher was apprehended in front of her class, but Cam is engaging enough.
September 4, 2012
We read this book in honor of our girls' first day of school. We've read most of the Cam Jansen Mysteries series by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti. We like the stories and our oldest enjoys answering the memory game questions at the end.
The mystery wasn't too hard to solve and I liked that Cam and Eric didn't put themselves in a dangerous situation. We enjoyed reading this story together.
The mystery wasn't too hard to solve and I liked that Cam and Eric didn't put themselves in a dangerous situation. We enjoyed reading this story together.
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February 7, 2017I thoth cam was not going to sovh.
December 2, 2014
i thought it was interesting cause Cam and Eric had to walk to school and there teacher got arrested cam talked to the police.iy was a mystery cause you have to find thing look for thing and repeat thing. i really like that book.last summer i read read the book like four times and i even read it to my sister and she loved it.and i tought her how to read the book her self you should try to read it one day.TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 6, 2014
Cam's teacher has been...arrested? Things start off strangely on the first day of school and Cam totally ignores the teacher (bad girl!) to focus on a mystery instead. Still the case is solved though she might never understand how to multiply fractions at this rate....
November 2, 2014
Very short mystery about Cam's teacher who is arrested on the first day of school for leaving her car at a scene of an accident. Cam (and her photographic memory) sets out to prove her teacher is innocent. Simplistic- good for early elementary 1-3 grade depending on reading level.
April 5, 2015
cam jansen was following a teacher then she saw a a car crash then when they got to shcool they told mrs.benson about what happened and then she said my car was crashed but she did not know. then the police caught the theif.
May 26, 2008
Cams teachers car was stolen and crashed into a tree and they find the person who stole the car because the person was walking up from the washing machine place and the person left
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May 21, 2009JEAR3-Adl
March 3, 2012
A Slatebreaking easy reader mystery! Full review here: http://slatebreakers.com/2012/03/01/d...
May 9, 2013
A nice little mystery for elementary school kids.
August 15, 2013
Cam is a great protagonist, and Adler did a good job of creating a mystery that is simple enough for young readers yet maintains the dramatic tension throughout the whole story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews