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Cam Jansen Mysteries #5
The Mystery of the Gold Coins
Can Cam zoom in on a solution to the crime? Cam's box camera disappears from the science fair, and valuable gold coins are missing from a coin shop. Cam's sure that these vanishing acts are related. Can her amazing mental camera help her catch the thief red-handed?
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. Now the first ten books in the series have updated covers that bring new life to these perennial best-sellers. Old fans and new readers will love Cam's cool, modern look!
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. Now the first ten books in the series have updated covers that bring new life to these perennial best-sellers. Old fans and new readers will love Cam's cool, modern look!
57 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
40 people are currently reading
334 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 52 reviews
August 21, 2020
Fifth-grade sleuth Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton return in this fifth chapter-book devoted to their mysterious adventures, this time confronting the theft of Cam's science fair project. A homemade camera that she used to take a picture of Eric, together with his sundial project, it is stolen by the very man Cam saw coming out of a coin shop, earlier in the day. It doesn't take long for her to realize that the man may have been behind more than just the theft of her project...
As an adult reader, there really isn't much to Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Gold Coins, as the solution to the puzzle is evident almost before the characters discover anything amiss. That said, I recall reading this series as a young girl - perhaps in the third grade? - and finding it quite engrossing, so younger readers will most likely find it suspenseful. I enjoyed Cam's can-do attitude, and her enthusiastic pursuit of answers, and think that today's beginning chapter-book readers will feel the same.
As an adult reader, there really isn't much to Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Gold Coins, as the solution to the puzzle is evident almost before the characters discover anything amiss. That said, I recall reading this series as a young girl - perhaps in the third grade? - and finding it quite engrossing, so younger readers will most likely find it suspenseful. I enjoyed Cam's can-do attitude, and her enthusiastic pursuit of answers, and think that today's beginning chapter-book readers will feel the same.
September 19, 2020
Students enter science projects in the fair which helps develop the plot. Cam's famous photographic memory is, as always, part of the solution to the mystery. In this book, her science project homemade camera is stolen as is has a clue to solve the mystery. A picture she took along with her photographic memory helps solve the case. First, she must convince the owner of the coin store he has been robbed, as he doesn't even know that is true! After Cam and her friend Eric leave the store, the owner realizes they were correct and call after them to return. Cam always saves the day because of her memory and a few clues. The book is level L.
April 25, 2019
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.
(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.
February 3, 2019
We love these stories. They captivate the attention on my son so I thing that is a plus. I enjoy reading from these books. My daughter is 8. So if any parent is wondering if these books are good for their kids, thy them out.
October 19, 2009
Cam chases adult male criminal through dark woods. Really? Oh come on. Other than that, good book. Ages 7-10.
April 21, 2011
The original Cam Jansen series follows the exploits of 10-year-old 5th grader Jennifer "the Camera" (aka "Cam") Jansen and her best friend, classmate, and neighbor Eric Shelton. Cam got her nickname because of her photographic memory. All she has to do is say "Click," and Cam can remember everything she's seen, which comes in pretty handy when trying to solve mysteries.
David Adler has written several beginning chapter book series, but Cam Jansen is one of the earliest and most successful. He's been writing the series since 1980 and now writes roughly one volume per year. He has also started a Young Cam Jansen series of even simpler chapter books. Reading level wise, I'd say children they'd interest children from kindergarden through fifth grade who are just starting to read chapter books. I didn't read any of the the young Cam Jansen books, but it looks like they're more limited in scope and probably would be considered "baby books" to anyone beyond 2nd grade.
Because the books are so short, I read essentially the first half of the series and the 25th anniversary special "The Valentine Day Baby Mystery" where Cam's mom has twins, ending Cam's only child status, and Eric's mom has her car stolen, only to be returned when Cam's quick thinking discovers the thief.
Overall I was surprised at how engaging these stories were. I would totally recommend them to children just starting to read chapter books. The print is big and there are still several black and white drawings scattered throughout the text, making them an easy transition from picture books. Plus, they're well-written enough that I think they can nudge children to move on to better quality titles as they move on to longer chapter books.
Of course they're not perfect, though. It seems that adults Cam and Eric interact with choose to not accept Cam's photographic memory only when it's necessary to create tension in the story. Otherwise most adults take for granted that this 10-year-old can solve diamond thefts and bank robberies. Still, it has to be empowering for kids to read about someone close to their age solving mysteries like that.
I was also kind of bothered by the way Cam always ends up being right. Sometimes she comes off as a little too cocky and unwilling to listen to others. In nearly every story Eric plays the wet blanket suggesting that they tell an adult what they've discovered rather than trying to catch the bad guy on their own. However Cam always forges ahead and ends up getting her suspect. Again, I'm sure kids love the feeling of accomplishment, but sometimes it feels like Cam's walking the fine line between extreme confidence and recklessness, as in the Chocolate Fudge Mystery where she trespasses into someone's back yard just because she thinks it's weird that no one's home. Her dad and Eric both tell her she shouldn't be doing this, but Cam doesn't care because she's certain there's a mystery to be solved. She turns out be right (there's a bank robber hiding in the house) and her disregard for strangers' privacy is forgotten.
And honestly, that's the problem I had with these books when I was little. While it was cool to read about a kid doing cool stuff like solving robberies, I could always tell that the stories weren't quite true to real life. I guess that's why I always preferred stories of kids doing amazing things that were based off real stories like Island of the Blue Dolphins or at least seemed more realistic.
My husband, however, loved these books as a kid and said he read every one he could get his hands on when he was younger, so I guess that's at least some proof of their appeal to both sexes. Both libraries I checked these books out from had multiple copies of the titles in this series and even then I had trouble finding all the titles actually on the shelf, so they continue to be popular titles. I think they would be great additions to a school or public library collection.
David Adler has written several beginning chapter book series, but Cam Jansen is one of the earliest and most successful. He's been writing the series since 1980 and now writes roughly one volume per year. He has also started a Young Cam Jansen series of even simpler chapter books. Reading level wise, I'd say children they'd interest children from kindergarden through fifth grade who are just starting to read chapter books. I didn't read any of the the young Cam Jansen books, but it looks like they're more limited in scope and probably would be considered "baby books" to anyone beyond 2nd grade.
Because the books are so short, I read essentially the first half of the series and the 25th anniversary special "The Valentine Day Baby Mystery" where Cam's mom has twins, ending Cam's only child status, and Eric's mom has her car stolen, only to be returned when Cam's quick thinking discovers the thief.
Overall I was surprised at how engaging these stories were. I would totally recommend them to children just starting to read chapter books. The print is big and there are still several black and white drawings scattered throughout the text, making them an easy transition from picture books. Plus, they're well-written enough that I think they can nudge children to move on to better quality titles as they move on to longer chapter books.
Of course they're not perfect, though. It seems that adults Cam and Eric interact with choose to not accept Cam's photographic memory only when it's necessary to create tension in the story. Otherwise most adults take for granted that this 10-year-old can solve diamond thefts and bank robberies. Still, it has to be empowering for kids to read about someone close to their age solving mysteries like that.
I was also kind of bothered by the way Cam always ends up being right. Sometimes she comes off as a little too cocky and unwilling to listen to others. In nearly every story Eric plays the wet blanket suggesting that they tell an adult what they've discovered rather than trying to catch the bad guy on their own. However Cam always forges ahead and ends up getting her suspect. Again, I'm sure kids love the feeling of accomplishment, but sometimes it feels like Cam's walking the fine line between extreme confidence and recklessness, as in the Chocolate Fudge Mystery where she trespasses into someone's back yard just because she thinks it's weird that no one's home. Her dad and Eric both tell her she shouldn't be doing this, but Cam doesn't care because she's certain there's a mystery to be solved. She turns out be right (there's a bank robber hiding in the house) and her disregard for strangers' privacy is forgotten.
And honestly, that's the problem I had with these books when I was little. While it was cool to read about a kid doing cool stuff like solving robberies, I could always tell that the stories weren't quite true to real life. I guess that's why I always preferred stories of kids doing amazing things that were based off real stories like Island of the Blue Dolphins or at least seemed more realistic.
My husband, however, loved these books as a kid and said he read every one he could get his hands on when he was younger, so I guess that's at least some proof of their appeal to both sexes. Both libraries I checked these books out from had multiple copies of the titles in this series and even then I had trouble finding all the titles actually on the shelf, so they continue to be popular titles. I think they would be great additions to a school or public library collection.
August 23, 2009
This book is a quick read, and reminded me of the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys style of mysteries, where the main characters happen to be in the right place at the right time. The book was a bit cheesy, but I did enjoy the detail oriented detective deducing that took place. A good way to encourage kids to be observant and think logically.
August 11, 2012
Cam spots a crime before the owner of the store even knows he's been robbed! A mystery with some interesting facts about cameras as well. (Does anyone else want to try building a camera after reading this?)
January 1, 2019
These books remind me of the tv show Sherlock. It is all based around examining pictures in your brain to solve the mystery. I like that.
March 15, 2022
I liked this book because it was a double mystery. I also liked it because there were SO many cliff hangers! And cliff hangers always make a good book.
-Natalie
-Natalie
October 14, 2022
This was my first time reading a Can Jansen novel, and I really enjoyed it!
As Cam Jansen and her friend Eric Shelton were heading to school to attend their science fair project, they decide to stop and take a picture with a camera that Cam made for the fair. Later in the day, Cam's camera goes missing - but who would want to steal it?
I thought this was a pretty fun children's mystery novel. I particularly loved Cam's science fair project, especially since I also made and used a pinhole camera when I was younger! (honestly, developing the pictures is the hardest part of the entire process) I also really liked Cam's photographic memory and how it was used to help solve the mystery.
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Part of a personal challenge to read all of my boyfriend's and his sister's childhood books before we donate and give them away
As Cam Jansen and her friend Eric Shelton were heading to school to attend their science fair project, they decide to stop and take a picture with a camera that Cam made for the fair. Later in the day, Cam's camera goes missing - but who would want to steal it?
I thought this was a pretty fun children's mystery novel. I particularly loved Cam's science fair project, especially since I also made and used a pinhole camera when I was younger! (honestly, developing the pictures is the hardest part of the entire process) I also really liked Cam's photographic memory and how it was used to help solve the mystery.
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Part of a personal challenge to read all of my boyfriend's and his sister's childhood books before we donate and give them away
August 25, 2021
There are two gold coins that go missing because a little boy named Jimmy is helping Mr. Collins set up locks for his coin collection. But then Jimmy steals the coins and puts them in his soda machine at the locksmith. Then Cam and Eric find out and then they tell Mr. Collins and get the police. Jimmy gets arrested because he also stole Cam's film for her camera.
April 24, 2025
Cam and Eric are at it again. When Mr. Collins is getting ready to open his coin shop, two of his valuable coins go missing. I enjoy reading these with my daughter who likes to pretend to be a detective.
May 25, 2025
Read for a 9 year old daughter who read 2 chapters and said it was creepy. (Kids being followed in the woods).
I understand what the author was trying to accomplish which wasn’t that big of a deal (to an adult) but teaching my children to protect their minds and it worked in this case.
I understand what the author was trying to accomplish which wasn’t that big of a deal (to an adult) but teaching my children to protect their minds and it worked in this case.
October 4, 2017
Clever Cam pieces together the clues to unveil a gold coin thief- caught through his own paranoia.
August 27, 2018
It was a great book I liked that it was a quick read
February 14, 2019
Amazing memory combined with bold moves makes Cam a great detective!
May 21, 2019
Luisa :My favorite part is how the boy switched the baseballs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2019
This book was AMAZING 😉 ‘cause Cam & Eric found 2 gold coins!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2020
Gold coins
Great amazing super cool makes you wanna say bam bam bam bam bam bam bam boy billy boy bam billy
Great amazing super cool makes you wanna say bam bam bam bam bam bam bam boy billy boy bam billy
February 7, 2023
If you looking for a book that has mystery action and fun then you should read The mystery of the gold coins
June 7, 2023
Super cute book !
November 6, 2023
I LOVED these books as a kid, and I had so much fun rereading this as an adult to prepare for a book club with my students.
December 13, 2023
Cam Jansen and her friend Eric are back and this time they see a man coming out of a store that's not been opened. Can Cam bring the man to justice? Read this adventure of Cam Jansen and find out.
December 22, 2023
"I like this book because it talks about locksmiths." -Conley, age 8
March 22, 2025
I read these when I was a kid and read some to my kids when they were little. They still hold up as fun little mysteries.
November 25, 2025
I didn’t like reading the Cam Jasen series because I thought the books were too short, I needed it to be longer .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2014
SUMMARY:
Cam Jansen has a gift, the gift of a photographic memory. So it makes sense that she made a box camera to enter into her school's science fair. Only, she soon finds that someone has stolen the film from her camera! Cam is on the hunt, retracing her steps on her walk to school and finds that her film is not the only thing that went missing that day. Priceless gold coins from a local coin shop also magically disappeared, and Cam partnered with local police to help them solve the crime. Join Cam in her search as she finds the criminal, retrieves her film and the missing gold coins, and makes it back just in time for the science fair.
EVALUATION:
Best as an independent read for transitional readers, this chapter book attempts to keep kids engaged by giving subtle clues throughout. Kids are invited to observe and hypothesize exactly where those coins and film went. This story teaches kids how to find and read clues to help solve a bigger problem or issue, and is a wonderful introduction to the mystery genre. Illustrations are used sparingly and add some context to the text, which can help readers to visualize what is happening in the story. However, this story is a bit unrealistic and easy to dissect...which may turn some readers off as they lose interest. Cam Jansen is also part of a series, so readers do have the opportunity to become very familiar with the characters.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why did Jimmy steal the film?
2. What is a photographic memory and how common is it to have one?
3. What clues did you find in the story that helped/could have helped to solve the mystery?
4. How would you have looked for clues if you didn't have a photographic memory?
Cam Jansen has a gift, the gift of a photographic memory. So it makes sense that she made a box camera to enter into her school's science fair. Only, she soon finds that someone has stolen the film from her camera! Cam is on the hunt, retracing her steps on her walk to school and finds that her film is not the only thing that went missing that day. Priceless gold coins from a local coin shop also magically disappeared, and Cam partnered with local police to help them solve the crime. Join Cam in her search as she finds the criminal, retrieves her film and the missing gold coins, and makes it back just in time for the science fair.
EVALUATION:
Best as an independent read for transitional readers, this chapter book attempts to keep kids engaged by giving subtle clues throughout. Kids are invited to observe and hypothesize exactly where those coins and film went. This story teaches kids how to find and read clues to help solve a bigger problem or issue, and is a wonderful introduction to the mystery genre. Illustrations are used sparingly and add some context to the text, which can help readers to visualize what is happening in the story. However, this story is a bit unrealistic and easy to dissect...which may turn some readers off as they lose interest. Cam Jansen is also part of a series, so readers do have the opportunity to become very familiar with the characters.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why did Jimmy steal the film?
2. What is a photographic memory and how common is it to have one?
3. What clues did you find in the story that helped/could have helped to solve the mystery?
4. How would you have looked for clues if you didn't have a photographic memory?
April 3, 2015
Cam Jansen made a box camera for her science fair project but just before the fair started, her camera disappears. She looks out the window and saw a man running into the woods and she figured it was him so she chased after him. He got away but Cam's memory is the best. They went on an adventure to find who stole the film out of her camera and put the pieces together until they figured out the mystery of who stole her film and she had enough time to get back to the science fair and show the judges her project. Even though Cam and Eric didn't win the science fair project, they helped Mr. Collins get his stolen coins back and rewarded them with some old Indian head pennies. I really enjoyed this read by David A. Adler. I could feel myself wanting to read on to find out if Cam and Eric ever find the thief who stole her film or better yet, why he stole her film. I think that this book would be good for second through fourth graders. I think that this book would challenge young readers in second and third grade and I think it would be too easy of an read for fifth graders. I would also have this book in my classroom library at all times. I like that this book is a mystery book. I know that some children love mystery books and how it lets them come up with predictions easily. For example, a good prediction for this book would have been who the reader thought stole the film and why. And this would make the reader want to read on to find out if they were correct or not. It is good to have a variety of books in a classroom library and I feel like not many have mystery books so this would be a good one to start with. I really enjoyed reading this book and the fact that it ended in a positive way of them solving the mystery.
July 25, 2013
Full review posted here.
Here is what J told me a few weeks ago when I asked her about the series:
“Cam Jansen had a really really good memory. She said click and could remember anything. People called her the camera and then that got shortened to Cam. I don’t remember her real name.”
Well, her real name is Jennifer and she has a photographic memory. She goes around with her best friend, Eric, and when strange things happen, she commits them to memory. She later recalls these things to help solve a mystery.
Cam is a great character. She is smart, observant and confident. These are great for early chapter readers because the books are short, use language that is easily accessible and they are fun. It is great to see a girl who is smart and doesn’t fall into the trap of being a princess or snarky. I think that many young kids can have fun reading these books.
If it helps at all, according to Scholastic, these are the reading level breakdowns:
Lexil – 480
RL – 2.2
DRA – 20
Guided Reading – L
Here is what J told me a few weeks ago when I asked her about the series:
“Cam Jansen had a really really good memory. She said click and could remember anything. People called her the camera and then that got shortened to Cam. I don’t remember her real name.”
Well, her real name is Jennifer and she has a photographic memory. She goes around with her best friend, Eric, and when strange things happen, she commits them to memory. She later recalls these things to help solve a mystery.
Cam is a great character. She is smart, observant and confident. These are great for early chapter readers because the books are short, use language that is easily accessible and they are fun. It is great to see a girl who is smart and doesn’t fall into the trap of being a princess or snarky. I think that many young kids can have fun reading these books.
If it helps at all, according to Scholastic, these are the reading level breakdowns:
Lexil – 480
RL – 2.2
DRA – 20
Guided Reading – L
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews