Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds [Paperback]

David A. Adler (Author), Susanna Natti (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 22, 2004 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Cam Jansen (Book 1)

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!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What wrongdoer is any match for Cam Jansen, the girl with the amazing photographic memory?" ( Booklist) "An uncluttered plot, a clever heroine, clear language, and a dash of humor make for a zestful mystery."(School Library Journal)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 58 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (July 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142400106
• ISBN-13: 978-0142400104
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Mystery & Detective > Cam Jansen

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds was great!, June 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked the book a lot! Only you can't put it down! I thought it was very exciting and surprising. The best part was when Cam was in the house. I won't say any more because you should read it yourself, because you will like it too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review by Mikayla, age 7, May 14, 2010

By 

S (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds (Paperback)

Dear Readers,

I hope you buy this book because you will really love this one! It has action, amazement and it is very interesting. The main characters are Cam Jansen, Eric Shelton, and Howie (Eric's little brother). It was a spring vacation day and it started at the mall when some thieves steal diamonds. Cam is kidnapped and there is so much more excitement! I hope you read it over and over again because it is so mysterious.

--by Mikayla, age 7

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A photographic memory comes in handy..., January 18, 2005

By 

WannaBeABetty (The Sunshine State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

You have to love Cam Jansen. When you're a kid, you read all of these stories about magic powers, mystery, and adventure. But everyone tells you magic can't exist. Cam Jansen manages to solve every case without the use of magic... she's a real girl. That's what makes her special and what makes you want to red more and more. Cam Jansen is a real kid superhero, and the thought that a person like her could actually exist... makes her the best kid detective ever! Our family loves Cam Jansen!