Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

In the opening passages, the author introduces his main character, Cam Jansen. By describing Cam’s highly attuned memory and her keen interest in the ongoing mystery, the author portrays Cam as an intelligent and curious girl who boldly sets out to explore the world around her. The author’s descriptions reveal the book’s overall focus on The Importance of Situational Awareness as Cam shows off her ability to recall her experiences easily in the form of mental pictures. Her photographic memory clearly helps her in everyday life, for as the author explains, “Her mind took a picture of whatever she saw. Once, she forgot her notebook in school. She did her home-work—ten math problems—all from the picture of the assignment she had stored in her brain” (4-5). These descriptions suggest that Cam has a strong advantage when it comes to remembering things— including the clues to mysteries. 

In many ways, Cam’s delight in memorizing her surroundings becomes a core part of her identity, as even her nickname is a reference to her acute memory. The author explains that Cam’s real name is Jennifer, “But when they found out about her amazing memory, they started calling her ‘The Camera.’ Soon ‘The Camera’ was shortened to ‘Cam’” (5). By accepting Cam as her everyday name, the protagonist shows that she is proud of her special ability, and she actively develops this trait by training herself to notice details from the world around her. This habit foreshadows her central role in solving the titular mystery of the stolen diamonds. For example, when she observes the scene at the store, she uses her memory skills very intentionally to try to get the best “picture” that she can of the scene. 

Cam’s efforts to recall the details of the theft precisely also reveal her interest in the importance of Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving. As Cam and Eric watch the scene at the jewelry store, they use their critical thinking skills to pinpoint suspicious behavior. The illustration showing Cam standing on the bench to get a better view shows that she remains alert and attentive as she watches the scene. By carefully observing the people who emerge from the store, Cam keeps track of who may have witnessed the robbery unfold. For instance, she takes a mental picture of the young couple, and Eric points out the older women who were also in the store at the time. Cam’s idea to interview the two women shows her initiative and her critical thinking skills. By interviewing the witnesses just as the police would, Cam puts herself in the position of a detective gathering evidence. In doing so, Cam gains the valuable clue that the man whom the police arrested was not the man who held Mr. Parker at gunpoint.

Throughout these early scenes, Cam and Eric’s cooperation and shared interest in the diamond mystery showcases The Value of Friendship and Teamwork. The pair’s different upbringings suggest that they have different skills that complement each other. For instance, Cam is an only child, while Eric has three younger siblings, and as the story begins, Eric is explaining how to care for babies while he takes care of his little brother, Howie. Meanwhile, Cam beats Eric at their memory game, and this topic of conversation inspires their interest in the jewelry store theft. In this way, the interactions between the two friends give rise to a form of teamwork that allows them to join forces to solve the mystery. While they watch the jewelry store together, the two friends help each other to notice different details. For instance, as Cam is busy taking a mental picture of the young couple, Eric notices more people coming from the store. The friends’ cooperative friendship helps them to work together and gives them a better chance of cracking the case.