Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

“When Cam was younger, people called her Jennifer. That’s her real name. But when they found out about her amazing memory, they started calling her ‘The Camera.’ Soon ‘The Camera’ was shortened to ‘Cam.’”

Cam earned her nickname by demonstrating the power of her unusually strong memory. This passage shows that Cam’s photographic memory is a very important part of her life and identity, and the narrative suggests that her ability will be an important part of the story as well.

“Eric pulled at Cam’s sneakers. ‘Get down from there.’ ‘No, wait. Maybe something is happening.’ Something was happening. A tall, heavy man with a mustache and wearing a dark suit ran out of the jewelry store toward the center of the mall. He was in a real hurry. He pushed people aside—including Eric. Cam looked straight at the man and said, ‘Click.’”

Cam is eager to get a good view of the jewelry store as the alarm blares and people begin to run out, and her actions suggest from the very beginning that she has the makings of a savvy detective. This moment also shows Cam’s curiosity and eagerness to understand the commotion. By taking a mental picture of the running man, Cam guarantees that she will later be able to revisit the scene in her memory. This early scene foreshadows her later confrontation with him.

“‘If he’s trying to get away,’ Cam asked, ‘why didn’t he run out one of the exits?’ ‘What?’ Eric wasn’t really listening. Howie was still crying, and Eric was trying to calm him. Just then a young couple came out of the jewelry store. ‘Look,’ Cam said. ‘They were inside when the alarm went off.’”

This passage adds to the author’s focus on Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving. By questioning the man’s actions while noticing the couple emerge from the store, Cam shows that she is thinking carefully about the different possible suspects in the robbery. Her close attention to detail foreshadows the fact that she and Eric will solve the mystery that continues to baffle the police.

“One policeman ran to the center of the mall. The other reached into the car. He pulled out a police phone and spoke into it. ‘Robbery reported at Parker’s Jewelry Store, Hamilton Shopping Mall. Suspect, wearing dark suit and green tie, was last seen running toward Stage Street exit. Please send car to Stage and Fulton to help apprehend.’”

In this action-packed scene, the police chase the robbery suspect through the mall. This passage raises the question of whether the man in the dark suit really is the robber, and it is also unclear whether the police will catch him. Each new detail that arises also adds clues to the overall mystery.

“Eric was still feeding Howie. ‘Are you almost finished?’ Cam asked. ‘Almost.’ ‘Good. Then we can go ask those two old women what happened inside the jewelry store.’”

In this passage, Eric makes sure to take care of baby Howie before he and Cam continue their investigation. By describing how the friends cooperate and work together, checking in with each other before taking their next step, the scene enhances the author’s focus on The Value of Friendship and Teamwork.

“The woman put her hand to her cheek. She shook her head slowly. ‘Oh, it was horrible. We were there when a man came in and pointed a gun right at Mr. Parker. ‘Diamonds,’ he said. ‘Every loose one you got.’”

By interviewing the women who were in the store at the time of the robbery, Cam and Eric use real investigative methods to gather more information on the case. By considering the witnesses’ accounts, Cam and Eric uncover more useful clues. The author’s description of the protagonists’ clever approach therefore intensifies the book’s illustrations of using Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving.

“Cam was all excited. ‘That’s him! They got him! That’s the man who ran out of Parker’s. I remember that mustache, that dark suit, and that ugly green tie.’ ‘Well, he may be the man who ran out of the store,’ the woman with the cane declared, ‘but he’s not the man who robbed Mr. Parker. Is he, Esther?’”

This plot twist raises the narrative’s suspense and injects an element of uncertainty as to who really committed the robbery. By contrasting Cam’s accurate memory with the witness’s differing account, the author presents a conundrum for both Cam and the reader to solve.

“‘Do you think those women are right? Do you think the police caught the wrong man?’ ‘The whole thing doesn’t make sense,’ Cam said. ‘Whoever robbed the store pointed his gun right at those women. They should know what he looks like. But if they’re right and the man isn’t the thief, why did he run like that?”

By considering the man’s motivations, Cam makes the most of the mystery’s puzzling clues. As the action unfolds, the author uses snappy, fast-paced dialogue to convey the most important information, ensuring that the story does not lose its momentum. By thinking through the witnesses’ perspectives and the man’s actions, Cam also uses her critical thinking skills, adding to the novel’s theme on problem-solving techniques.

“Cam got up on the bench. She closed her eyes. ‘What are you doing up there?’ Eric asked. ‘Thinking. This is where I was when everything happened. Standing here should help me remember what I saw. ‘You know,’ Eric said, ‘There was another man who left the store, the man with the baby.’”

Cam and Eric’s focus and communication helps them to reconsider the scene from different angles, sifting through new possibilities in the robbery. This scene also demonstrates The Value of Friendship and Teamwork by showing how both friends benefit from working together.

“Cam looked at Eric. They were both thinking the same thing. ‘Before, when he was in such a rush, he went that way.’ Eric pointed towards the center of the mall. ‘If he was in such a hurry to get there before, you think he’d go back that way now.’”

Cam voices her suspicions about the running man and his very different actions in the mall. This inconsistency prompts Cam and Eric to follow the man. As the two friends lay out their reasoning in the dialogue, their conversation makes it clear that the only possible solution to this question is to follow the man themselves.

“They brushed past a woman carrying a few large packages. She lost her balance, and one of the packages fell. ‘What do you think that is,’ she yelled, pointing at the carriage, ‘a hot rod?’”

In this scene, the author invokes a humorous tone as Cam, Eric, and baby Howie rush frantically through the mall’s crowds to follow the man. By indirectly comparing the stroller to a racecar, the author lightens the tension in the scene while showing how committed Cam and Eric are to finding the man and solving the mystery.

“‘He saw us,’ Eric whispered. ‘What should we do?’ ‘Keep walking. If we stop whenever he does, he’ll know we’re following him.’”

Cam’s ability to think about other people’s perspectives helps her to remain undetected as the two friends follow the suspect. This scene builds suspense as the children close in on the strange man, not realizing that their pursuit has taken them far beyond the reach of responsible adults who can protect them from harm.

“‘What do we do now?’ ‘Let’s see what’s going on inside that house.’ Cam and Eric crawled up the dirt pile. Then Eric stopped. Howie was no longer sleeping. He was beginning to move in his carriage. ‘Keep him quiet,’ Cam whispered.”

Eric and Cam stick together as they edge closer to the suspect’s lair in an abandoned building. As the two friends continue to communicate and work together, their collaboration illustrates The Value of Friendship and Teamwork in dangerous situations.

“‘They’re all in there,’ Cam whispered. ‘The Runner and the couple we saw leaving the store. They’re all working together. The Runner made all that commotion to keep the police from catching the real thief.’”

Cam’s critical thinking skills help her to piece the clues together as she realizes the connection between the running suspect and the young couple. By thinking out loud, Cam helps Eric to understand her theory, and the two soon confirm that that all of the people in the house are thieves.

“‘What about the woman and the baby?’ ‘Maybe they figured no one would suspect a man who went shopping with his wife and baby. If they did, they were right. You saw what happened when they left the store. They just walked away, and almost no one noticed.’”

As Eric and Cam discuss the details of the thieves’ plan, it is clear that the thieves hoped that people would assume that the couple with the “baby” were innocent. By explaining this trick, Cam lays out the thieves’ clever trick and explains what really happened. In this way, the author adds crucial exposition without slowing the pace of the story.

“Cam realized that she and Howie were alone. The only other people nearby were the thieves. I hope Eric hurries, Cam thought.”

While Eric rushes away to get the police, Cam waits by herself outside the house. In this passage, she suddenly pulls back from thinking about the mystery’s clues and remembers that her own safety is now in jeopardy. By providing a window into Cam’s thoughts, the author builds suspense and suggests that the thieves might yet harm Cam and baby Howie. The illustration associated with this scene adds to the tension because it shows Cam all alone with the baby carriage, hiding behind a mound of dirt.

“It was the Runner. ‘Well,’ he growled, ‘look who we have here—the babysitter and her baby. Where’s your friend?’ ‘He… he went home.’ ‘If you were smart you would have done the same thing. Let’s go.’”

The suspect confronts Cam and forces her to go inside the house. This scene is designed to build tension and raise the question of whether Cam will be able to escape from this dangerous situation.

“He took a large baby rattle out of his pocket. It was the rattle he was carrying as he left the store. He screwed off the top and carefully emptied the contents onto the table. ‘Wow!’ the woman said. That was exactly how Cam felt. The rattle was filled with diamonds.”

Being captured by the robbers gives Cam a front row seat to finally understanding how they stole the diamonds. This passage shows that the young couple helped to steal the diamonds by hiding them in their baby “rattle.” The direct language keeps the rhythm of the story going and gives young readers just enough of a challenge to puzzle out word by word.

“Cam looked at the thieves. Something was missing. She whispered, ‘Click,’ and tried to remember what it was. The baby, she thought, Where’s the baby? Then Cam noticed something wrapped on the floor in a pink blanket. It was a large doll. Cam realized that there never was a baby.”

This passage enhances the novel’s focus on  The Importance of Situational Awareness as Cam considers the scene in front of her and compares it to her excellent memory of the theft in order to untangle the details of the mystery-in-progress. When she suddenly realizes that the couple had a doll instead of a real baby, Cam understands the final details of their strange heist.

“I can’t wait for Eric, Cam thought. This is my chance. She held Howie tight and ran to the door in the back of the room. She slammed the door shut as if she were leaving the room. Then she jumped behind the nearest bookcase.”

Rather than relying upon outside rescue, Cam relies on her own wits and bravery as she tries to escape the robbers, using Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving. This passage also builds suspense as Cam hides in the house and hopes that the robbers don’t find her.

“Cam heard the man move slowly around the room. Then it was quiet. Cam wondered where the man had gone. ‘Psst…psst.’ The sound came from behind. Cam was afraid to look. ‘Psst. Over here. Hurry.’ It didn’t sound like one of the thieves.”

Cam and Howie wait quietly until a police officer comes to the window and helps her. This scene marks the end of Cam’s dangerous adventure and shows that her risky investigation may yet be successful.

“Cam and Eric went behind one of the police cars. ‘I’m sure glad you’re all right,’ Eric said. ‘I got back here as fast as I could.’”

Eric is relieved that Cam and his brother are safe. By describing the friends’ reunion, the author stresses The Value of Teamwork and Friendship, making it clear that Eric and Cam need each other’s help in order to solve the mystery and get out safely.

“‘You must be ‘The Camera,’ the policeman said to Cam. ‘Your friend told us about your amazing memory. Well, it’s lucky you were in the mall,’ the policeman went on, ‘Those thieves had us baffled.’”

The police officer congratulates Cam on her detective skills and memory and admits that they needed her help to solve the mystery. This passage reinforces the story’s focus on the importance of Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving and ends on an empowering note for the young protagonist, suggesting that even young children can make a meaningful difference in the world around them.