Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery

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, show more 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. show less

Cam Jansen is one of many books named after Jennifer Jansen, nicknamed Cam due to her photographic memory. In this book she helps police solve the mystery around a car crash that delayed Cam's school bus.

I have liked Cam Jansen books since I was a child because I felt it was of the better written early chapter books that the teachers assigned me to read. I also feel like it covers a genre, mystery, that is not as explored in children's literature. Although there is Nancy Drew series and Harriet the Spy those books are for a little bit older readers. Encyclopedia Brown books are the only book that I can think are comparable but his mysteries are only several pages long and seem almost like riddles that a full fledged mystery.

Cam Jensen finds herself solving, yet, another mystery. Her and Eric are on their way to their first day of 5th grade when the bus drive, Mrs. Lane, has to call the principal to tell her that her bus will be late to school. This is when the students are taken off of the bus to walk the rest of the way to school because of an accident. There is a little green car that had crashed into a tree. It just so happens that Cam has a photographic memory, so while walking by the car, she takes a picture of it in her mind. When her new 5th grade teacher gets taken away by the cops because it is her car that crashed into the tree, and because of how she apparently fled the scene of the accident, Cam is determined to prove her new teacher is show more innocent. Is Ms. Benson innocent, and was someone else driving her car? This is the perfect mystery for students between 1st and 3rd grade that will keep them wanting to read. show less

A good example of realistic fiction because it consists of a variety of characters that would be found in everyday life, such as police officers, teachers, school bus drivers, principals, and students. The plot is plausible and exciting, consisting of a car wreck and solving the mystery of how it happened by using clues. This story helps children think about their own special talents and skills, like Cam Jansen and her photographic memory. There is an obvious beginning, middle, and end of this story, making it easy for young people to recognize. Cam Jansen and her friends are stuck in a school bus in a traffic jam on the way to their first day of school. Walking from the bus to school, they see a car that has crashed into a tree. During show more the day at school, their teacher is taken to the police station to be questioned, Cam remembers things about the scene, and gives clues to the police. It concludes with the police finding out the culprit via a hint from Cam.

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Do you like mysteries? Do you like chapter book's?
Then you should read Cam Jansen books! It is a funny book because it is so interesting!! You should try it out sometime. Some people don't like funny thing it's okay. I. recommend it's for all ages. My favorite part is when the teachers car is gone. I think it is better than treehouse!Cam sez click when wants to remember something.Cam Jansen I think is the best because it is a mysterys. My opinion is that Cam Jansen is a good book. I thenk you shood read it some time.

Cause & Effect, Story Elements, Drawing Conclusions

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