Module 9: Mystery
Cam Jansen: The Catnapping Mystery by David A. Adler
Adler, D.A. (2005). Cam Jansen: The Catnapping Mystery. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Plot Summary:
Cam and her friend are meeting up with her Aunt Molly at a fancy hotel in the city. While they are debating between which activities to do for the day, Cam overhears a hotel guest exclaim that she is missing her cat, Little Tiger. The woman had given her luggage and cat to the bellhop to bring up to her hotel room, but they never arrived. While at the main desk, the lady receives a call from the bellhop, who is really a thief. He says that her clothes are old and her jewelry is fake, so he has no choice but to ransom her stuff back to her. He instructs her to wait in her hotel room for further instructions. The police are called and Cam decides to help out. At first the police do not listen to Cam, but when her photographic memory helps identify the thief's van. They start to take notice. Cam points out that the bellhop-thief was wearing a blue uniform and not a red one like the rest of the hotel staff and she remember his van from when she arrived at the hotel. Although she is unable to remember the plate number, she was able to identify the sticker on his window. It leads them to his apartment complex and they track the thief down. When they find him, they prove that the cat in his apartment is Little Tiger by calling his name. Cam then reunites the cat with his owner.
Impressions:
This is a very brief quick mystery that I am sure young readers will enjoy. Cam is easy to relate too, yet she still retains her uniqueness with her photographic memory.
Personally, I feel like it was a little heavy on the lead up to the mystery and did not take a lot of time with the mystery itself. The prep took up more time then solving the mystery which disappointed me. I understand that it is a very short book, but it could have been lengthened a bit to fill out the mystery.
Reviews:
Kit Vaughtan, J. (2010) The Catnapping Mystery [Book Review]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=0141308974/SLJREVIEW.html&client=anarp
"In this 18th adventure, Cam Jansen, her parents, and her friend Eric are on their way to meet her aunt at the Royal Hotel. There, Cam overhears a conversation between a distressed hotel guest and Michael, the bellhop. Esther Wright states that on her arrival, she gave her luggage and her traveling companion, "Little Tiger," to a bellhop outside the hotel to take to her room. The cat never made it there. A ransom-demanding phone call confirms Esther's worst fears-"Little Tiger" has been catnapped. Cam once again solves the mystery and helps catch the crook. With her photographic memory, she makes mental notes of events and details that the rest of her family and friends dismiss. Pen-and-ink drawings appear frequently throughout, and a visual puzzle to solve is included at the end. Another fine mystery for beginning chapter-book readers."
Peterson, L. (n.d.) The Catnapping Mytery [Book Review]. Retrieved from http://www.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=0141308974/BLREVIEW.html&client=anarp
"Cam Jansen, girl detective extraordinaire, happens upon another mystery while on an outing to the Royal Hotel. Posing as a bellhop, a thief steals the luggage and the pet cat belonging to an unsuspecting elderly woman, then holds them for ransom. Thanks to her photographic memory, Cam is able to give police a great description of both the thief and his getaway van, and together the officers and the youthful investigator get their man. Susanna Natti, who has illustrated all the books in this series, makes the pictures do double duty this time by providing not only pleasing drawings to complement the text but also visual clues to help readers solve the mystery right along with Cam. A good book to introduce young readers to chapter books: the level of mystery is just right for the audience. The book will also be a good choice to help build the confidence of older children with reading disabilities."
Library Use Suggestions:
Any book in the Cam Jansen series could easily be used in a suggested reading display for children's mystery novels. They are quick to read and can act as a way of getting children into mystery novels without overwhelming them.
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