Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery

Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery
David A. Adler; Joy Allen (illustrator)
Viking, Sep 2008
ISBN: 9780670062652

With pride, principal Dr. Prell declares the elementary school has become a “Green School” with its can collection recycling drive to pay for skylights in order to cut back on electricity. Students have brought in cans that are given to recycling; each can brings in a nickel. The school has 927 rolls of nickels.

At the Green Day assembly to show the rolls of nickels to the students before it goes to the bank, the wagon holding the loot instead contains bricks. While the police investigate, photographic memory whiz, Cam Jansen begins “clicking” what she saw earlier in the day in hopes of solving who stole the coins and how. On a roll, Cam gets closer to solving the Green School theft.

Targeting second and third graders, the latest Cam Jansen elementary school mystery is a fun tale starring the amateur sleuth at her photographic clicking best as she solves the case. The story line focuses on the how the crime was pulled off but equally on what young children can pragmatically do to help green the planet. The illustrations enhance a fine early elementary school relevant mystery that the audience will love clicking away while driving parents happy (for reading) and crazy (for clicking).

Harriet Klausner