Cam Jansen y El Misterio De La Casa Encantada

Cam Jansen Mysteries #13

by David A. Adler

El cerebro de Cam es como una cámara fotográ todo se queda guardado en su cabeza. Un día, Cam, sus tíos y su amigo Eric van al parque de atracciones, donde roban el billetero a su tía Katie. ¿Quién será el ladrón? Un relato en el que se muestra la importancia de la inteligencia en la superación de dificultades.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Halloween, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, School

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back in the day, I used to binge as many Cam Jansen mystery books as I could. I loved them! It felt just right to read a mystery and try to solve it, and pretend that I too had photographic memory. I didn't, but I sure tried! Honestly, I was better then than I am now! Wish I could find my keys using photographic memory...

Anywho, I love all things Halloween so I thought - why not jump back into the nostalgia and check out The Mystery at the Haunted House? It brought me back to my youth and I oddly remembered who the thief was in the end! Shocker, I know. How did I break the case twenty years later? Some things just stick with you.

I find this series very entertaining and the perfect introduction to mysteries for middle grade readers. They are sweet, fun and easy to read. Sure, it's a little dated now but they still hold up to me. I didn't even notice that there was no mention of technology, cellphones, iPads and every other device we have now. It's a good old fashioned mystery.

This is one of my top recommendations for books to help children be introduced to chapter books.

Three out of five stars.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton solve a mystery at an amusement park in this thirteenth entry in David A. Adler's chapter-book series devoted to their adventures. When Aunt Katie's wallet goes missing, Cam soon comes to believe it is stolen, and through the use of her photographic memory, realizes that the theft occurred while everyone was walking through the Haunted House attraction. Soon she and Eric, along with Aunt Katie and Uncle George, are hot on the heels of the thief...

At a brief 58 pages, Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House is, like its predecessors, intended for young readers who are just getting going with chapter-book reading. The mystery itself is fairly rudimentary - most of the books in this series involve some kind of theft - but the target audience will no doubt find it suspenseful. I have fond memories of reading some of the earlier books in this series when I was a young girl, although by the time this one was first published, in 1992, I had moved on. As a whole, I think the series, although by no means brilliant, is entertaining. I do wish that Eric was given more to do, and that the resolution didn't always rely on Cam's photographic memory, but that's the down-side of formulaic series reading. The upside, of course, is that it provides structure and repetition for readers who are just finding their feet with longer books. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mysteries, and to fans of Cam Jansen.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out loud with my niece and nephew, and really enjoyed how it helps kids learn the mystery genre through gentle, simple detective stories. I've read other Cam Jansen books that I liked better, though, and didn't feel that the photographic memory aspect was as used as well in this story. But these are great for elementary school readers. I sure wish Cam would lose the "click" thing, though.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a good book and I wish I could have gone to the haunted house and the other rides, Cam is a great detective👍🏼

[Kathy Maggiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the setting is an amusement park. What kid doesn't love an amusement park? I like that it's realistic fiction and either a boy or girl can easily picture themselves in the story. Cam and Eric go to the park with her Aunt Katie and Uncle George. We meet a few other characters a lady with a baby carriage, 2 teenage boys skating, people walking by, security guards, ticket sellers, entrance workers while Cam and Eric ride on the Bumper cars, haunted house and spinning hats and buy drinks/snacks. When something is missing, will they find it? Did someone take it? Who? The reader can solve right along with Cam.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well written for children transitioning to chapter books. The size of the font and interminnent pictures ease the process of stepping up the length of their books. The plot was simple and easy for my students to follow along as I read it out loud. They were also able to pick out descriptive information about the characters with moderate support from me.

[Dario Alberton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un inquietante ragazzina che deve dire "click" per memorizzare immagini con la sua memoria fotografica, e lo ripete come se soffrisse di un disturbo ossessivo compulsivo, e che nel caso non fosse abbastanza chiaro il tutto, viene chiamata Cam, come Camera che in inglese è diminutivo di fotocamera, e che è necessario spiegarlo perché da soli non ci si arriva, ecco, questa ragazzina aiuta nella cattura di un misterioso ladruncolo, che tanto misterioso non è.

Ruba le borsette quindi è un ladro di borselli che sottrae le borselli alle persone dotate di borselli. Spero sia chiaro che il punto è che viene rubato un borsello.

Non è malaccio, come racconto per bambini piccoli, ma piccoli a livello poco superiore ai Fruitori di Teletubbies, che vogliono storie ordinarie spiegate in maniera chiara e ridondante. Si legge in un attimo. Si rilegge in minor tempo.
Il mistero e la sua risoluzione sono di una banalità sconcertante, e dovendo scegliere tra Detective Conan e Cam, il piccolo detective occhialuto ha storie senz'altro più fantasiose e stimolanti di un inseguimento allo scippatore scialbo.

Anche perché, data l'età dei giovani protagonisti, credo che a 10 anni i bimbi siano abbastanza svegli da non appassionarsi a storie così banalotte.

Tra l'altro, il libro è del '92, siamo nel 2021, ed è almeno da una decina d'anni che le foto-Cam-ere non fanno più click.
I clicker fanno click. Quindi Cam ora è una addestratrice di animali.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another decent entry in the Cam Jansen Mystery series. This time, Cam, her friend, Cam's aunt, and uncle are spending the day at the amusement park when Cam's aunt's wallet goes missing. There are suspicious teenage boys on roller skates who seem to be the culprits and strange incidents at the haunted house. Will Cam and her remarkable photographic memory be able to solve this one? Yes, as always, she does. These are excellent mystery beginner reader chapter books that take little time to read. Though not as good as A-to-Z Mysteries. My rating - 3/5

[Anna Salvesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam and Eric and Cam's aunt and uncle go to an amusement park and someone there kept stealing wallets and money. He was all dressed in black so nobody could see him. They found him, called security, and everyone got their wallets back.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story! Fun for boys and girls who enjoy a little mystery.

[Lucy. A · Rating 4 out of 5]

P.

[Mr.Zhou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brave and clear!

[Erin]

N. February 2020

[Wolfgang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Aunt Katie's wallet goes missing at an amusement park, Cam goes through the possibilities and tracks down the thief, saving many people's wallets.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Click.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery--my 6yo wanted me to finish it rather than reading more in a Rainbow Fairy book. That's high praise from her!
My only gripe is that the title is really a bit of a spoiler!

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and quick easy mystery to read

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My students love reading Cam's adventures and try to solve the mysteries before the answer is revealed. These are wonderful books to introduce the mystery genre to young readers.

[Josh Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story and not too scary fopr little kids.

[Vera Viselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avete presente i parchi giochi con le attrazioni paurose? Ecco, Cam si trova proprio in un parco, con gli zii e col suo amico Eric, e ad un certo punto decidono di entrare nella casa stregata.

Ne escono, state tranquilli. Tutti e 4. Solo che alla zia Katie manca qualcosa. Il suo portafoglio.

Quindi parte una caccia al ladro serratissima: Cam ed Eric si mettono sulle tracce dei probabili criminali, e grazie all'abilità mnemonico-fotografica di Cam riusciranno s scovare il colpevole e a tendergli persino una trappola.

Una storia molto carina questa di David A. Adler, illustrata da Carme Solé e pubblicata da Il battello a vapore nella serie azzurra, che consiglio assolutamente dagli 8 anni ai 200.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is now twelve years after the publication of the first book in the series and the children are all the same ages so that gives you the feel for these books. Let your child read as many as possible when they love them as once they outgrown them, the books will not grow with them. Once again another excellent mystery for the youngest reading mystery fans. In this book Cam's Aunt and Uncle take the children to an amusement park where one of the rides they go on is the titular Haunted House; there is no Hallowe'en tie-in though. Lovable characters, while Cam is the star she shares page space with her buddy, Eric and the two make one of children's lit's great mystery sleuths. This time the duo confronts a real crime when Aunt Katie's wallet is stolen. I like how the author takes only two short paragraphs in the first chapter to sum up who these two kids are what their background in mystery-solving is, letting a new reader jump into the series at any point. This one is a very-well written plot, using the device of a red herring to completely blindside us through a detailed investigation that turns into shock with the capture of the real villain at the end. I wonder if Adler ever wrote grown-up mysteries? He is good at the craft. I highly recommend this series. Now this is the last book I have in the house and (not having little ones anymore) I will not be rushing out to read any more than the six I've all ready read but if one crosses my hands, you can be sure I'd read it before letting go!

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cam’s Aunt Molly returns from a European trip just in time for her own surprise birthday, but first the Jansens have to get her at the airport. Mrs. Jansen feels impatient and wants to get back home as soon as possible. Aunt Molly’s friends and family will be waiting to surprise her. Unfortunately, a few mysteries get in the way. Aunt Molly picks up the wrong small suitcase. It doesn’t take too long to find the case’s real owner and locate Aunt Molly’s. But, then, Cam and Eric get involved in finding a missing girl. Simone came on the same flight as Aunt Molly, but she never met up with her relatives. After an airport search doesn’t locate the girl, Cam looks through her mental database of all the people she saw and realizes that one passenger looks a lot like Simone’s uncle. Cam knows just what happened and where to find Simone.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Owen says: 3 stars. I don't really have much to say. It was OK. The mystery was not what I expected. I don't think the author did that good with the mystery.

Rob says: I only heard some of this book out-loud so I can't chime on the stars. The rest was summarized by Owen. Cam Jansen is usually a cute junior mystery series though this entry sounded a little light on the mystery and investigation aspects. They barely even went in the haunted house!

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Haunted House in this book is at an amusement park, so it has nothing to do with Halloween. My 6yo likes how Cam & Eric solve the mystery, and he likes the bumping of the cars. I like that the way Cam got her nickname is described with different terms and phrases than what I had memorized from earlier read-alouds!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy jumped out at Aunt Katie and took out her wallet in the haunted house. Cam found that guy that did it and he put it in the trunk and she got two guards and one of the guards was in front of the exit and the other went with Cam. The guy started running to the exit and the other guard caught him.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep going on with this series! I guess it might be because it's such an easy read???? I don't know.

But anyway, this book was a guessable mystery targeted for elementary schoolers.

The mystery was very obvivious but I remember being highly stumped as an elementary schooler myself!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not specifically about Halloween, this is a good book to read to kids at that time of year. Cam and her friend Eric are at it again, solving mysteries and catching crooks. Our girls love these Cam Jansen stories!

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anja read this book for her January mystery themed book report. I read it as well so we could talk about the book. I like the Cam Jansen series because of the strong female character. Anja wants to become a super sleuth now.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A trip to the amusement park is anything but ordinary with Cam Jansen. A thief is taking wallets, and it's up to Cam and Eric to figure out who before everyone's day is completely spoiled.

I liked this one, the mystery was clever and well thought out. It's a fun book and highly recommended.