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Cam Jansen Mysteries #12
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Flight 54
When Cam the fifth-grade sleuth and her friend Eric go to the airport to meet Cam's aunt, just arrived from France, it's all systems go. But before you can say "bonjour," a young French girl has disappeared. Will Cam be able to find her? Illustrated.
56 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1989
About the author
David A. Adler
413 books209 followersDavid 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 6, 2020
Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric solve another mystery in this twelfth entry in David A. Adler's chapter-book series devoted to their adventures. Accompanying Cam's parents to the airport, where they are to pick up Cam's Aunt Molly, the pair get involved when they discover that a young French girl, traveling to meet her aunt and uncle, who speaks no English, has gone missing...
I recall enjoying the Cam Jansen mysteries when I was a young girl, although Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Flight 54 was published a few years after I had stopped reading them. I've been rereading the entire series as part of a project to familiarize myself with fiction intended for this beginning chapter-book audience, and on the whole I have enjoyed them, despite the fact that they are far less mysterious to me as an adult reader, than they were as a child. Recommended to fans of Cam Jansen, and to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery.
I recall enjoying the Cam Jansen mysteries when I was a young girl, although Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Flight 54 was published a few years after I had stopped reading them. I've been rereading the entire series as part of a project to familiarize myself with fiction intended for this beginning chapter-book audience, and on the whole I have enjoyed them, despite the fact that they are far less mysterious to me as an adult reader, than they were as a child. Recommended to fans of Cam Jansen, and to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery.
December 16, 2010
This was another suspenseful mystery in the Cam Jansen series. We've read most of these books and are just finding the last few that weren't available at our local library in Hawaii. This story is pretty good, but I recommend that parents take an opportunity to talk with their children about staying put if they get lost, rather than trying to find us or keep wandering. As a parent, I would be panicked if our girls did what Simone had done! Otherwise, it's a fairly standard mystery for this series and we enjoyed reading it aloud together.
August 11, 2012
There's a lot of confusion at the airport when Cam and Eric go to pick up Cam's Aunt Molly. The sad thing is that this confusion also spread to the book, which I found hard to follow at some points. Maybe it was just me, but there was so much running back and forth, I couldn't help thinking, wouldn't the airport officials be all over a missing child from another country?
August 12, 2019
I really liked it because Eric solved the mystery instead of Cam!
February 23, 2021
Whoosh plane
Plane fly kid go missing I think she was dabbing when they couldn’t find here dab dab dab dab 🚕
Plane fly kid go missing I think she was dabbing when they couldn’t find here dab dab dab dab 🚕
March 5, 2026
Cam Jansen is designed for second to third graders. I like that there was a single sentence explaining the origin of her nickname. I liked it overall. It was a cute time capsule of what flying was like pre-9/11.
October 30, 2010
There was this French girl who was looking for her aunt and she couldn't find her and Cam found her and found the French girl and they went home for Aunt Molly's birthday party.
August 12, 2026
I picked this up because I'm struggling through two longer books at the moment, but also because Cam Jansen is (as far as I'm aware) a beloved favourite among some of my friends and acquaintances, though I had originally only ever read the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones before starting with Goodreads.
In retrospect, it's not quite as clever as some of the mystery books to solve, since it's like a significantly shorter, illustrated Nancy Drew: The story just happens, and there's not much in the way of reader participation. It *might* be possible to guess the answer to the mystery, but at least in this case, you just have to see what happens.
The mystery is a young girl—Simone, who is Cam and Eric's age (10)—travels to their hometown because she is visiting relatives. She is coincidentally on the same flight (54) as Cam's Aunt Molly—who is to meet Cam's family at the airport but, as is quickly demonstrated, can't be relied on to act sensibly, since she is terribly absentminded. The mystery begins when Simone's aunt and uncle start looking for her at the terminal, accidentally enlisting Cam and her family (and Eric) into helping them find Simone. The biggest problem is Simone only speaks French.
This... is sort of where I have a problem, PARTICULARLY in current times when a young girl travelling alone, to a country where she does NOT speak the language, is just asking to be a victim of human trafficking. Even worse if she's a racial minority, who's at even worse risk of abuse! Different times!
Actually, that makes me want to downgrade my rating. It might have been "okay" at the time it was written, but now it's kind of asking for trouble, *even* if she's white (as are everyone else in the book except a couple of "passably non-white" people ONLY on the cover). I can't suspend my disbelief that anyone would send a ten-year-old to even a different CITY, much less country, where she is wholly unprepared to get around on her own if her chaperones miss her at the gate.
I don't know. not a horrible story, but I really can't recommend it, either. Read if you're a completionist AND fan of Cam, otherwise maybe pass.
In retrospect, it's not quite as clever as some of the mystery books to solve, since it's like a significantly shorter, illustrated Nancy Drew: The story just happens, and there's not much in the way of reader participation. It *might* be possible to guess the answer to the mystery, but at least in this case, you just have to see what happens.
The mystery is a young girl—Simone, who is Cam and Eric's age (10)—travels to their hometown because she is visiting relatives. She is coincidentally on the same flight (54) as Cam's Aunt Molly—who is to meet Cam's family at the airport but, as is quickly demonstrated, can't be relied on to act sensibly, since she is terribly absentminded. The mystery begins when Simone's aunt and uncle start looking for her at the terminal, accidentally enlisting Cam and her family (and Eric) into helping them find Simone. The biggest problem is Simone only speaks French.
This... is sort of where I have a problem, PARTICULARLY in current times when a young girl travelling alone, to a country where she does NOT speak the language, is just asking to be a victim of human trafficking. Even worse if she's a racial minority, who's at even worse risk of abuse! Different times!
Actually, that makes me want to downgrade my rating. It might have been "okay" at the time it was written, but now it's kind of asking for trouble, *even* if she's white (as are everyone else in the book except a couple of "passably non-white" people ONLY on the cover). I can't suspend my disbelief that anyone would send a ten-year-old to even a different CITY, much less country, where she is wholly unprepared to get around on her own if her chaperones miss her at the gate.
I don't know. not a horrible story, but I really can't recommend it, either. Read if you're a completionist AND fan of Cam, otherwise maybe pass.
February 26, 2017
Jennifer "Cam" Jansen has a photographic memory (technically, the term is "eidetic," which is mentioned, but for younger readers, the former term will suffice). When she says "click," you know that she's remembering something important!
And so it is with the Mystery of Flight 54. Cam, her folks, and her friend, Eric, are headed to the airport to pick up Aunt Molly, when a young French girl on the same flight suddenly goes missing. Can Cam help find her?
This was my first foray into the Cam Jansen books; this one was first published in 1989. I do not remember these books, but I had probably moved on to something a little more substantial by this time in my life.
For a beginning mystery story, it isn't bad, and might entice reluctant readers. Although this is the twelfth book in the series, the author provides enough information about Cam that reading these out of order doesn't impact the enjoyment of the story.
Of course, as an adult this I am wondering why the airport isn't more concerned about a young girl missing just off a transatlantic flight, even in 1989. I guess it didn't ring as true to me as it should, but it's also fiction, and the point is a young girl detective, right? For a child reading this today, I think it's important that they know what to do if they find themselves lost - don't wander around by yourself and, especially in this situation, don't leave the airport!
And so it is with the Mystery of Flight 54. Cam, her folks, and her friend, Eric, are headed to the airport to pick up Aunt Molly, when a young French girl on the same flight suddenly goes missing. Can Cam help find her?
This was my first foray into the Cam Jansen books; this one was first published in 1989. I do not remember these books, but I had probably moved on to something a little more substantial by this time in my life.
For a beginning mystery story, it isn't bad, and might entice reluctant readers. Although this is the twelfth book in the series, the author provides enough information about Cam that reading these out of order doesn't impact the enjoyment of the story.
Of course, as an adult this I am wondering why the airport isn't more concerned about a young girl missing just off a transatlantic flight, even in 1989. I guess it didn't ring as true to me as it should, but it's also fiction, and the point is a young girl detective, right? For a child reading this today, I think it's important that they know what to do if they find themselves lost - don't wander around by yourself and, especially in this situation, don't leave the airport!
September 30, 2021
Cam, Eric, and the Jansens were going to the airport to pick up Cam's aunt and two old people were walking by shouting "Simone, Simone" and Cam asked them what was wrong. They told them that their granddaughter Simone was missing. Simone spoke French so she wasn't able to understand anything in English. Then Cam and Eric helped find Simone. First, they ran into a girl who looked like Simone but it wasn't her. Cam thought Simone might've been at the bus stop because there was an old man who looked like Simone's grandpa who went to the bus stop. They found her at the bus stop.
March 1, 2020
ZZ:
It's a very good book for kids reading. Not like some story, it's very story-rich, easy to follow. And you won't find a lot paragraphs just talking about a place or a thing uselessly. The people in the book are all full of personalities. The book took me about 1 hour to finish.
JZ:
I think the book is interesting because there are a lot of places was mentioned in it. Also took about an hour to read.
It's a very good book for kids reading. Not like some story, it's very story-rich, easy to follow. And you won't find a lot paragraphs just talking about a place or a thing uselessly. The people in the book are all full of personalities. The book took me about 1 hour to finish.
JZ:
I think the book is interesting because there are a lot of places was mentioned in it. Also took about an hour to read.
April 24, 2019
That's really warmhearted!
June 23, 2019
I read this with 1st graders. They liked this book. I did not. I really don't care for Cam Jansen, but kids like it.
July 20, 2021
I love the Cam siris.
November 5, 2025
4.5 I liked this book because it is a mystery. I also liked it because it is about flights. It is fiction but it is realistic. -Teo
April 21, 2011
The original Cam Jansen series follows the exploits of 10-year-old 5th grader Jennifer "the Camera" (aka "Cam") Jansen and her best friend, classmate, and neighbor Eric Shelton. Cam got her nickname because of her photographic memory. All she has to do is say "Click," and Cam can remember everything she's seen, which comes in pretty handy when trying to solve mysteries.
David Adler has written several beginning chapter book series, but Cam Jansen is one of the earliest and most successful. He's been writing the series since 1980 and now writes roughly one volume per year. He has also started a Young Cam Jansen series of even simpler chapter books. Reading level wise, I'd say children they'd interest children from kindergarden through fifth grade who are just starting to read chapter books. I didn't read any of the the young Cam Jansen books, but it looks like they're more limited in scope and probably would be considered "baby books" to anyone beyond 2nd grade.
Because the books are so short, I read essentially the first half of the series and the 25th anniversary special "The Valentine Day Baby Mystery" where Cam's mom has twins, ending Cam's only child status, and Eric's mom has her car stolen, only to be returned when Cam's quick thinking discovers the thief.
Overall I was surprised at how engaging these stories were. I would totally recommend them to children just starting to read chapter books. The print is big and there are still several black and white drawings scattered throughout the text, making them an easy transition from picture books. Plus, they're well-written enough that I think they can nudge children to move on to better quality titles as they move on to longer chapter books.
Of course they're not perfect, though. It seems that adults Cam and Eric interact with choose to not accept Cam's photographic memory only when it's necessary to create tension in the story. Otherwise most adults take for granted that this 10-year-old can solve diamond thefts and bank robberies. Still, it has to be empowering for kids to read about someone close to their age solving mysteries like that.
I was also kind of bothered by the way Cam always ends up being right. Sometimes she comes off as a little too cocky and unwilling to listen to others. In nearly every story Eric plays the wet blanket suggesting that they tell an adult what they've discovered rather than trying to catch the bad guy on their own. However Cam always forges ahead and ends up getting her suspect. Again, I'm sure kids love the feeling of accomplishment, but sometimes it feels like Cam's walking the fine line between extreme confidence and recklessness, as in the Chocolate Fudge Mystery where she trespasses into someone's back yard just because she thinks it's weird that no one's home. Her dad and Eric both tell her she shouldn't be doing this, but Cam doesn't care because she's certain there's a mystery to be solved. She turns out be right (there's a bank robber hiding in the house) and her disregard for strangers' privacy is forgotten.
And honestly, that's the problem I had with these books when I was little. While it was cool to read about a kid doing cool stuff like solving robberies, I could always tell that the stories weren't quite true to real life. I guess that's why I always preferred stories of kids doing amazing things that were based off real stories like Island of the Blue Dolphins or at least seemed more realistic.
My husband, however, loved these books as a kid and said he read every one he could get his hands on when he was younger, so I guess that's at least some proof of their appeal to both sexes. Both libraries I checked these books out from had multiple copies of the titles in this series and even then I had trouble finding all the titles actually on the shelf, so they continue to be popular titles. I think they would be great additions to a school or public library collection.
David Adler has written several beginning chapter book series, but Cam Jansen is one of the earliest and most successful. He's been writing the series since 1980 and now writes roughly one volume per year. He has also started a Young Cam Jansen series of even simpler chapter books. Reading level wise, I'd say children they'd interest children from kindergarden through fifth grade who are just starting to read chapter books. I didn't read any of the the young Cam Jansen books, but it looks like they're more limited in scope and probably would be considered "baby books" to anyone beyond 2nd grade.
Because the books are so short, I read essentially the first half of the series and the 25th anniversary special "The Valentine Day Baby Mystery" where Cam's mom has twins, ending Cam's only child status, and Eric's mom has her car stolen, only to be returned when Cam's quick thinking discovers the thief.
Overall I was surprised at how engaging these stories were. I would totally recommend them to children just starting to read chapter books. The print is big and there are still several black and white drawings scattered throughout the text, making them an easy transition from picture books. Plus, they're well-written enough that I think they can nudge children to move on to better quality titles as they move on to longer chapter books.
Of course they're not perfect, though. It seems that adults Cam and Eric interact with choose to not accept Cam's photographic memory only when it's necessary to create tension in the story. Otherwise most adults take for granted that this 10-year-old can solve diamond thefts and bank robberies. Still, it has to be empowering for kids to read about someone close to their age solving mysteries like that.
I was also kind of bothered by the way Cam always ends up being right. Sometimes she comes off as a little too cocky and unwilling to listen to others. In nearly every story Eric plays the wet blanket suggesting that they tell an adult what they've discovered rather than trying to catch the bad guy on their own. However Cam always forges ahead and ends up getting her suspect. Again, I'm sure kids love the feeling of accomplishment, but sometimes it feels like Cam's walking the fine line between extreme confidence and recklessness, as in the Chocolate Fudge Mystery where she trespasses into someone's back yard just because she thinks it's weird that no one's home. Her dad and Eric both tell her she shouldn't be doing this, but Cam doesn't care because she's certain there's a mystery to be solved. She turns out be right (there's a bank robber hiding in the house) and her disregard for strangers' privacy is forgotten.
And honestly, that's the problem I had with these books when I was little. While it was cool to read about a kid doing cool stuff like solving robberies, I could always tell that the stories weren't quite true to real life. I guess that's why I always preferred stories of kids doing amazing things that were based off real stories like Island of the Blue Dolphins or at least seemed more realistic.
My husband, however, loved these books as a kid and said he read every one he could get his hands on when he was younger, so I guess that's at least some proof of their appeal to both sexes. Both libraries I checked these books out from had multiple copies of the titles in this series and even then I had trouble finding all the titles actually on the shelf, so they continue to be popular titles. I think they would be great additions to a school or public library collection.
September 6, 2014
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
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
March 10, 2014
I can't say enough, how impressed I am with this series from the books I've read so far. The writing is good, the illustrations artistic and the mysteries are varied from real crimes such as robbery to family mysteries such as missing items. Adler does well at writing a mystery for this young age which takes some thinking to solve, may surprise readers with the ending, and yet leaves clues behind with the possibility of solving it. Cam's photographic memory which we are told is scientifically called "eidetic" is a unique quality for a mystery sleuth. Another one well-read.
August 18, 2016
I liked Cam Jansen: The Mystery of Flight 54. The characters are Cam, Aunt Molly, Eric, Mr. Jansen, Mrs. Jansen, Ida Green, Mr. Green, Simon Green, and the airport guards. The settings are: airport, Cam's house, car, and street. The book was a good length for me, but I didn't see the mystery too much. I think that Simon is the mystery, but I'm not too sure. Probably I'll read another Cam Jansen book.
September 4, 2015
I think this book is very descriptive and is a good book for young detectives that like to solve mystery's. My favorite part was when Cam and Eric find the little French girl but she doesn't want to get in the car with them because they are strangers. I really liked this book and will really recommend it. It's not my favorite book in the series but I like it.
September 19, 2008
The plot in this one was just not as interesting as the others we've read.
January 27, 2009
Do not take other people's suitcases.
September 19, 2009
Mommy says: Cana is not crazy abotu the Cam Jansen chapter books. Yet.
January 11, 2012
i wish i could takes pic in my mind and remember everything! Again great chapter books.
June 26, 2013
Cam is short for camera because she has a photographic memory.
Her real name is Jennifer.
Perfect little mysteries for upper 1st grade to lower 3rd grade.
Her real name is Jennifer.
Perfect little mysteries for upper 1st grade to lower 3rd grade.
January 10, 2015
I loved how Cam found the girl's parents.
Read
October 29, 2009really a hard mystery
December 21, 2010
Another Cam Jansen mystery, this one involving a missing girl from an airline flight.
October 1, 2011
I give it 5 stars.~Ava. I give it 4 stars cause it wasn't perfect. ~Abby
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews