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Cam Jansen Mysteries #25
Cam Jansen and the Valentine Baby Mystery
It’s Valentine’s Day, and Cam is at school when she learns her mother is about to give birth. Mrs. Shelton quickly takes Cam and her best friend Eric to the hospital.There, in the waiting room, something of great value disappears. Click, click! Cam starts to unravel the mystery.Will Cam solve it before her Valentine sibling is born?
Celebrate twenty-five years of Cam Jansen with this specially designed value-plus Valentine mystery. Includes extra memory games and trivia!
Celebrate twenty-five years of Cam Jansen with this specially designed value-plus Valentine mystery. Includes extra memory games and trivia!
80 pages, Hardcover
First published December 29, 2005
39 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
David A. Adler
400 books202 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 37 reviews
February 9, 2022
Fifth-grade sleuth Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton return in this twenty-fifth entry in David A. Adler's chapter-book series devoted to their adventures, this time confronting a thief at the hospital, as they await the birth of Cam's baby sister. As Cam uses her photographic memory to track down the person who stole Mrs. Shelton's purse and car, she also confronts a happy surprise, in ...
Originally published in 2005, on the 25th Anniversary of the original entry in the series - 1980's Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds - this twenty-fifth entry in the Cam Jansen series includes an activity section at the rear, complete with memory games and a trivia quiz. The story itself is sweet, although I could do without Cam and Eric's obnoxious school friend, Danny, who was introduced a few titles before, and now seems a permanent fixture of the series. I continue to struggle a bit with my suspension of disbelief, when it comes to the permissiveness of the adults in Cam and Eric's life - does this pair ever actually spend any of their school day in class? - but leaving that aside, this was an enjoyable addition to the series, and is one I would recommend to fans of Cam Jansen, as well as to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery.
Originally published in 2005, on the 25th Anniversary of the original entry in the series - 1980's Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds - this twenty-fifth entry in the Cam Jansen series includes an activity section at the rear, complete with memory games and a trivia quiz. The story itself is sweet, although I could do without Cam and Eric's obnoxious school friend, Danny, who was introduced a few titles before, and now seems a permanent fixture of the series. I continue to struggle a bit with my suspension of disbelief, when it comes to the permissiveness of the adults in Cam and Eric's life - does this pair ever actually spend any of their school day in class? - but leaving that aside, this was an enjoyable addition to the series, and is one I would recommend to fans of Cam Jansen, as well as to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mystery.
April 12, 2025
Good book. The mystery didn't really work, though.
April 14, 2009
I liked this because she had a baby brother and a baby sisterr like I want one.
September 7, 2021
Cam is at school and then Mrs. Shelton comes to pick her up because Cam's mom is about to have her babies. She drives her to the hospital. Eric asks if he can come too. Their teacher lets him go. In the hospital waiting room (which was very hot), Mrs. Shelton took off her coat and her purse. A man pretending to be a doctor stole them, including her money and her car keys. They found her purse and her coat on the stairs. They called security and the police and they caught the thief. They knew he wasn't a real doctor because he didn't have a badge like the real doctors.
June 18, 2018
One of my favorite reads with second graders. This is a story students can connect with. Whether they have a new baby arriving in there family, or love to solve mysteries like Cam Jansen. In this story Cam is patiently waiting for the arrival of her new sibling, but a purse comes up missing in the hospital waiting room. Cam passes the time by helping solve the mystery. This series is great for students ready for early chapter books!
March 26, 2020
A kids book that has a Little excitement to it.
October 22, 2021
(G rating)
February 2, 2025
Reading this was nice.
February 17, 2022
That was precious. Cam’s mother is having twins on Valentine’s Day, but while waiting for the birth her friend’s mother’s purse goes missing in the waiting room. Cam used her photographic memory to figure out the culprit. B
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.
February 21, 2017
My small reading group of girls loved reading this sweet little. Valentine story with a little mysterious twist. it was a quick and easy read and a lot of fun for the girls.
April 18, 2014
I always loved the Cam Jansen mystery books. They are always filled with fun mysteries that are interesting to look forward to. Cam is the main character in all of the series along with her best friend Eric. In this book Cam's mom is pregnant and she is about to give birth on valentine's day. Cam is in school when she finds out about the birth. Cam and her best friend Eric rush to the hospital to her mom. While they wait in the waiting room for the baby to arrive something very valuable goes missing and Cam has to figure it all out and the story continues on. This is a wonderful mystery book. The story is short and an easy read. It's great to read in a guided reading with a further project to create your own mystery story. It gives students a chance to use their imagination to create anything they want. It's a wonderful series to incorporate into lesson, projects and book summaries.
February 2, 2024
Cam knows her mother is expecting a baby girl, but she says that Cam will still be surprised when the baby comes. On Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Shelton, Eric’s mom, comes to get Cam and Eric from school. Cam’s mom is in the hospital having her baby. While they sit in the hospital waiting room, Mrs. Shelton offers to buy the children some juice. Her purse is gone! The other people in the waiting room aren’t suspects, but Cam’s mental camera remembers the man in the lab coat with no name tag. Was he a doctor or the purse thief? Whoever stole the purse took Mrs. Shelton’s money and car keys. Fortunately, the unfortunate thief didn’t steal the parking ticket needed to get the car out of the parking garage. And, what was the surprise waiting for Cam when her baby sister arrived? It’s a mystery that can be solved by reading the book!
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
November 21, 2014
The book Cam Jansen And The Valentine Baby was a good book.I recommend this book to somebody named Caitlin and Janelle.
The book was about a mystery in the hospital that her mom is giving birth at.The thief stole Cams friends moms purse.They called security and the police and they both came and caught the thief and got the purse.The moms car was fine.at first she thought that she couldn't go home because her car got stolen but it didn't get stolen.This book was a good book for me and i hope others read it also.
The book was about a mystery in the hospital that her mom is giving birth at.The thief stole Cams friends moms purse.They called security and the police and they both came and caught the thief and got the purse.The moms car was fine.at first she thought that she couldn't go home because her car got stolen but it didn't get stolen.This book was a good book for me and i hope others read it also.
December 31, 2016
Cute books. My daughter likes these simple mysteries (even though she can read them in about an hour) and I have to say they really are well done. For being straightforward and brief, the mystery is something the reader can kind of solve along with the characters. I also like the interactions of the characters. They are (of course--due to length) a bit flat, but they react like real people, so it's easy to enjoy regardless. The kids especially tend to be a bit random and funny in ways that are very much like actual kids.
July 3, 2009
This is another good story in the Cam Jansen series. It's definitely a newer story, as cell phones and car keys with electronic fobs are predominantly featured. We like these stories and I'm glad that the series continues on, especially for a new generation. Cam solves the mystery (of course), but gets a surprise of her own at the end.
October 7, 2016
Cam Jansen and the Valentine Baby Mystery This is my first Cam Jansen. The nine-year-old likes her and her photographic memory, so I picked this one up to see what the deal is.
I found the ending slightly disappointing. For a mystery series the solution doesn't take up a lot of space. I did enjoy the deductions in the middle of the mystery though. And I liked the characters. I think I'd need to read a few more before I formed a solid opinion about them.
I found the ending slightly disappointing. For a mystery series the solution doesn't take up a lot of space. I did enjoy the deductions in the middle of the mystery though. And I liked the characters. I think I'd need to read a few more before I formed a solid opinion about them.
October 23, 2008
If you like mystery books this is the book for you. Cam Jansen has a mind like a camera. She just looks at something and says click. The photos stays there fora really long time.In this book Cams mom is pregnant. Cam is in the waiting room Eric's mom losses her purse.Do you think they will find her pusre?
January 18, 2014
its about eric shelton's mom has been robbed.then cam remembers that a docter didn't have a name tag so she tracks down the thief and tell the police where to find him.plus cam's mom has twin baby's on valentine's day.
December 25, 2015
Cute story about Cams siblings being born and a hospital thief. The mystery is fairly basic, but also memorable enough that a kid could apply it. Finding a car to go to a key is pretty easy now a days.
October 19, 2008
I this one of Cam's mysteries is kewl because it is about a mystery about babies.
October 20, 2008
I WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK.
February 5, 2009
Don't put down your wallet.
September 15, 2009
cams mom is haveing a babby
January 11, 2010
cute enough for young kids
November 9, 2011
I was so surprised when Cam's mom had twins!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2012
My daughter loves this series. I can see why. Adler does a wonderful job of storytelling-the story is written well, moves, and is a good mystery.
Read
January 7, 2015530L
Want to read
September 25, 2012....I hear it's a mystery series (and acceptable for 5yo age group)
Read
October 22, 2012i liked this book because they are really funny and they have mysteries aand my favorite book types are mysteries and it is very entertaining
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews