Summary
In this popular series, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes. This book is no exception. Cam’s friend is starring in the school play about Honest Abe. While her classmates are selling tickets, they realize that much of the money from the collection is missing. Cam tells her teacher and calls police. Cam deduces that there is one boy at the school who has been unaccounted for and asks him if he took the money. He admits to it. The teacher makes him watch the rest of the play to see if he learned anything.
My impressions
I wish that I had read another book in this series. From all that I have read about this book, it is not indicative of the series. It seems as if there were no context clues for young readers to figure out who committed the crime. The criminal seemed random. I am told that the other books are not like that, so I may have to read one of those to really get a better idea of how the series is usually written.
Reviews
Of course, Cam has a following and children will probably want to read this book, but there are better mysteries out there.-Holly Belli, Bergen County Cooperative Library System, West Caldwell, NJ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
The latest Cam Jansen mystery is not for newcomers to the popular mystery series. Told mostly in dialogue, the story is more complicated than usual, with Cam's friends on stage acting in a historical play about Honest Abe Lincoln while she's investigating the real-life theft of the theater admission money. --Hazel Rochman
Booklist
Usage in a Library Setting
This book would be a wonderful book for a “crime night” at the library. Obviously not a murder, but like a murder mystery dinner theater. The library can set up some sort of crime where something goes missing (perhaps a staff member?) and the group has to use context clues to find them.
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