Monday, August 10, 2015

Module 8: Cam Jansen and the Wedding Cake Mystery

Summary: Cam and her friends are performing in the talent show at the senior center where she and her dad help out. When she and her friends arrive, they meet Ken the baker. Ken has made a cake for a wedding later that evening, and the cake is waiting in his van. When Ken returns to his van after the show, he finds the cake missing. Luckily, Cam has a photographic memory, which she uses to track down the cake thief and save the wedding. 

Reference: Adler, D.A. (2010). Cam Jansen and the wedding cake mystery. New York, NY: Viking. 

Impressions: My niece chose this book to read, so it must have some entertainment value for early chapter-book readers, but it seemed very boring to me. The mystery is uninteresting and there's not much characterization. Also, once Cam locates the cake and the crook is apprehended, the author doesn't give any explanation for the theft. I guess the thief just wanted some cake...

Review: David A. Adler has done it again. His newest addition in the popular Cam Jansen series, Cam Jansen and the Wedding Cake Mystery, is sure to please fans of our favorite sleuth and attract new ones. While helping out at a senior center program, Cam is called on to help solve the mystery of a missing wedding cake and other tasty treats. Adler uses humor, suspense, and the unexpected to keep the reader captivated until the very end. Readers will also enjoy the chance to be “super sleuths” of their own through questions and activities at the end of the book.

McNeil, A. (2011, May 17). May Teacher Advisor Reviews [Web log post]. Retrieved from 
http://bookboxdaily.scholastic.com/2011/05/17/may-teacher-advisor-reviews/. 


Suggested Use: I would use this or another, more interesting mystery, to inspire a mystery activity for young chapter-book readers. The kids could be given a set of clues, which they would use to track down some fun missing object (a book or something silly, like a sandwich). The team to solve the mystery would win a small prize. 

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