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Cam Jansen Mysteries #14
The Chocolate Fudge Mystery
When Cam Jansen and her friend Eric uncover a mystery while selling fudge door-to-door to raise money for the local library, Cam uses her photographic memory to foil a crime.
58 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
David A. Adler
429 books192 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 72 reviews
October 9, 2020
Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton stumble across a criminal in hiding while selling chocolate and candy for a local library program in this fourteenth entry in David A. Adler's beginning chapter-book series devoted to their adventures. Alerted, as always, by Cam's superior powers of observation, the two children, along with Cam's father and two local neighbors, foil the escape plans of the criminal and his confederate...
Although the resolution of many of the Cam Jansen Mysteries are unlikely - would Cam, Eric and Mr. Jansen really be included in the police chase that tracks down one of the robbers? - I would imagine that they are very satisfying for young readers, who will appreciate the idea of their favorite sleuth being in on the action. Like its predecessors, Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery relies upon its eponymous heroine's eidetic memory for the solving of the case, something I found fascinating as a young reader myself, even if its strains my adult credulity a bit during my current rereading project. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mysteries, as well as to fans of Cam Jansen.
Although the resolution of many of the Cam Jansen Mysteries are unlikely - would Cam, Eric and Mr. Jansen really be included in the police chase that tracks down one of the robbers? - I would imagine that they are very satisfying for young readers, who will appreciate the idea of their favorite sleuth being in on the action. Like its predecessors, Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery relies upon its eponymous heroine's eidetic memory for the solving of the case, something I found fascinating as a young reader myself, even if its strains my adult credulity a bit during my current rereading project. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy mysteries, as well as to fans of Cam Jansen.
February 12, 2011
This was an awesome book for kids. I would have loved this (more than I did) at 8-10 years of age. This is a story of a young girl Cam (for her photographic memory...The Camera) and her friend Eric go around town and solve different mysteries...one per book...this is apparently #14. I really enjoyed it.
"Gr. 2-4. Cam (short for Camera) Jansen and her faithful companion, Eric Shelton, encounter yet another mystery as they try to raise funds for charity by selling fudge bars and rice cakes. (They never do explain the mystery of that unlikely combination.) This time Cam spots a woman behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of a supposedly vacant house. It requires only Cam's photographic memory (which she activates by saying "Click" constantly), deductive reasoning, and a short surveillance for the duo to ascertain that a criminal is hiding out and to alert a grateful police force. Cam satisfies the childhood fantasy of being smarter than adults and dealing successfully with mystery and danger, and young readers seem to be able to tolerate the clicks and to suspend reality in order to marvel at her wonderful ways. Another fix for the beginning readers who demand mystery books. Sheilamae O'Harris"
"Gr. 2-4. Cam (short for Camera) Jansen and her faithful companion, Eric Shelton, encounter yet another mystery as they try to raise funds for charity by selling fudge bars and rice cakes. (They never do explain the mystery of that unlikely combination.) This time Cam spots a woman behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of a supposedly vacant house. It requires only Cam's photographic memory (which she activates by saying "Click" constantly), deductive reasoning, and a short surveillance for the duo to ascertain that a criminal is hiding out and to alert a grateful police force. Cam satisfies the childhood fantasy of being smarter than adults and dealing successfully with mystery and danger, and young readers seem to be able to tolerate the clicks and to suspend reality in order to marvel at her wonderful ways. Another fix for the beginning readers who demand mystery books. Sheilamae O'Harris"
August 26, 2023
This book didn’t hold my attention like other Cam Jansen books.
May 6, 2016
cam and eric never expected to find a mystery while selling candy
door to door for their school fundraiser but that s exactly what they
find. when can outside she suspects of a house that is supposed to be desert , yes I like is the book is really fun to read I recommend to millie.
door to door for their school fundraiser but that s exactly what they
find. when can outside she suspects of a house that is supposed to be desert , yes I like is the book is really fun to read I recommend to millie.
December 18, 2022
Wow that one was REALLY far fetched and skipped a few steps in the deductive reasoning department. Not to mention it had hardly anything to do with the title.
September 13, 2023
This is a standard Cam Jansen book, sure enough.
I guess reading it as a younger reader is more intense than reading it as a less-younger reader, because it just feels... off. Part of that is Cam and Eric are going door-to-door selling for a fundraiser, and it unfortunately isn't safe for kids to do that anymore, supervised or not. (For what it's worth, I feel like door-to-door selling pretty much just taught me not to want to go to strange people's houses and not like strange people coming to my house.)
Another part is Suspicious Person Is Suspicious, like... if a real grown-up wanted to lay low, they wouldn't wear a huge raincoat in SUNNY WEATHER, and also in broad daylight when doing so. Of course, nowadays, the suspects would have mobile phones and be able to coordinate things better so , during which nosy kids would notice something suspicious happening.
I guess it's mostly that the mysteries feel a bit low-effort. Some of that is they're designed for younger audiences, sure, but even so, it's like they're projecting, "THIS MYSTERY SHOULD BE EASY TO SOLVE! SEE HOW SOLVABLE IT IS!" even though it's not really possible to solve without just reading along to find out what clues the kids find.
Decent read, not sure how popular this would be with contemporary young readers, given the door-to-door stuff and lack of mobiles.
Also, it's a little weird calling it the "Chocolate Fudge" mystery when the chocolate fudge had no part in the actual mystery except to randomly place them at the scene of the crime, as it were. I mean, they were ALSO selling rice cakes! Of course, "The Chocolate Fudge and Rice Cake Mystery" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?
I guess reading it as a younger reader is more intense than reading it as a less-younger reader, because it just feels... off. Part of that is Cam and Eric are going door-to-door selling for a fundraiser, and it unfortunately isn't safe for kids to do that anymore, supervised or not. (For what it's worth, I feel like door-to-door selling pretty much just taught me not to want to go to strange people's houses and not like strange people coming to my house.)
Another part is Suspicious Person Is Suspicious, like... if a real grown-up wanted to lay low, they wouldn't wear a huge raincoat in SUNNY WEATHER, and also in broad daylight when doing so. Of course, nowadays, the suspects would have mobile phones and be able to coordinate things better so , during which nosy kids would notice something suspicious happening.
I guess it's mostly that the mysteries feel a bit low-effort. Some of that is they're designed for younger audiences, sure, but even so, it's like they're projecting, "THIS MYSTERY SHOULD BE EASY TO SOLVE! SEE HOW SOLVABLE IT IS!" even though it's not really possible to solve without just reading along to find out what clues the kids find.
Decent read, not sure how popular this would be with contemporary young readers, given the door-to-door stuff and lack of mobiles.
Also, it's a little weird calling it the "Chocolate Fudge" mystery when the chocolate fudge had no part in the actual mystery except to randomly place them at the scene of the crime, as it were. I mean, they were ALSO selling rice cakes! Of course, "The Chocolate Fudge and Rice Cake Mystery" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?
January 30, 2017
Cam Jansen is a mystery sleuth who utilizes her photographic memory to solve crimes within her town. Relying on her gut instincts and her memory tricks, Cam Jansen finds the hide-out of a bank robber and catches his accomplice as well. In the midst of solving this mystery, Cam Jansen works to sell chocolates and rice cakes for a program with senior citizens.
This is an exciting story for readers interested in picking up on context clues and solving mysteries. This is a short chapter book that would keep students engaged in learning new words through a story that will keep kids on the edge of their seats. This could be a good introduction to a mystery unit.
This is an exciting story for readers interested in picking up on context clues and solving mysteries. This is a short chapter book that would keep students engaged in learning new words through a story that will keep kids on the edge of their seats. This could be a good introduction to a mystery unit.
March 6, 2018
Cam Jansen is a kid detective who will help solve ANY mystery she can get her hands on. This particular case was not that eventful in my opinion. I was interested in the book because of the gripping Chocolate Fudge title, but the mystery in the book really had nothing to do with the chocolates. However, I do remember reading these books as a developing reader and LOVING THEM; especially when Cam goes “click” and remembers everything that she has just seen. I wish I could have that super power. I would use this text/series in a 2-4 grade classroom for a book club or guided reading text. Although it is a “chapter book,” it’s only 58 pages and the plot is easy to follow for younger readers!
August 28, 2021
Cam and Eric are saving money for a read and ride program for elders. They're selling chocolate bars and rice cakes and they see this strange woman and they follow her. They realize that there's something weird about her. And then a news report comes on that $10,000 from the bank was stolen. When Cam and Eric stopped at a house to sell their chocolates, they figured out that the thief lived right next door. They called the police. The strange woman had a raincoat, a hat, and sunglasses. She took them all off in a grocery store. She wasn't the one who did the crime but she helped the bank robber hide. They end up finding both the strange woman and the bank robber.
August 12, 2024
This is a fun story about a girl named Jennifer who has a photographic memory and solves a mystery about a deserted house and a bank robbery. This was a good beginner chapter book for those who enjoy mysteries. Not memorable, but hoping other entries in the series are more twisty and turny. My rating - 3/5
November 2, 2017
Cam solves a mystery while out selling fudge to raise funds.
May 21, 2018
Alice: 5 stars. I liked that cam has a photographic memory
Jenny: 3.5 stars. A fun little mystery, but sometimes I wonder about the kids getting involved in sort of serious crimes.
Jenny: 3.5 stars. A fun little mystery, but sometimes I wonder about the kids getting involved in sort of serious crimes.
November 12, 2018
Cute story and the chapter endings make children want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
April 26, 2019
Very sensitive!
Read
June 21, 2019This book is a organised
September 1, 2019
"Anything Cam Jansen is automatically a 5-star."
January 2, 2020
This was my first detective book and now I want to read more of them.
September 1, 2020
Cam Jansen is called Cam because she has a photographic memory - like a Cam-era! I remember enjoying these as a child.
January 24, 2021
Scary,mysterious.
March 31, 2021
No observation scene for the reader to puzzle. But at least the mystery does point out the details one should notice if one wants to be a detective. Thank goodness Cam's dad was along though.
April 8, 2021
I loved this series as a kid! I read this one aloud to my seven-year-old Calvin, and we both enjoyed it.
June 7, 2022
Kidnapping
Robbers
Bombs
Kids might like it but not my kind of book
Robbers
Bombs
Kids might like it but not my kind of book
February 28, 2023
I liked this book because they were passing out fudge.
April 6, 2023
Spring break read aloud with mac… super fun! Each chapter ended with a mysterious cliff hanger that kept him hooked. Can’t wait to read more!
June 7, 2023
Love Cam Jansen books
December 27, 2019
Totally reading this series out of order, but here we go. This is another one of those books that is great for its target audience, but doesn't really work for those older.
My main issue with this book is the fact that the adults let the kids help with tracking down the bad guys. It could have been a very dangerous situation, but they just went with it. I understand that Cam's photographic memory was helpful, but it still seemed irresponsible for the adults to include two young children.
The title of the book made me think that chocolate was going to be playing a much larger role than it did. It's really just there to give a reason for the kids to be walking around the neighborhood. It has nothing to do with the actual mystery.
Author: David A. Adler
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 1993
My main issue with this book is the fact that the adults let the kids help with tracking down the bad guys. It could have been a very dangerous situation, but they just went with it. I understand that Cam's photographic memory was helpful, but it still seemed irresponsible for the adults to include two young children.
The title of the book made me think that chocolate was going to be playing a much larger role than it did. It's really just there to give a reason for the kids to be walking around the neighborhood. It has nothing to do with the actual mystery.
Author: David A. Adler
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 1993
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December 7, 2016Title: The Chocolate Fudge Mystery (Cam Jansen Mysteries, #14)
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book
Theme(s): mystery, friendship, crime
Opening line/sentence: “Cam Jansen’s father looked up.”
Brief Book Summary: Cam Jansen and her friend Eric are selling fudge door to door to raise money for the local library. As always, Cam Jansen comes across a mystery when the two friends suspect a man and a women are up to mischief. Cam Jansen and Eric realize that these two have robbed a bank and thanks to Cam’s photographic memory she is able to help the police recognize the robbers in disguise by their pants and shoes.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Sheilamae O'Hara (Booklist, Oct. 15, 1993 (Vol. 90, No. 4)) Cam (short for Camera) Jansen and her faithful companion, Eric Shelton, encounter yet another mystery as they try to raise funds for charity by selling fudge bars and rice cakes. (They never do explain the mystery of that unlikely combination.) This time Cam spots a woman behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of a supposedly vacant house. It requires only Cam's photographic memory (which she activates by saying "Click" constantly), deductive reasoning, and a short surveillance for the duo to ascertain that a criminal is hiding out and to alert a grateful police force. Cam satisfies the childhood fantasy of being smarter than adults and dealing successfully with mystery and danger, and young readers seem to be able to tolerate the clicks and to suspend reality in order to marvel at her wonderful ways. Another fix for the beginning readers who demand mystery books.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ellen R. Braaf (Children's Literature) Jennifer a.k.a. Cam (short for "The Camera") Jansen is a detective with a photographic memory. Like a pit bull with a Porterhouse, Cam won't let go of a mystery until she gnaws it to the bone and bares the truth. In this book, the fourteenth in the "Cam Jansen Adventure" series, our sleuth and her friend, Eric, (under the watchful eye of Mr. Jansen) sell fudge bars and rice cakes door-to-door to raise money for a local charity. En route, they spy a mysterious woman walking alongside a seemingly deserted yellow house. She hurries past them, deposits a bulging trash bag into someone else's garbage, then disappears into the house across the street. Upon closer examination, they discover that other strange things are going on at the yellow house. With a click of her mental camera, Cam records them all. Her determination, fast thinking, and unique ability enable her to solve this mystery and help the police capture an elusive thief.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I appreciate how O’Hara points out how young readers may enjoy this book because it gives the impression that children are able to be smarter than adults. I feel as though children’s abilities are constantly being belittled and this book allows children to feel as though they are capable of anything. This will give students the confidence to pursue their dreams and children will be able to stay engaged because Cam is at an age that these readers can relate to. The two reviewers also discuss the mystery genre, which gives the students a sense of suspense making them want to keep reading and get excited about what is going to happen next.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This story focuses a lot on the problem throughout which is knowing that the man and women are up to something and Cam and Eric are determined to solve this problem. This is the main idea of a mystery, there is always a problem that needs to be solved and the solution in this text is when Cam and Eric determine that the man and women robbed a bank and get the cops involved to take care of the situation. Similar to most transitional chapter books, there are few black and white illustrations, with a lot of excess white space on the page that allows the reader to get a simple visual of what is going on in the text. The chapters are also very short and manageable for an early reader with larger font than a traditional novel.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this story to teach about making predictions in the classroom. I would start by explaining that a prediction is taking clues and making a guess about what is going to happen. After understanding what a prediction is, I would have my class make predictions about what will happen in the story and throughout the story I will compare this to how Cam made her own predictions. To start, I would have them make a prediction about what is going to happen in the story based off of the title, and throughout the progression of each two chapters I would have the student’s continue to make predictions.
Author: David A. Adler
Illustrator: Susanna Natti
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book
Theme(s): mystery, friendship, crime
Opening line/sentence: “Cam Jansen’s father looked up.”
Brief Book Summary: Cam Jansen and her friend Eric are selling fudge door to door to raise money for the local library. As always, Cam Jansen comes across a mystery when the two friends suspect a man and a women are up to mischief. Cam Jansen and Eric realize that these two have robbed a bank and thanks to Cam’s photographic memory she is able to help the police recognize the robbers in disguise by their pants and shoes.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Sheilamae O'Hara (Booklist, Oct. 15, 1993 (Vol. 90, No. 4)) Cam (short for Camera) Jansen and her faithful companion, Eric Shelton, encounter yet another mystery as they try to raise funds for charity by selling fudge bars and rice cakes. (They never do explain the mystery of that unlikely combination.) This time Cam spots a woman behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of a supposedly vacant house. It requires only Cam's photographic memory (which she activates by saying "Click" constantly), deductive reasoning, and a short surveillance for the duo to ascertain that a criminal is hiding out and to alert a grateful police force. Cam satisfies the childhood fantasy of being smarter than adults and dealing successfully with mystery and danger, and young readers seem to be able to tolerate the clicks and to suspend reality in order to marvel at her wonderful ways. Another fix for the beginning readers who demand mystery books.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ellen R. Braaf (Children's Literature) Jennifer a.k.a. Cam (short for "The Camera") Jansen is a detective with a photographic memory. Like a pit bull with a Porterhouse, Cam won't let go of a mystery until she gnaws it to the bone and bares the truth. In this book, the fourteenth in the "Cam Jansen Adventure" series, our sleuth and her friend, Eric, (under the watchful eye of Mr. Jansen) sell fudge bars and rice cakes door-to-door to raise money for a local charity. En route, they spy a mysterious woman walking alongside a seemingly deserted yellow house. She hurries past them, deposits a bulging trash bag into someone else's garbage, then disappears into the house across the street. Upon closer examination, they discover that other strange things are going on at the yellow house. With a click of her mental camera, Cam records them all. Her determination, fast thinking, and unique ability enable her to solve this mystery and help the police capture an elusive thief.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I appreciate how O’Hara points out how young readers may enjoy this book because it gives the impression that children are able to be smarter than adults. I feel as though children’s abilities are constantly being belittled and this book allows children to feel as though they are capable of anything. This will give students the confidence to pursue their dreams and children will be able to stay engaged because Cam is at an age that these readers can relate to. The two reviewers also discuss the mystery genre, which gives the students a sense of suspense making them want to keep reading and get excited about what is going to happen next.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This story focuses a lot on the problem throughout which is knowing that the man and women are up to something and Cam and Eric are determined to solve this problem. This is the main idea of a mystery, there is always a problem that needs to be solved and the solution in this text is when Cam and Eric determine that the man and women robbed a bank and get the cops involved to take care of the situation. Similar to most transitional chapter books, there are few black and white illustrations, with a lot of excess white space on the page that allows the reader to get a simple visual of what is going on in the text. The chapters are also very short and manageable for an early reader with larger font than a traditional novel.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this story to teach about making predictions in the classroom. I would start by explaining that a prediction is taking clues and making a guess about what is going to happen. After understanding what a prediction is, I would have my class make predictions about what will happen in the story and throughout the story I will compare this to how Cam made her own predictions. To start, I would have them make a prediction about what is going to happen in the story based off of the title, and throughout the progression of each two chapters I would have the student’s continue to make predictions.
July 10, 2013
So, Cam Jansen is a child detective with a photographic memory. She says "Click!" and she has a snapshot in her head that she can recall by, once again, saying "Click!"
In this book, she and Eric, her right-hand man, are selling chocolates, when they stumble upon a mystery concerning a supposedly deserted house. Cam is convinced that a criminal is hiding in the house, while others think differently. A mystery!
Now, my sister and I aren't very familiar with Cam Jansen, having only read two of her books, but we decided that we liked the other much better. This book didn't really have that much going on, and the mystery wasn't that exciting. It was a bit interesting, though, and I admit that at times my sister was very concerned about what would happen.
What I liked about this book was that the plot was very simple, and it was easy for my sister to follow along, reading one chapter a night. The plot is a nice fit for the book's reading level.
In this book, she and Eric, her right-hand man, are selling chocolates, when they stumble upon a mystery concerning a supposedly deserted house. Cam is convinced that a criminal is hiding in the house, while others think differently. A mystery!
Now, my sister and I aren't very familiar with Cam Jansen, having only read two of her books, but we decided that we liked the other much better. This book didn't really have that much going on, and the mystery wasn't that exciting. It was a bit interesting, though, and I admit that at times my sister was very concerned about what would happen.
What I liked about this book was that the plot was very simple, and it was easy for my sister to follow along, reading one chapter a night. The plot is a nice fit for the book's reading level.
February 1, 2024
Cam Jansen and her best friend, Eric Shelton, are selling rice cakes and chocolate fudge bars door-to-door. The money they raise benefits the local charity, Ride and Read. Nothing unusual happens until Cam and Eric see a woman in a blue raincoat walking beside a yellow house. She wears sunglasses and carries a black garbage bag. When Eric tries to sell her some goodies, the woman totally ignores him. The bag contains food garbage. There are two rolled-up newspapers in front of the yellow house. Both have the same date. There’s a box of food on the back porch. The house, the woman, and the man who comes out of the house to shoo a cat away from the food raise Cam’s suspicions. An article in the newspaper tells Cam who the man is and why he’s hiding in the yellow house.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
September 27, 2010
Cam Jansen is a girl with a photographic memory. Cam loves to solve mysteries. She and Eric, her friend, are selling rice cakes and chocolate fudge for their school when they stumble across a mystery. Cam thinks that she sees a man in a house that should be empty. They read about a man who robbed a bank, and wonder if this is the same man. Will Cam and Eric catch the thief?
I thought that I would not like the book when I looked at the cover. But I liked the book because it is a mystery book. I've read a few of them and I have liked them all. Plus they are easy to read, so I can finish them quickly.
Bransen (8 years old)
http://ReadingTween.blogspot.com/
I thought that I would not like the book when I looked at the cover. But I liked the book because it is a mystery book. I've read a few of them and I have liked them all. Plus they are easy to read, so I can finish them quickly.
Bransen (8 years old)
http://ReadingTween.blogspot.com/
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews