Cam Jansen & The Mystery of the Television Dog (Cam Jansen) (Original 1981; 2004. Auflage)

Fifth-graders Cam Jansen and Eric Shelton, along with Eric's younger twin sisters, Donna and Diane, attend a book signing with celebrity dog Poochie in this beginning chapter-book mystery. When the man in front of them in line drops a box of dog biscuits, Poochie and Cloudy (the man's own dog) get very excited and chase one another around the bookstore. When the man leaves, Cam discovers that he took Poochie with him, rather than Cloudy. Is it an accident, or is something more sinister afoot...?

I read quite a few of these Cam Jansen mysteries when I was young - I'd say when I was in third grade or so - and I always enjoyed how Cam and Eric managed to run around town solving puzzles, with little or no parental involvement. It might not have been very realistic - and probably would be considered quite dated today, given the trend of helicopter parenting that has developed in the years since this was first published, in the early 1980s - but it was quite satisfying to me as a child reader. Rereading this as an adult - part of a current project - I found the mystery and adventure here rather slight. That said, young readers just getting going with chapter-books will no doubt find it engaging, just as I did years ago. ( )

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Fifth-grader Cam uses her photographic memory, with help from her friend Eric and his twin sisters, to solve the mystery of Poochie, a famous canine television star. Book #4

GR: L
GL: 3.1
DRA: 20
Lexile: 470L

Genre: Realistic Fiction Age Appropriateness: Intermediate Review: This book is a good example of realistic fiction because the narrative presents a true depiction of life in present day. The problems in the book are conflicts that people would face in real life. The story is about two children, Cam and Eric who cannot wait to meet the TV dog, Poochie. While they are waiting in line for Poochie's autograph, the dog mysteriously disappears. Fortunately, Cam has a photographic memory, which helps them rescue the dog from the kidnapper. Media: This book is a good example of pencils media because the pictures are drawn with pencils, which allow for different shading and blending. Media: ( )