Cam Jansen, also known as Cam Jansen Mysteries, is a series of childrenâÂÂs mystery detective novels created by American author DavidàA.àAdler featuring fifthâÂÂgrader Jennifer âÂÂCamâ Jansen, a young sleuth with a photographic memory who uses mental âÂÂclickâ snapshots to solve cases with her friend Eric.
Since its initial publication in 1980, Cam Jansen and its spinoff series, Young Cam Jansen, have sold over 30 million copies worldwide and remained in print for over three decades. It is a New York Times Bestseller and has been translated into ten languages.
The character of Cam Jansen originated from AdlerâÂÂs experience as a math teacher and a realâÂÂlife classmate reputed to have a photographic memory.
Adler introduced Cam Jansen in his first title, Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, published in 1980. Aimed primarily at a middle grade audience and intended to be a gateway to mystery and detective fiction, the Cam Jansen series has grown to 56 titles, with 36 primary Cam Jansen books and 20 Young Cam Jansen earlyâÂÂreader books.
It is credited as one the earliest examples of the 'transitional chapter book' genre for young readers. As Adler has stated in interviews, âÂÂIn the 1970s, there were no transitional books â short, easy chapter books for early readers... Cam Jansen books are perfect for kids who are in between those two levels. In Cam Jansen, the writing is almost completely about the plot. That makes the story exciting without bogging the reader down.âÂÂ
Each book centers on "Cam" Jansen, a fifthâÂÂgrade girl with a knack for detective work and a photographic memory, which earned her the nickname that was short for "camera." When Cam needs to remember something important, she blinks and says âÂÂclick!â to mentally store an image. Later she recalls these visual details to unravel mysteries with the help of Eric and her other friends.
The tone is light and suitable for children and a middle grade audience. Stories are fastâÂÂpaced, dialogueâÂÂled, and often feature everyday settings such as schools, carnivals, and smallâÂÂtown events, with few layers of dark themes.
Joy Allen and Susanna Natti have been among the primary illustrators for covers and interiors.
The series has remained a bestseller for over three decades. It is widely praised for promoting logic, observation skills, and persistence in young readers. Readers often recall mimicking CamâÂÂs âÂÂclick!â gesture to remember something, a distinctive hallmark of the series.
In 2004, a stage musical adaptation of the character and stories premiered on Off-Broadway staged by TheatreworksàUSA, with music by LaurenceàOâÂÂKeefe and book/lyrics by NellàBenjamin. The story featured an original Cam Jansen mystery in which Jansen "teams up with her former rivals and her best friend to unravel the most mysterious case of all â the disappearance of the Emerald Elephant of Pajamastan."
On December 13, 2020, Cam Jansen was the answer in the New York Times Super Mega Crossword Puzzle. On March 3, 2023, Cam Jansen was the answer to a crossword puzzle in The Washington Post.
Though primarily published in English, the series has been translated into numerous languages including Japanese, Swedish, Danish, Korean, Hungarian, German, Spanish, British English (UK editions), Dutch, and Hebrew.