Cam Jansen and the Basketball Mystery

Table of Contents

 

 

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE YOUNG CAM JANSEN SERIES FOR YOUNGER READERS!

VIKING
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First published in 2009 by Viking, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

 

Text copyright © David Adler, 2009

Illustrations copyright © Penguin Young Readers Group, 2009 All rights reserved

 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Adler, David A.

Cam Jansen and the basketball mystery / by David A. Adler ; illustrated by Joy Allen. p. cm.

Summary: When a special autographed basketball is stolen, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to identify the thief.

eISBN : 978-1-101-16273-6

[1. Basketball—Fiction. 2. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Allen, Joy, ill. II. Title.

PZ7.A2615Caabd 2009 [E]—dc22 2008046694

 

 

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To my adorable grandson
Jonathan “Yoni” Alex

—D.A.

 

To Jeff and his bouncing basketball
coming home each day from the park

—J.A.

“Wow!” Mr. Shelton said. “I look so young!”

Cam, her friend Eric Shelton, and Eric’s family were on their way to Hamilton High School. They were going there to watch the last basketball game of the season. It was also the last game for Coach Oscar Jenkins. Eric’s parents were sitting on the front seat of the SUV. The children were sitting in the back.

Cam looked at Mr. Shelton. The hair around his ears was mostly gray. His face had lots of wrinkles. Cam didn’t think he looked young.

Mr. Shelton turned and said, “Look at how young I am in this picture.”

He gave Cam his high school yearbook. It was open to a picture of the basketball team.

“There’s Dad,” Eric said, and pointed.

Mr. Shelton was wearing a basketball uniform, and he did look young.

Eric said, “Look at the player next to Dad, the one at the end of the bench. That’s Danny’s father. The man standing in the tie and suit is Coach Jenkins.”

“This is a great picture,” Cam said.

“Look on the next page,” Mr. Shelton said. “There are pictures of us playing basketball.”

Cam wanted to remember the pictures. She looked at them. Then she blinked her eyes and said,
“Click!”

Cam has what people call a photographic memory. It’s as if she has pictures in her head of everything she’s seen. She always says
“Click!”
when she wants to remember something. Cam says
Click!
is the sound her mental camera makes when it takes a picture.

“Here we are,” Mrs. Shelton said.

Mrs. Shelton parked the SUV in the school lot. Cam, Eric, and Eric’s twin sisters, Donna and Diane, got out. Mr. Shelton took Eric’s brother Howie out of the baby seat. Mrs. Shelton took out a large bag filled with baby things. Mr. Shelton carried Howie and they all walked toward the school.

“Hi!” Danny called to Cam and Eric.

Danny Pace and his father were near the end of a long line of people waiting to get into the school.

“Guess what?” Danny’s father asked Mr. Shelton.

Mr. Shelton shook his head. He didn’t know what to guess.

“No, really,” Mr. Pace said. “Guess what I’m wearing.”

“I know,” Diane Shelton said. “You’re wearing a jacket and shoes and pants.”

“No. That’s not it.”

“Yes,” Diane said. “You are wearing all that!”

“Yes, but look what else I’m wearing.”

Danny’s father opened the top few buttons of his shirt. Beneath it he had on something orange. “I’m wearing the top from my old basketball uniform. It’s tight, but I can still get it on.”

“It’s real tight,” Danny whispered.

“I’m wearing it for luck,” Danny’s father said. “I want Coach Jenkins to win his last game.”

People ahead showed their tickets to the student at the door. They entered the gym. Cam and the others moved up.

Danny’s father said to Mr. Shelton, “I bet you don’t remember the number on my uniform.”

Mr. Shelton thought for a moment. Then he shook his head. He didn’t remember it.

Cam said, “I bet I know it.”