The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

by David A. Adler

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; GRL L; AR pts: 1.0

Cam and Eric are sitting in the mall when an alarm goes off. Cam jumps onto a bench to get a better view and sees a man race out of the jewelry store. Cam knows that she has to act fast, especially after the police arrest the wrong person. It's up to Cam and Eric to catch the real thief.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Why is “Cam” the main character’s nickname? It’s short for Camera since she has a photographic memory p.6
2. Why didn’t Eric want to play memory games anymore? He was tired of losing to Cam p.7
3. Why do you think the alarm went off in the jewelry store? Someone might have stolen something p.8

Chapter 2

1. Who came out of the store after the man ran out of it? A couple with a baby and two elderly women p.11
2. How did Eric get his baby brother to stop crying when the alarm was going off? He fed him a bottle p.14
3. How did the policemen know what the man looked like and which direction he went? He asked the people outside of the store who saw him p.15

Chapter 3

1. Who told Cam and Eric about what happened in the jewelry store? The two elderly women who came out of the store p.20
2. Who was yelling as Cam and Eric were talking to the elderly women? the police had caught the man and he was yelling, “I didn’t do it! You’ve got the wrong man!” p.23
3. What did the elderly women say about the man the police had caught? They said he didn’t do it p.24

Chapter 4

1. What did Cam think was strange about the couple who left the store with the baby? They didn’t have a baby bag or anything, just a baby in a blanket and a rattle p.28
2. What direction did the man go when the police let him go? The same way the couple went when they left the store p.30

Chapter 5

1. What did Cam and Eric do, when following the man, as he stopped and looked at them? kept walking right passed him p.33
2. How did Eric keep Howie quiet while they were spying through the window at the man and couple? Rocked the carriage p.36
3. What made Howie cry after Eric left to go get the police? an acorn that dropped out of a tree after a squirrel ran along a branch p.40

Chapter 6

1. What was inside the baby rattle? 81 diamonds p.44
2. How did Cam trick the thieves while they were counting the diamonds? She slammed the door to the room and jumped behind a bookcase in the room they were in p.46
3. Why was Cam worried about Howie crying? Someone would find them p.49

Chapter 7

1. Who did Cam see in the window? A policeman p.51
2. How did Cam and Howie get out of the house and away from the thieves? Cam ran to the open window and handed Howie to Eric, then climbed out herself p.52
3. How did the police capture the thieves? A policeman called to them with a megaphone and the thieves came out with their hands up p.54

Chapter 8

1. How did Eric’s mom feel when they weren’t in the mall with Howie when she was done shopping? Worried sick p.56
2. Why did the elderly woman think the couple with the baby should know the thieves were captured? She was worried about them and didn’t know that the man and woman were the actual thieves p.56