Cam Jansen and the Sports Day Mysteries (6 page)

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Authors: David A. Adler

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The man turned. He turned again and faced Mr. Day. This time he nodded. Then he reached back and held up a soccer ball.

“Yeah!” Eric said. “Cam solved another mystery.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Day and Ms. Benson said to Cam.

“I’ll wait here,” Ms. Benson said. “I’ll get the ball when he brings in the boat.”

“Let’s go,” Mr. Day said. “Let’s finish the game.”

Ms. Benson waited by the edge of the lake. Everyone else returned to the soccer field. Now that she had solved the mystery, Cam was able to pay attention to the game. She even kicked the ball, but she didn’t score a goal. Still, Ms. Benson’s team won the game 2-1.

Cam Jansen

The Baseball Glove Mystery

CHAPTER ONE

“What did you bring for lunch?” Eric asked Cam.

Cam unwrapped her sandwich.

“Cream cheese.”

“Yuck!” Danny said. “That’s so dry.”

“Well, I like it,” Cam told him.

“It has lots of calcium,” Mr. Pace said. “It’s good for Cam’s bones.”

Cam, Eric, Danny, and Danny’s father were sitting at a picnic table in Franklin Park. Beth, Hector, and others from Ms. Benson’s class were sitting with them. After lunch, their principal, Dr. Prell, would speak to the fifth graders about eating good food and getting lots of exercise. Then they would play baseball.

“Hey, cream cheese is dry and here’s a dry joke,” Danny said. “I say ‘Knock knock’ and you say ‘Who’s there?’ Okay?”

Eric nodded.

“Knock knock,” Danny started.

“Who’s there?” Eric asked.

“Orange,” Danny answered.

“Orange who?” Hector asked.

“Orange you glad I’m telling jokes?” Danny answered.

“I’m only glad,” Beth told him, “if the jokes are funny.”

“Okay, Beth. Here’s a funny orange joke. Why did the orange lose the race?”

Beth shook her head. She didn’t know.

“It ran out of juice,” Danny said. “That’s why it lost.”

Beth smiled.

“Okay,” she said. “That was funny.”

“All this juice talk has made me thirsty,” Cam said.

Hector told Cam, “Ms. Benson said she has drinks for us. She’s at the table with Mr. Dane, Mr. Day, Dr. Prell, and Mrs. Wayne.”

“It won’t be soda. That’s for sure,” Danny said. “I’ll bet it’s some drink with vitamins and healthy stuff.”

“My dad calls soda ‘sugar water with bubbles, ’” Hector said. “He won’t let me drink it.”

Cam and Eric went to Ms. Benson’s table.

“What would you like to drink?” Ms. Benson asked. “You can have orange juice, milk, or water.”

Cam chose water. Eric took orange juice.

Dr. Prell told Cam to take something from a large tray of sliced fruits and vegetables. Cam took a carrot stick. Eric took apple and orange slices.

Mrs. Wayne held an open bakery bag in front of Cam. “Take a muffin. Cam Jansen caught a thief at Zelda’s Bakery and Zelda gave us lots of muffins as a reward.”

Cam reached into the bag. She took an oat bran muffin.

“Oh, my,” Mrs. Wayne said. “It’s you. You’re Cam Jansen! You’re the
clicking
girl!”

“Click!”
Cam said, and smiled.

Eric took a corn muffin.

“Muffins are no fun,” Danny said when Cam and Eric returned to their table. “But memory quizzes are. Cam, click and close your eyes. I’ll quiz you.”

Cam looked at the people at her table. She blinked her eyes and said,
“Click!”
She looked at the people at the other tables, and on the benches. She looked at the signs by the tables, too. Cam closed her eyes and said,
“Click!”

“Yesterday,” Danny asked, “what did I wear to school?”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Eric said.

Cam laughed. “I remember. You wore a T-shirt that said, ‘My Sister Did It!’”

“That’s real funny,” Danny said, “because I don’t have a sister.”

No one laughed.

“Okay,” Danny said. “What color is Beth’s shirt?”

“Green,” Cam told him. “Her shorts are blue and her sneakers are white.”

“Yes,” Beth said. “These sneakers are new.”

“Hmm,” Danny said. He looked around and asked, “There’s a teenager at one of the benches eating a large candy bar. What color is his shirt?”

“Purple,” Cam said with her eyes still closed. “He’s also wearing beads and yellow pants.”

“That’s right,” Danny said. “There’s a girl sitting with him. What about her hair?”

“It’s black, green, and purple,” Cam answered.

“That’s right,” Eric said. “Cam is always right.”

Trill! Trill!

Mr. Day blew his whistle. He held up his hands, and the fifth graders stopped talking. Cam opened her eyes.

Dr. Prell stood next to Mr. Day. She took a sheet of paper from her pocket. She was about to start her talk.

CHAPTER TWO

Dr. Prell smiled. “I’m so happy to see all of you here,” she said. “Getting exercise is important, and playing sports is a fun way to do it. It’s also important to eat the right food. You should eat plenty of protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.”

Danny put on his baseball glove.

“You should drink plenty of milk, juice, and water,” Dr. Prell said.

Danny punched the pocket of his glove and whispered, “We know all this stuff.”

“Sh,” his father whispered. “Listen to the principal.”

“Soon you’ll play a game of baseball,” Dr. Prell said. “One team will win. The other team will come in second. Neither team will lose, because by playing you’ll be exercising, and that’s good for you. And there will be a surprise for you when you’re done.” Dr. Prell held up two envelopes. “After the game each of you will get a special treat.”

The principal gave one envelope to Ms. Benson and the other to Mr. Dane. “This will pay for the treats,” she told the two teachers.

Children cheered.

Ms. Benson put the envelope in her purse. Mr. Dane tried to put his in his pocket, but it was too big.

“Can you hold mine?” he asked Ms. Benson.

Ms. Benson put Mr. Dane’s envelope in her purse.

“Did you see those envelopes?” Hector whispered. “They’re stuffed.”

“They’re filled with money,” Eric said. “There are lots of kids, so that’s lots of treats and lots of money.”

“Have fun!” Dr. Prell said.

“We’ll have fun,” Danny said, and punched his glove again. “And we’ll win!”

“Muffins!” Mrs. Wayne called out as she went from table to table. She held out a bakery bag and asked, “Who wants muffins?”

Danny reached into the bag. He took out a muffin.

“Hey,” Danny said. “What flavor is this?”

Beth laughed. “It’s just like you,” she said. “It’s corny.”

Trill!

Mr. Day blew his whistle. He held up his hands and everyone was quiet.

“Eat slowly,” he said. “And when you’re finished, sit by your tables and rest. At one o’clock we’ll play baseball.”

“Did you bring a glove?” Danny asked Cam and Eric.

Cam shook her head. “We’re not all playing the field at the same time. I’ll borrow one from someone. ”

“Me, too,” Eric said.

Danny punched the pocket of his glove. “You won’t get a glove like this,” he said. “It’s my vacuum cleaner. It sweeps the field and catches everything.”

Cam and the others finished eating. Danny told jokes while they rested and waited to play baseball. Then Mr. Day blew his whistle. It was time to start the game.

CHAPTER THREE

Everyone went to the baseball field.

“Part of each class will play the first few innings,” Mr. Day said. “The others will play after that. Ms. Benson’s class is on the field first.”

Danny punched his glove and said, “I’ll play shortstop. My vacuum cleaner will get everything.”

Ms. Benson told Eric to play third base. She told Cam, Beth, and Hector to play the outfield.

Trill!

“Play ball!” Mr. Day called out.