CAM JANSEN AND THE MYSTERY OF THE BABE RUTH BASEBALL

Cam Jansen of the photographic memory clicks her way through another brisk little mystery, her sixth, when an old man's Babe Ruth-autographed baseball is stolen from the community center hobby show. With ever-present sidekick Eric, Cam spots a teenage boy fleeing the exhibit hall, persists on his trail despite some false clues (readers may catch on to the culprit's ploy before Cam and Eric do), and finally retrieves the ball with the help of the local police. The story ends back at the hobby show, with a command demonstration of Cain's amazing memory; this performance, plus an earlier demonstration and some conversation en route, give Adler a chance to punctuate the action with a small trove of collectors' baseball facts. Once again, some heads-up play from a nifty hitter.