by David A. Adler

Adler was born in New York City, New York. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. 

In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Genre: YA | Children's Fiction | Mystery


Onion Sundaes #1
Illus. in black-and-white. When a crime wave hits the Super Big 'N' Super Friendly Supermarket, it's up to Herman "Houdini" Foster--magician, near-genius, ten-year-old kid--and his cousin, Janet Perry, to stop it. But can they solve the case of the shopping cart crook before their ice cream melts?

Wacky Jacks #2
Illus. in black-and-white. Super-sleuths Herman "Houdini" Foster and his cousin, Janet Perry, discover a mystery at school, and cards are not the only things to vanish. Has Houdini's skill in making things disappear transferred to the classroom pet? Instructions for the "Wacky Jacks" card trick are included.

Lucky Stars #3
There's some clever "borrowing" going on at the local library. Are things disappearing by magic, or is there pilferage in the stacks? Super-sleuths Houdini and Janet must follow the paper trail to solve the literary mystery in the latest Houdini Club Magic Mystery. Includes a brand-new magic trick!

Magic Money #4
Something strange is happening at the mall! Can Herman "Houdini" Foster--a ten-year-old magician and near-genius--and his cousin, Janet crack the case? Young mystery mavens and aspiring magicians won't be able to put down this easy-to-read, hard-to-solve whodunit! Includes step-by-step instructions for a thrilling magic trick.