Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Ecological Mysteries
This mystery begins when Spinner, a New York City native who would rather pirouette than fly cast, catches the family prize––much to her boy cousins' dismay. The prize fish, a huge cutthroat trout, had been thought to be extinct in the river, and Spinner and her cousin set out to solve the mystery of how this one spectacular cuttroat survived until Spinner reeled him in. HarperCollins is pleased to republish Jean Craighead George’s fourth ecological mystery, which was first published in 1975 as Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain.
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Originally published in 1975 as Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain, this "ecomystery" investigates an endangered fish. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8?More than anything else, 13- year-old Spinner Shatter wants to catch a fish?then she will never have to fish again. Ever. Born into a highly competitive family of fishermen, she would rather be at home in New York City practicing her dance steps than at the family cabin in Jackson Hole, WY. But it is obvious that her father would rather raise a fisher than a dancer. Even his nickname for her, "Spinner," refers to a type of lure. As the story opens, Spinner, in an effort to please her father, is fishing the icy Snake River with little hope of catching anything, let alone winning back the family fishing medal. Her surprise at catching a record-breaking cutthroat trout is nothing compared to the suspenseful adventure that follows as she sets out with her cousin "Alligator" to determine how the rare, large fish came to live in a pool where, by all appearances, it never should have been. Nature's delicate balance is carefully woven into a thoroughly engrossing mystery-adventure. Both Spinner and readers are slowly drawn deeper and deeper into the unfamiliar beauty and power of the natural world. Like the tiny midges that grow up underwater, Spinner emerges with wings and with the understanding that she can be both a fisher and a dancer.?Lisa Wu Stowe, Great Neck Library, NY Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Jean Craighead George was born in a family of naturalists. Her father, mother, brothers, aunts and uncles were students of nature. On weekends they camped in the woods near their Washington, D.C. home, climbed trees to study owls, gathered edible plants and made fish hooks from twigs. Her first pet was a turkey vulture. In third grade she began writing and hasn't stopped yet. She has written over 100 books.Her book, Julie of the Wolves won the prestigious Newbery Medal, the American Library Association's award for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children, l973. My Side of the Mountain, the story of a boy and a falcon surviving on a mountain together, was a 1960 Newbery Honor Book. She has also received 20 other awards.She attended Penn State University graduating with a degree in Science and Literature. In the 1940s she was a reporter for The Washington Post and a member of the White House Press Corps. After her children were born she returned to her love of nature and brought owls, robins, mink, sea gulls, tarantulas - 173 wild animals into their home and backyard. These became characters in her books and, although always free to go, they would stay with the family until the sun changed their behavior and they migrated or went off to seek partners of their own kind.When her children, Twig, Craig and Luke, were old enough to carry their own backpacks, they all went to the animals. They climbed mountains, canoed rivers, hiked deserts. Her children learned about nature and Jean came home and to write books. Craig and Luke are now environmental scientists and Twig writes children's books, too.One summer Jean learned that the wolves were friendly, lived in a well-run society and communicated with each other in wolf talk -- sound, sight, posture, scent and coloration. Excited to learn more, she took Luke and went to the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in Barrow, Alaska, where scientists were studying this remarkable animal. She even talked to the wolves in their own language. With that Julie of the Wolves was born. A little girl walking on the vast lonesome tundra outside Barrow, and a magnificent alpha male wolf, leader of a pack in Denali National Park were the inspiration for the characters in the book. Years later, after many requests from her readers, she wrote the sequels, Julie and Julie's Wolf Pack.She is still traveling and coming home to write. In the last decade she has added two beautiful new dimensions to her words beautiful full-color picture book art by Wendell Minor and others and - music. Jean is collaborating with award-winning composer, Chris Kubie to bring the sounds of nature to her words.
This review is from: The Case of the Missing Cutthroats (Ecological Mysteries) (Paperback)
Originally titled HOOK A FISH, CATCH A MOUNTAIN, this is another Eco-Mystery from children's greatest nature writer, Jean Craighead George, author of JULIE OF THE WOLVES and MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. However, this book never quite gets to level of those classics. The story concerns Spinner, a teenager who is taken on a fishing trip against her will. After she catches a huge, nearly extinct cutthroat troat, she ends up going on a wild adventure through the woods to solve the mystery. I never could get really into the book, as Spinner is not a very likeable character for most of the story and some of it is hard to understand. But great descriptions--like an exciting lightning storm on the side of a cliff to a dangerous grizzly bear attack--come to the rescue. Any young ecologist or naturalist will want to read this story. Don't forget the other Eco-Mysteries--WHO REALLY KILLED COCK ROBIN?, about a boy who must solve the mystery of the death of his town's feathered mascot; THE MISSING 'GATOR OF GUMBO LIMBO, which concerns a girl who must track down a majestic alligator in the Florida Everglades; and THE FIRE-BUG CONNECTION. Also, Ms. George's other eighty or so novels should be more rewarding than THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTTHROATS.
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This review is from: The Case of the Missing Cutthroats (Ecological Mysteries) (Paperback)
I teach a third grade classroom and wanted to introduce mysteries to my students. I chose this book thinking it would provide an appropriate challenge for my top readers. They staged a protest after making a list of tough vocabulary. "Crepuscular" pushed them over the edge. Out of 7 very good readers, 3 wanted to keep with the story. I recommend this title to teachers above the third grade level or for gifted students. One thing that I truly liked about this story, is the 13 year old, female, main character. She is a wonderful role model for other 13 year old girls.
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5.0 out of 5 starsThis Is A Great Book!!!!!!!!, October 19, 2001
A Kid's Review
This review is from: The Case of the Missing Cutthroats (Ecological Mysteries) (Paperback)
When Spinner and her dad go fishing for the weekend her dad promises her if she caught a whopper he would throw it back,but when she catches the family prize cutthroat trout her father keeps him. These kinds of fish are very rare in that part of the river so Spinner and her brave cousin Al set off to solve "The Case of the Missing Cutthroats"!
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