Customer Reviews

The Case of the Missing Cutthroats (Ecological Mysteries)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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"!

My students monitor the river that runs through our town. We have seen the water quality improve over the years and are always looking for things we can do to help the river. This book talks about the same tests that we perform on the river. The kids really enjoy how the characters collect information to solve the mystery and how they help the local ecology.

The book Case Of the Missing Cutthroat is the worst book I have ever read. There is no point in the story. me and my friends joke about suffering from the Jean Craighead George disease. By the way don't read this book.