The Case of the Missing Auntie

The Mighty Muskrats are on the case!

Okay, with apologies to Nancy Drew and every other school-age sleuth, we all know that in real life, kids usually don’t go around fighting crime and solving mysteries.  Even if you own a deerstalker hat or your mom’s the chief of police.

That’s why this book is so exciting – it shows young people investigating a real-world mystery in a way that’s entirely plausible given their ages and situations.  The four pre-teen protagonists – Chickadee, Samuel, Atim, and Otter – live on a contemporary Cree reserve in northern Canada.  Their mission is to discover what happened to Chickadee’s great-aunt Charlotte, who was taken away by government officials in the 1960s and sent to live with an adoptive family.   When the Muskrats take a short vacation to “The City,” they visit federal and provincial archives specializing in First Nations history where helpful staff members guide them through the research process.  Though this sounds a bit dry, the Muskrats become fully engaged as their work yields tantalizing results and they learn more about the history of their people.

Though everything doesn’t turn out postcard perfect for the kids and their families, the conclusion of the book is nevertheless heartwarming and real.  Here’s to many more adventures of the Mighty Muskrats!