Case of the Missing Cutthroats: An Ecological Mystery by Jean Craighead George, Suzanne Duranceau (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

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.

Publishers Weekly

Originally published in 1975 as Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain, this "ecomystery" investigates an endangered fish. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Ballet dancers with long black hair shouldn't be forced to go fishing, not even if three generations of fisherman are counting on them to snag the annual trophy and recapture the family's honor. Having no choice in the matter, Spinner resentfully flicks out her fly and is nearly dragged into the killer swirls of the Snake River by a monster fish that shouldn't be there--a huge species thought to be extinct! When her father, who always throws back his own fish after measuring and admiring them, reneges on his promise and gleefully opts to stuff and mount Spinner's prize catch, she decides to team up with her obnoxious cousin Alligator, who just might be able to solve the mystery of how the fish got there in the first place. Braving mountain passes, lightning storms, coyotes and grizzlies, she's rewarded by finding a way to restock the pond and produce new life to replace the death her lucky catch had caused. Spinner's growth from a New York City dancer to an ecological whistleblower who turns in the lumber company illegally felling the mountain timber is an exciting one. 1999 (orig.

Children's Literature

inevitably depends upon and learns from the other. This engrossing book offers its readers the opportunity to learn about a part of the world which many of them will never see or touch but which they may be inspired to preserve. It is an excellent read and would be a wonderful discussion piece for combined reading, writing, math and science lessons. "An Eco Mystery" series title. 1999 (orig.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8More than anything else, 13- year-old Spinner Shatter wants to catch a fishthen 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

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