Product Description

A 2001 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Children's Mystery!

Suzette Choudoir has spent each of her twelve summers at La Pointe Island on Lake Superior, where Ojibwe people camp by the French fur-trade fort. It is 1732 and if her papa wins the trappers' competition, the prize will let him stay with his Ojibwe family year-round instead of wintering in far-off Montréal with the other French voyageurs. But a troublemaker sabotages the competition, and Papa. Only someone who's both Ojibwe and French can figure out what's going on -- someone like Suzette.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #908118 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 163 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-Suzanne Choudoir has lived all of her 12 years with her mother's Ojibwe people in what is now northern Wisconsin. They summer on La Pointe Island on Lake Superior in a large camp and winter on the mainland in small family groups. Suzanne's father is a voyageur, a white man hired by the French fur-trading companies to collect the furs trapped during the winter and bring them back to Montreal. This year, from the moment Suzanne's family sets out for La Pointe there is trouble, culminating in her father being accused of stealing. Only Suzanne believes in his innocence, and in a series of daring acts and deductions that seem improbable if not impossible, she clears his name, enabling him to buy out his contract and stay with his family year-round. The "Looking Back: 1732" section is filled with facts, small full-color photos, and a map. However, the mystery just isn't very interesting or suspenseful and the historical part lacks a sense of authenticity. Steer young readers to more informative books about the Colonial period and more exciting mysteries, both of which will prove ultimately more satisfying.
Carrie Schadle, Beginning with Children School, New York City
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-8. Twelve-year-old Suzette, her Ojibwe mother, and her French voyageur father live on the coast of Lake Superior near the fur trading post at Fort La Pointe. Papa has entered a fur competition and, if he wins, he will be able to spend the entire year with his family instead of wintering in Montreal with the voyageurs. Unfortunately, someone is conspiring against Papa: a bale of furs disappears from the trading post and the evidence suggests that Papa is responsible. Suzette investigates and uncovers the identity of the true thief. Ernst has created a well-plotted mystery, sprinkled judiciously with clues, and she does a commendable job of integrating setting and cultural details into the story. Less convincing is Suzette's determined, independent personality, which, although an essential part of the story, seems out of sync with the novel's early-eighteenth-century backdrop. Still, mystery fans and children who liked other books in the History Mysteries series are sure to enjoy this, and probably pick up a little history along the way. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Ernst's...addressing of cross-cultural issues within the context of a gripping story is the strength of the book." -- Multicultural Review, December, 2000

"The story moves well and reveals much about...the culture in this region." -- Children's Literature, September, 2000

Customer Reviews

Can You Solve This History Mystery?
The early summer of 1732 bring Suzette and her family to La Pointe Island on Lake Superior. The Ojibwe people camp by the French fur-trading fort on the island every summer. Suzette's mother is an Ojibwe woman. Her father is a Frenchman who works for the French fur-trading company. Ordinarily, Suzette's father would have to spend each winter in faraway Montreal, but this year there is a competition among the trappers. If Suzette's father wins, he will be able to pay off his company contract and stay with his Ojibwe family year-round. Then things get complicated. First, someone sabotages the canoe carrying Suzette and her family to the island. Her father almost losses some furs. Suzette almost drowns. Next, the competition is halted when a bale of furs is stolen from the fort. Evidence begins to point to Suzette's father as the thief. Can Suzette figure out who the real culprit is and save her father from exile? Can you figure out what's going on before Suzette?

My daughter didn't like this "History Mystery" as well as the others we have read. I think she might have been put off by the fur-trading aspect of it. The idea of men competing to see who can get the most animal skins didn't sit very well with her. On the other hand, that was a fact of life in those days. We can't ignore the past just because some aspects of it conflict with our modern sensibilities. I thought this was one of the more engaging mysteries in the series. Suzette comes across as a bit more aggressive than a girl in her circumstances might be allowed to be, but she is brave and she comes through when the chips are down. This is a good book for young readers, with all the positive aspects I've cited in my reviews of other entries in this series. I recommend it highly to kids and their parents.

A resourceful young girl fights to clear her father's name.
The year is 1732. Twelve-year-old Suzette is a part of two worlds - her father is a French fur trapper and her mother an Ojibwe Indian. Every winter her father has to leave the family's home on Lake Superior and journey to far-off Montreal. However, if he can come up with enough money to pay off his contract, he will be allowed to remain with his family year-round. To that end, he has entered himself in a fur trapping competition; whoever traps the most pelts wins. Suzette is positive her father will win. Until the competition is sabotaged and some of the pelts stolen. What's worse, Suzette's father is the chief suspect. If Suzette doesn't find proof of her father's innocence by catching the real chief, he will be banished into the wilderness, along with his family. So with the help of her friend Gabrielle, and using her knowledge of both French and Ojibwe ways, she determines to find the real culprit. I highly reccomend this excellant addition to the series.

educational
One of the educational points that I really appreciate about this novel is the attention that the author, Kathleen Ernst, pay to the technology of the time period. Canoes and decorating techniques are described, including paintings on canoes and decoration of garments. My daughter and I were intrigued by the description of how the grandmother and mother went about the task of "packing up" their house when it was time to move.
The book introduces simple French and Ojibwe vocabulary that is either basic (merci) or relevant to the subject matter (wiigwam), and a glossary with pronunciation guide is included.