The Case of the Missing Auntie

Mighty Muskrats #2

by Michael Hutchinson

The Mighty Muskrats are off to the city to have fun at the Exhibition Fair. But when Chickadee asks Grandpa what he would like them to bring back from the city, she learns about Grandpa's missing little sister. She was, they learn, "scooped" years ago--like many Indigenous children, the government had arranged for her adoption by strangers without her parents' permission. Now, the Mighty Muskrats have a new case to solve: to find the whereabouts of their grandpa's long-lost sister. Once in the bright lights of the big city, the cousins get distracted, face off with bullies, meet some heroes and unlikely teachers, and experience many of the difficulties First Nations kids can face in the city. Their search for their missing auntie takes them all the way to the government and reveals hard truths about their country's treatment of First Nations kids and families.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Indigenous, Canada, Family, Fiction, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2020

About the author

Michael Hutchinson is a citizen of the Misipawistik Cree Nation. As a teen, he pulled nets on Lake Winnipeg, fought forest fires in the Canadian Shield, and worked at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Station’s Underground Research Lab. Since then, he has worked as the Director of Communications for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, a project manager for the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba, where he helped create the “We are all treaty people” campaign, and as a communications officer for the Assembly of First Nations. Over seven years ago, he jumped at the chance to make mini-documentaries for the first season of APTN Investigates. Michael then became host of APTN National News and produced APTN’s sit-down interview show, Face to Face, and APTN’s version of Politically Incorrect, The Laughing Drum. Michael was recently in charge of communications for the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an advocacy organization for First Nations in northern Manitoba. He currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario where he works in communications for the Assembly of First Nations, which advocates for First Nation families and communities across Canada. His greatest accomplishments are his two lovely daughters.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment was particularly poignant, considering the recently revealed, and sadly unsurprising, news of 215 aboriginal children’s remains found at a former residential school in Kamloops. This is just a small percentage of the total number of missing children who were forcibly sent to these “schools”, where they were tortured daily through insults, beatings and sexual assaults in an effort to eradicate the culture and support systems of aboriginal children.

Michael Hutchinson deals with this dreadful part of aboriginal and Canadian history in this book: the Muskrats’ are headed to the city for the annual Exhibition, and their grandfather gives them a task to find out what might have happened to his younger sister Charlotte.
Authorities had taken both him and Charlotte away from their family and sent them to a residential school, where the siblings were split up and he lost track of her. The Muskrats' grandfather thinks that the city might have records that explain what happened to her.
The kids find out that the city has attractions and problems, and discover that indigenous in the city have different experiences completely foreign to them, and the boys get a rude surprise from one of their former Windy Lake friends. Consequently, Chickadee actually ends up doing much of the work to find Charlotte.
By the time this book closes I was finding myself in tears. I love the way the author tackles really heavy difficult subjects in a way that makes it easier for kids to understand.

[Bibliomaniaque · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

C'est une histoire intrigante du début à la fin, qui permet aux jeunes lecteurices de découvrir l'histoire des pensionnats sans trop de détails, en plus de découvrir la façon de penser des Autochtones. J'ai beaucoup aimé! Mon petit bémol se situe surtout sur le nombre d'éléments. C'est une histoire qui présente beaucoup de petites péripéties qui nous éloignent de la quête originale.

[T.B. Caine · Rating 5 out of 5]

OOps forgot to say I got this as an ARC from Netgalley!

This book got me out of a reading slump and that is all I can ask for in a book.
5/5 stars is an easy rating to give this book because it deserves every star. I usually have to buffer my criticism of MG works, but for this one it was so good I don't have to do that at all.

Indigenous Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew is basically what I would pitch this as, and it does a great job doing exactly that and more. I didn't read the first book in the series (but I am definitely going to be getting it in the future), and I felt like this book is easy to jump into without having read the first one. There are references to the first book, but more so in the form of callbacks than like important plot information.

Basically the Muskrats are in the big city with the mission to go to the Ex... and find their grandpa's sister who went missing during the Sixties Scoop (when Canada was basically sending off First Nations kids to any white family that wanted to them, by stealing them from their real parents/family). It does a good job breaking down what residential schools were, and the Sixties Scoop is in a language that is easy to understand. This would be a great book to act as like an introduction to what both of those are. It covers them without going into the worst aspects off it or the nitty gritty, while still being realistic to what happened and being respectful about the situation (you know, not glossing over it or making it seem happier than it actually was).

I liked all the Muskrats so much, though I am biased to Chickadee. I felt that there was a decent cast to this group of characters and we learned a lot about how indigenous people ARE in big cities and present, and how that affects them. As well as seeing a lot about what the Truth & Reconciliation projects can do, when it works.

It also does a good job of having the Muskrats being really representative of First Nations kids, they aren't extremely wealthy but also aren't in the depths of poverty. Straight down the middle hitting right between both, which is a good way to be so it can resonate with more kids looking to find themselves in literature. The Muskrats are a great depiction of modern kids as they might not be extremely well off, but they still know what technology is and how it functions.

The only warning I would give is that there is a bullying scene, but it is very minor and doesn't get too intense.

Would highly recommend to anyone who is looking to diverse-ify their library or their own bookshelves, as it is still entertaining even to a grown adult.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I love that this mystery series exists at all. Kids from a First Nation reserve solving mysteries. Perfect. Tackling important issues while doing so? Even better.

I loved the first book in the series, where the kids seemed quite natural, and the mystery unfolded as it should.

This second book, however, felt a little stiff. The mystery of the missing auntie kept getting shoved back, to address other issues, such as how hard it is to be true to yourself in the city, vs the reserve. I was also a bit surprised that the kids didn't know quite as much about residency school, and were shocked at what they learned. But, perhaps this was done more for the audience to teach them about the horrors.

I did like that the bureaucracy was not filled with horrible people, at least not all of them were horrible.

I did like the part about riding the bus during rush hour. As a short person, it is hard to get around in an over crowded bus, and I too would probably have exited too soon, simply because I couldn't see out the windows.

I still love the concept of the series, and will continue to read them, as long as Michael writes them.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Anita Ojeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mighty Muskrats head to the city to spend a week with their Aunt and cousins. Otter and Chickadee have never visited a city before. Their cousins Samuel and Atim have spent time there, and everyone looks to Samuel, the eldest, to look after the others as they visit the Exhibition Fair and explore the big city.

Each has a mission in mind as they near their destination—Sam and Atim can’t wait to see the Ex, Otter wants to get a ticket to Wavoka’s Wail, and Chickadee wants to help their grandpa find his missing sister. When Chickadee shares her mission with the boys, they agree that all of them should use their talents to help their Elder—but after they first help Otter get tickets to see his dream band and favorite artist, Lolly Leach.

As the four cousins settle in to explore and carry out their missions, they discover treachery, disappointment, and new ways of thinking about the world. They also uncover clues to their missing great aunt.

Why You’ll Love This Book

If you loved the Boxcar Children books, you’ll love this series about the Mighty Muskrats, four self-reliant cousins from the Windy Lake First Nation’s preserve in Canada. In the first book, they helped find a lost archeologist by putting their knowledge of tracking and human nature to work.

The second book sets them in the urban wilderness, where danger lurks around every corner. Along the way, they learn more about the residential school system that separated hundreds of thousands of First Native children from their families. The author shows readers how the harmful system hurt everyone.

While dealing with sensitive topics, Hutchinson uses sensitive strokes to explain that Canadians (and all of us) can do better in our attempts to reconcile the past with the present. Like the Mighty Muskrats, I too, have visited a truth and reconciliation museum—the stories I experienced there caused me to weep, while at the same time spark hope within me that we can learn from our past mistakes and create a better future.

Parents, teachers, librarians, and history professors need to read these books and share them liberally with the young people in their lives. We all need to remember Grandpa’s words, “‘It’s good to build a better life for your children. But you must always respect others’ rights to build a better life for their children. To do that they must have their own languages, laws, and lands.’”

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this and at first was a little disappointed. There were a lot of characters that I am not sure are necessary to introduce, and it was confusing to keep track of which of these are main characters, and how much of the details are relevant to recall about each person. I think there are 4 mighty muskrats, and cousins, and aunties and former friends and older cousins.... It was a bit much. I also thought there was a lot laid out in terms of side stories and plots: they need to go to The Ex, see a concert and find their lost great aunt... Kinda a tall order, and the other two are pretty superficial when trying to track down the whereabouts of your stolen aunt. It annoyed me that the boys would be so apprehensive to doing this, or even, why Chickadee needed her siblings to even be involved?

But as the story progressed, the focus of the children shifts, and the story in itself is very realistic. There are thousands of families just like this in Canada, and the annoying hurdles they have to jump through to get answers is ridiculous. I think this novel would give hope to other children from families with a similar story to tell, and I think it is very realistic that these "lost kids" will be the ones to reconnect their families and find these missing pieces.

The least believable part of this was that they planned to spend 10 bucks at The Ex! Bah! It's like 40 or 50 just for a wrist band! I wish that this book had just fully committed to being set in Winnipeg (which it so obviously is) I would rather a straight homage to this city, good bad and ugly parts of it exposed. Not sure if that's an artistic choice, or if there are a bunch legalities on using store and event and place names in a fictional book, but I would have preferred to have fully included the city into this, rather than leaving it oddly vague (especially for readers that don't have Winnipeg as a point of reference)

The ending was heart warming, and I appreciate the representation of the characters, and their contrasting images of city and Rez life. Hopefully the grandfather will get 5G wifi soon!

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a series of mysteries about a group of Indigenous youth who solve mysteries. I have to confess that I missed the first one, but saw the second and wanted to read a MG by a Canadian Indigenous author.

The case that the group, named The Mighty Muskrats, was trying to solve centered around finding their Grandpa's sister who was "scooped" by the government when they were young. Finding themselves in the city, they feel it is a great opportunity to help their Grandpa get re-united, but they also have goals of seeing a concert and attending the Exhibition. These goals distract them from their case for a while, and this is part of them discovering the difficulty of being in a city.

The difficulties of city life, and how it changes some people turned out to be one of the most important parts of this book that some readers (especially those with rural backgrounds) will relate to. Residential schools, and the scoop are also very important topics that are dealt with in a way that young readers will learn lots. The characters are typically positive role models, but there are also some that are quite the opposite and the details in the development of characters is good although, I think I would have been better served to have read the first book in this instance.

This is a book that provides Indigenous main characters and covers important topics for all Canadian youth to read such as the Scoop, and Residential schools, and does so in a positive way and in a size that most readers in intermediate grades can handle. I would love to be able to add this to my library soon.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot more serious than the first book in the series. The Muskrats travel to the city where they are immediately struck by the amount of homelessness and despair around then. They meet an old friend from Windy Lake who has fallen in with a bad crowd and in talking with him you realize who difficult it is for him in the city. The city is grimy and unsafe and not at all like home where there is a lot of poverty but everyone is trying to help each other.

The topic of the Sixties Scoop and residential schools is in the forefront here. So there’s a lot of very serious topics covered in this middle grade novel. I believe that all of these topics are important but as an elementary school librarian, I’m not sure I will be able to convince a lot of students to give this book a try. With the Case of Windy Lake there was a seriousness but also it was less heavy. It addressed the importance of water rights and mining access to natural resources on Indigenous reserves while also being a little more easy to read - had a bit more of a flow to the writing style.

These topics are important. Kids need to understand them. But I’m wondering if this is a case of too many heavy-hitting topics in one small book. There was not a lot of breaks to take a breath and recoup.

I love that this series with contemporary Indigenous kids exists and I’m hoping that the next one is return to the tone of the first where it addresses important topics but also gives the reader a bit of a break to enjoy the Muskrats for the kids they are because once you lose the interest of a grade 4-7 it’s almost impossible to convince them to give it another try.

[Jennybeast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really impressed with this book -- there aren't many books for kids that tackle the topic of indigenous adoption, and this does it very well. I also appreciate that the mighty muskrat books do a good job of portraying what it is like to be a young person who's parents aren't available for constant supervision. I can't remember the last time I read a book for this age group in which a group of older elementary kids were left on their own to explore a city. It's clear that the family members they are staying with are loving and attentive and are paying attention to the their comings and goings, but it reflects a level of independence and responsibility that many wealthier kids don't experience until they are older. There are some really scary moments that happen because of this situation, but just like I remember from being a kid in the 80s, there's a lot more expectation that you take care of yourself.

I also liked the storyline -- I liked that they managed to navigate several research and governmental systems in order to find their missing auntie. I was frustrated with the withholding behavior of one of the characters, and deeply moved by the eventual virtual meetup of the grandfather with his sister's adoptive family. This is not an easy story to read, but it is a very important one.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome Mighty Muskrats Mystery! I’m really enjoying these so far and am looking forward to more of them coming out, and gaining more recognition for the tough issues it discusses in age-appropriate language and through storytelling.

While the last book focused more on the environment, this one’s focus was on the Sixties Scoop and residential schools. The Mighty Muskrats attempt to find their grandfather’s long lost sister whom he lost after they attended residential school as children. The children take a trip to the big city where they learn the struggles of living in the city such as poverty and violence, and they learn how government systems use red tape and ambiguous procedures to make it difficult for First Nations and Indigenous people to find their lost relatives in the adoption system.

Another recommended read to use in classrooms to learn about these topics but also to bring humanity to these historical events in Canada’s history.

[Marilyn Skowron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding the Lost

Arriving in the city, the Mighty Muskrats encounter many pitfalls. They are conned by a former friend, have their money stolen, and encounter racial prejudice. Thanks to their cousin Harold, there are some good points. While helping Harold set up a street fair, the Muskrats meet Otter's musical idol, who was giving back to the community by cooking hot dogs an giving a brief concert. Harold also helps Chickadee in her quest to find her missing great-aunt who was "scooped up" during the early 1950s or 60s. Chickadee learns about the now condemned practice of the Canadian government taking indigenous children and placing them in residential schools and keeping them away from their parents and culture. It takes a lot of effort on Chickadee and her fellow Muskrats' part to finally inform her Grandfather about her Great Aunt Charlotte's fate. The resolution is bittersweet.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in this series takes the Mighty Muskrats, a team of young indigenous sleuths, into the city. They are staying with their Auntie and cousins and among other things, plan to go to the Exhibition. Otter wants to see his favourite band play and Chickadee wants to track down their grandfather's missing little sister, Charlotte, who disappeared years ago.

The Muskrats discover that the city is very different from the reserve for all kinds of reasons. Racism and different kinds of danger stalk them in the city. A friend who now lives in this urban forest betrays them and they are forced to change their plans.

I especially appreciated Chickadee's persistence and research skills. She just doesn't give up when it comes to helping out her Grandpa. In the process of her research the students end up in a center for reconciliation. Readers will learn a lot about residential schools and The Scoops: when governments stole indigenous children from their parents and arranged to have them adopted in white families.

[Jo Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have not read this mystery series, you are in for a treat! I read the first book last year and loved it and Book #2 is just as good. 4 cousins, who are members of a First Nations tribe north of Winnipeg, Canada, have named themselves the Mighty Muskrats and have made it their mission to solve mysteries. This series educates the reader about Canada’s shameful treatment of First Nations children in residential schools in the early and mid 20th century, as well as lingering racism towards their people. But it also highlights their culture, their deep value for respect and kindness. But there is a mystery to be solved here too. Their Grandfather, the family's leader, wants to find out about his sister Charlotte, who was in the residential school Chokecherry Plain with him, but later disappeared. The Mighty Muskrats now have a new mission—find Auntie Charlotte!

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the importance of the issue that this book deals with. I had no idea the scoops happened. I also appreciate the fairly realistic ending. However, the quality of writing is far below other books I have been reading with my daughter. People are always slapping each other's backs and punching each other's arms, and it seemed unrealistic and repetitive. It also seemed a little preachy at times. The very plot of the story let us know that what happened was awful. We didn't need the many monologues where characters went on about how bad what happened was. The epilogue in particular seemed unnecessary and preachy. A very important topic. I just wish it had been written better and that the author had trusted the readers to get the point without repeatedly stating it explicitly.

[Stephanie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mighty Muskrats are headed to the city where they are sure to learn a lot of lessons and try to find a missing auntie.

The second instalment in this series was different and less light-hearted than the first, but it was beautifully poignant. It wrote about really tough topics in an accessible way and is a great way for kids to learn about Canada’s relationship with our indigenous people, as well as dynamics between groups, and most importantly: the long road to truth and reconciliation.

This is a book I will strongly consider reading with my grade 5-6s in the library this year to engage them in modern issues facing Canadians as well as history.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, fast-paced middle-grade story. I liked the way the concert and Ex subplots worked out, and I found the bit about the city kids Brett was mixed up with sadly realistic.

The crux of the story was Chickadee's and the other kids' search for what happened to their Auntie Charlotte, who was taken during the Sixties Scoop. That part of the story was super informative and educational, and the way it turned out was super heartwarming and (bitter)sweet.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read-alike to "The Boxcar Children" series, but talks about and demonstrates the joys and perils of being "First Nations" (the Canadian term for "American Indians") and past injustices. I would have loved this as a kid when I was a fan of Nancy Drew, but as an adult I found that it dragged a bit. #ownvoices

[Cayleigh Sorella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for School. Child's Lit [6/6]

This was good. It took me a hot second to gain momentum, but once in, I couldn't stop reading. That also may have been due to the fear of the Wi-Fi cutting at work. Anyways, I liked the modern setting and nameless city, and the different perspective on living in a city. This was different pro-Indigenous story than I'm used to.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and engrossing read that I loved.
A good style of writing, an excellent cast of characters and a well crafted plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book was a nice introduction to the kids, their Elders, and their Rez.
This mystery takes them into the city and dives into a more emotional family mystery involving residential schools. I really liked this one and had me tearing up at the end. Can't wait for book #3!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC!! The material that this book covered in a children's mystery novel was so deep and necessary. I love this series and am unbelievably happy it has been written. It had me in tears at the end, which is hard to do for a book in this genre, but this one had all the right stuff.

[Russell Moroye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery novel that tackles finding a missing relative that was taken by the government when the protagonists were young. Their search leads them to the big city that can be used to teach cultural differences and some of what indigenous people had to go through.

[Bri Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars rounded up*

Very well-written and important book that tackles the legacy of Residential Schools/stealing of First Nations children. Lots of tension and familial tenderness and Elder wisdom. I want to read the others in the series!

[Cait Hutsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fast book. I learned a lot and now I really want to read the first book. Thankful for this #ownvoices text!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended for middle grade readers, doesn't shy away from the hard truths of residential schools, racism and intergenerational trauma.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this books. A great choice for lit circles but would require some pre-teaching about the important indigenous concerns in this book

[Lo Wayward Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why doesn't this series have more love and attention?? It's seriously so good.

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment had its light fun moments, but definitely hit harder as it dealt in part with the repercussions of the Sixties Scoop and how that affected their family.

[Amanda Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving these books. Not only interesting mystery’s but I find myself learning so much and walking away with new perspectives.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A trip to the city leads to a new mystery for the Mighty Muskrats!

Before leaving Windy Lakes for a week in the city, Chickadee asks the cousins' grandfather what he might like them to bring back from the trip. The answer is shocking: Grandpa would like to find his little sister. Charlotte was lost in the Sixties Scoop--when many Indigenous children were stolen from their families and reservations, taken to residential schools or adopted to white families as a form of forced assimilation. Chickadee and the other Muskrats don't know where to begin their search in the big, intimidating city. And when an old friend enters the picture, things become even more complicated. Is this case too big for the Muskrats?

Move over Boxcar Children and all other adolescent detectives, the Mighty Muskrats are making their mark on the genre and the world. Hutchinson doesn't flinch from addressing hard topics--the aforementioned Sixties Scoop, the deplorable treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools, poverty, racism, and more--and presents the information in a way for kids (and adults!) to comprehend easily, despite how large and heavy those topics may be. Chickadee, Atim, Otter and Samuel work together to find their missing auntie, echoing the real-world struggle of First Nations Canadians in finding their own lost family and--by proxy--lost culture and heritage.

Very interested to see what mysteries continue to await the Mighty Muskrats and what adventures they'll have in Windy Lakes and beyond!