Trouble at Fort La Pointe (American Girl History Mysteries)
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 CityCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.