• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that each new adventure adds to their reputation. When a visiting archeologist goes missing, the cousins decide to solve the mystery of his disappearance. In the midst of community conflict, family concerns, and environmental protests, the four get busy following every lead. From their base of operations in a fort made out of an old school bus, the Mighty Muskrats won’t let anything stop them from solving their case!

MICHAEL HUTCHINSON is a citizen of the Misipawistik Cree Nation in the Treaty 5 territory, north of Winnipeg. He is the author of the Mighty Muskrats Mysteries series. He has spent much of his career telling the stories of Indigenous peoples and advocating for First Nation families and communities across Canada. Currently he is the Communications Manager for the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. Michael’s greatest accomplishments are his two lovely daughters.

Michael Hutchinson's profile page

• Short-listed, Manitoba Book Awards - Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book
• Short-listed, Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award (MYRCA) Sundogs Award
• Long-listed, Native Voices in November: A Booklist for Students, Parents & Educators
• Commended, USBBY 2020 Outstanding International Books List
• Winner, Whippoorwill Award
• Commended, CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature
• Winner, Globe Books gift guide: 108 volumes for (almost) every person in your life
• Short-listed, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Commended, Toronto Star gift guide: Got a kid, a sports fan or a culture lover to buy for? Try these books
• Commended, Junior Library Guild Selection, Mystery / Adventure Selection
• The Next Chapter: 8 great book recommendations for young readers
• Joint winner, Second Story Press Indigenous Writing Contest

“In the midst of weaving a satisfying whodunit, Hutchinson also evokes Indigenous culture. The Muskrats consult different elders in the community for information and guidance; they view knowledge as a gift to be earned; and they watch their adult cousin, Denice, undergo a gruelling spiritual quest while protesting the local mining company…. The Muskrats feel like the kind of real kids that have been missing in children’s books for quite some time.”

Quill & Quire

"This first Mighty Muskrats mystery tackles themes of resource extraction, environmental protection, and indigenous rights in a Hardy Boys-style mystery, written by an author with firsthand experience in environmental protection and First Nation advocacy."

BookTrib

“The Case of Windy Lake will appeal to fans of mysteries and stories of kids who go off on adventures with no adults around. It will also introduce readers to a setting and a perspective that are still uncommon in middle grade fiction.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“In Michael Hutchinson’s clever middle grade mystery The Case of Windy Lake, four precocious children are on a quest to find a missing archaeologist…. The Case of Windy Lake is smart and thought-provoking mystery for middle grade readers.”

Foreword Reviews

“These tweens are smart, curious, and resourceful…. The kids use the internet as well as knowledge of their community and their natural surroundings to solve the mystery, and they don't get in the way of law enforcement (their uncle) or need to be rescued. There's a nice all-for-one-and-one-for-all feeling about their relationships.”

American Indians in Children’s Literature

“Move over Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, there are new youth detectives on the scene…. The Case of Windy Lake is appropriate for junior or intermediate students and compliments the literacy, social studies/history and science programs by infusing Indigenous perspectives. This story will prompt discussions and allow students to better understand their connection and responsibility to the Land.”

ETFO Voice

“An Indigenous version of the Hardy Boys full of rez humor."

Kirkus Reviews

“The tales of their adventures together provide entertaining and engaging books for readers 9-12 years old. The tone of these books is charming, light and at times, humorous, while still dealing with some serious issues.”

Anishinabek News