Mystery of Meerkat Hill (Precious Ramotswe Mysteries for Young Readers)

In this second children's book about the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" protagonist, Alexander McCall Smith once again gives us so much to think about and so much to talk to our children and grandchildren about. The book starts out giving a little bit of background about Precious Ramotswe and her famous and respected father Obed. Obed was a great and respected man in Botswana and as we are told in some of the adult books in Smiths's Series, Obed was one of those instrumental in bringing Democracy to Botswana, an African country about the size of the State of Texas. Like Texas, Botswana is a hot place, located just north of the country of South Africa. Yet, it is a fascinating country and one of the very few African countries to have a successful Democratic form of Government. The book goes on to talk about being a "non-judgemental" human being. One should not judge harshly based on physical appearances, social status and clothing. Rather, people should look at the heart and soul of a person to determine whether they are the type of person that one would wish to have as a friend. Then and only then, should one make that decision and not depend on the actions of others who do not have complete knowledge of new or different people. In this book, two new students come to Precious' school. No one talks to them, as they are new and they also seem to be poor, not having fancy shoes or clothing. But Precious is not concerned with outward appearances and soon she makes friends with these two new students to find that they are wonderful people, regardless of their socio-economic status. After Precious establishes this friendship, her new friends invite her over to their house. it is very small indeed, and not fancy or pretentious. But again, the outward appearance of their life style is not a reason for Precious to feel that these new people should not be her friends. In every way, Precious is able to sympathize with them. And then, her new friends show her a surprise. It turns out that they have a pet "Meerkat." While that is a term we are not too familiar with in the USA & UK, it turns out that it is describes something with which we are familiar. A "Meerkat" turns out to be a Mongoose. Like everywhere else in the world, Mongooses are pretty much friendly animals that for the most part keep to themselves. They are famous for having the ability to fight with poisonous and dangerous snakes. And this Meerkat is no exception. In fact, at one point, the Meerkat saved Precious new friend's grandfather's life when a poisonous snake had coiled itself around the old man's feet. Yet, the Meerkat, recognizing the danger to its new friends manages to run the snake off without anyone or any animal getting hurt in the process. As the story progresses, Kosi the Meerkat becomes known to all at Precious' school. And many amusing and interesting incidents are attributed to the Mongoose. Yet the book goes on to once again, put Precious in the midst of a great mystery. Her knew friends family owned a cow. And this cow was pregnant, which was very fortunate. For in Botswana, cattle are as precious as money itself. And a pregnant cow is just the same as money in the bank. As when it gives birth, the family will have another calf which will become a steer or a cow, capable of producing food and income to the family. In this case, one day, the cow disappears. This loss of their cow is the most tremendous of misfortunes for her new friends. But Precious pitches in, with her usual alacrity and brilliance. She thinks and thinks, and finally she begins to formulate a plan for solving the mystery of the missing cow. Thus, the rest of the story unfolds with Precious' plan to find the cow. And of course, like almost all of Precious' case, not only as a child, but also as the proprietor and owner of the "Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency" she is able to solve the mystery for her new friends and their family. Her methods are unique and ingenious. And of course, they bring positive results. As a giant bonus, when the cow gives birth, it not only has a healthy calf, but in fact, gives birth to twins. Thus, this was a precious cow indeed that Precious found for her new friends. For from 1 cow, there came to be 3. And in Botswana, that is the most wonderful method to increase a families social standing. As is virtually always the case with Alexander McCall Smith's books, this book is a joy to behold. Every person should consider purchasing this book and reading it to their children and grandchildren if they are too young to read. If they are old enough to read, they should discuss the book with them and talk about how Precious looked NOT at how these new people appeared, but in how they acted and what they stood for to figure out if they should be her friends or not. Of course, they did become her friend and all of them got great rewards from this friendship. This book is recommended most highly for readers of every age. No person is too young for this book and no person is too old. If a child cannot read it to themselves, then it is a great opportunity to spend time with ones children or grandchildren. And in so doing, to explain those important moral and ethical values that Smith gives to Precious Ramotswe in all his stories. For being a good human being is the tantamount achievement of any person. Not how much money a person has or what kind of car or what kind of clothes or what kind of jewelry. It is the values that we carry inside us and how we use them to guide us through life that is truly important. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Everyone should take the opportunity that Smith has given us to come closer to our families and in so doing, to teach them the most important lessons of life. That the kind of person we are, and the values that we live by are what makes us good people and NOT how big our bank accounts are or how much our job pays. Do buy this book. And if you cannot afford to buy it, get it from the Free Public Library. Because it is too important an opportunity for us to miss out on enjoying, exploring and sharing. Happy Reading to ALL!

This book tells an interesting story, one that will intrigue any young reader. As if that weren't enough, at the end of the book there are questions for discussion and lessons on geography and on the customs of Botswana. A teacher could glean weeks of subject matter to use in classroom projects and discussions. I cannot wait for Alexander McCall Smith's next novel for the young readers. I love sharing them with my grandchildren!

Anything written by Andrew McCall Smith about Precious Ramotswe's life in her Botswana is so soothing, wise, and gentle that this book is not just for kids. When my daughter was in middle school, I learned the secret that truly good kid's literature is truly good literature, period. This is no exception. Featuring Precious Ramotswe as a child living in the village with her father, this lovely little book manages to be humorous, wise, and sweet all at the same time. The story of the new friends Precious makes at school, children whose fortunes have plummeted but who find pleasure in family, friendship, and what remains is charming, an interesting story. The mystery was predictable, but still the book held my interest. It is shorter than those written for the adult audience but satisfying nevertheless. For me the book is well worth reading. Being shorter and simpler is why it is rated 4 stars. For a child, this would be spectacular. For an adult, it's plenty good enough. I recommend it if you want to feel good about people and about life.

Another wonderful tale of Precious Ramotswe - this time as a young girl! These stories will inspire children to discover the world around them, and introduces them to an Africa full of great personalities, teaching them the daily lives of children are similar everywhere! Loved all three: The Mystery of The Missing Lion, The Great Cake Mystery, and this one, The Mystery of Meerkat Hill! Keep them coming Mr. Smith!

I listened to it before giving it to my son for my grandson. It is simple and made for kids. Perfect for what it was written for.

As a long time reader of the adult books with the same character, I bought these to see how Precious was as a child. We've really enjoyed both books, and are reading them to the grandkids. They are a great way to introduce little ones to far away places and different people.

Excellent children's book! Full of "morality" points and other life's lessons. Fun and exciting read and the little questions throughout and at the end allows unique teaching and instructional opportunities. My grandson and I both enjoyed the Mystery of Meerkat Hill!

The meerkat is the hero of the story, and he's such a clever creature! A lovely, simple tale, reminding us of the basic pleasures of life as seen through the eyes of children.

the early days of Precious Ramotswe. A sweet story about her childhood and the events that lead to her becoming the n°1 lady detective in Botswana. For Precious aficionados, but would also be very suitable for a child around tennish. Would definitely lead to a great discussion!

Sono una fan di Mccall Smith e della sua detective. Quindi 5 stelle a prescindere. Queste storie africane sono sempre una piacevole lettura, rilassano e divertono.

I loved the sense of adventure and mystery and all the little adventures and the description of the world around precious, I also liked the slight touches of comedy throughout the book. I have nothing to say that was bad except that it should have been longer.

Este libro le gusta mucho a mi nieta inglesa. Si a ella le gusta......¡a mi tambien me gusta este libro!

Ich liebe die Bücher von Mma Ramotswe und als ich sah, dass es kleine Geschichten aus ihrer Kindheit gibt, musste ich sofort zuschlagen. Dies ist der zweite Teil aus PreciousŽRamotswes Kindheit und ich habe selten so oft bei einem Buch geseufzt, wie bei diesem hier. Precious hat einfach einen ganz festen Platz in meinem Leserherz, erst recht als kleines Mädchen. Ihr zweiter Fall führt die junge Detektivin während der Schulzeit zu ihren zwei neuen Mitschülern, die verzweifelt sind, weil ihre Kuh verschwunden ist. Das lässt sich die junge Dame nicht zweimal sagen und begibt sich direkt auf die Suche. Alexander McCall Smith zeigt auch mit dem zweiten Band aus PreciousŽKindheit, dass er nicht nur Erwachsene in seinen Bann ziehen kann, sondern auch Kinder. Liebevoll detailliert beschreibt er Setting und Charaktere und erzählt eine wunderbare Geschichte, die so simpel, aber einfach wunderschön ist. Brauchen Sie mal einen Moment Auszeit von der trüben Realität, greifen Sie zu den Geschichten über Precious Ramotswe, die botswanische Privatdetektivin. Dazu eine Tasse Roiboostee und schwuppdiwupp befindet man sich in Afrika und schmunzelt einfach nur noch vor sich hin...