The Mystery of the Missing Lion (Precious Ramotswe Mysteries #3)

Precious is nine years old and enjoying all that life in Botswana has to offer. A letter from her aunt, who lives in the Okavango Delta, invites her niece to join her for a few days at her home at Eagle Island Camp. Along the way, Precious uses her sharp, problem-solving skills and generous nature to get her traveling companions to their destination. Upon arrival, Precious discovers that a film crew is at the camp shooting a movie, and Precious is allowed to watch and, even better, assist. The child is much appreciated for her hard work and diligence when she is called upon to use her developing detective skills to solve a mystery involving a trained lion, an intergral part of the movie, that disappears. The author's detailed storytelling skills take readers right into the lush Okavango Delta. This easy chapter book is great for cross-curricular projects on Botswana or safari animals, and the spot art does a wonderful job of calling attention to subtleties of the story. A must-have title that exemplifies diversity in fiction.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE