Alexander McCall Smith

Poor but worthy Freddie Mole winds up with a circus job in an effort to help his struggling family. The story is fast and funny sprinkled with black/white drawings adding to the absurdity. The humor is likely to appeal to sophisticated readers and perhaps Roald Dahl fans.

The entire family will enjoy how Precious solves her first mystery — a thief in school! Written by the author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency adult books, the narrator brings the book to life with a lyrical voice ideally bringing the characters to life. This is sure to please the entire family.