red planet

The martians are advanced but peaceful. They tolerate earthlings on their planet. However, they tire of them and decide they must go. Luckily, some earthlings were nice to them, and they decide that they can stay if they behave themselves. That, in a nutshell, is Red Planet. However, that could also describe the last 10% of the book. Most of it is about the interactions of the earthlings on Mars. The main character has a Martian "pet", but it is more of a friend. When he goes off to school, the new headmaster is a real power-hungry jerk and tries to send the pet off to the zoo. This eventually leads to his death. There is also a doctor who expresses strong libertarian views. These come to the forefront as the "corporation" tries to restrict the rights of the people.
On one hand, Heinlein provides both a cautionary tale, advocating the importance of freedom and personal control over corporate control. On the other hand, he provides a blueprint for proper "native" relations, with the "visitors" assuming a mild footprint, interacting with the natives but not impeding their lives.
And he does this while providing a rollicking adventure on mars.