Theodore Boone: The Activist – John Grisham

 

© 2013 New York, Dutton Children’s Books

This is the best Theo Boone yet!

There now that the blurb is out of the way, you’ll want to run down to the local library or bookstore and obtain a copy of this little YA gem.

This time, Theo puts his debate team skills to not only defeat his opponents from the cross-town rival team, but to try to help save his friend’s family farm. It seems that all the politicians in the state and the businesses in the county want to push through a by-pass project which will displace a number of families on the outskirts of town at a cost of multiple million dollars while schools are getting shorted in the funding department.

Theo learns some valuable lessons about activism and ethics as he works through his case this time.

This is some of the better writing involved in the Theodore Boone series (see opening sentence above). It is one of the very best examples of internal struggle available on the current market. The moments where our protagonist wrestles with what is right, wrong, and just are on a par with FrankStockton’s classic short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?”

I can’t hold back my five reading glasses for this excellent example of juvenile suspense.

—Benjamin Potter, September 6, 2013

Theodore Boone: The Accused – John Grisham

©2012, Dutton Children’s Books, New York

In his third outing as an author of juvenile fiction, John Grisham is showing a practiced hand. Not only is the hero (Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer) a likable young man, he is also extraordinary. How many thirteen year old boys are all but partners in their parents’ law firm? How many are liked by everyone? How many smarter than the entire staff of their Junior High School? Well . . . in real life probably none. But in Strattenburg, there’s only one – Theo Boone!

Opening paragraphs of The Accused call on readers to remember TheAbduction (Theo’s sophomore appearance) with the beginnings of the re-trial of Pete Duffy for his wife’s murder. But the defendant has disappeared. [Readers who missed the first two books in the series will want to catch up with Theo’s cases from the very beginning.]

What follows is not focused on Duffy (although his case is a running thread throughout the story), but rather on Theo’s travails as a victim of sabotage, vandalism, and framing. We know that he’s innocent, his parents and uncle know he’s innocent, the faculty and administration of Strattenburg Junior High know he’s innocent. In fact, it seems that everyone knows that Theo is innocent except for the police.

A couple of things are disturbing about this book: the helpless feeling the reader gets as his hero is being hounded by the police as well as his stalkers (this can be chalked up to the good writing). Perhaps even worse, though, is the thought that police can enter a school and use the same bully tactics which one sees on television with a thirteen-year-old. And this without his parents or lawyer (in this case both might be the same) present—and when the parents do enter the scene, they make no fight for a minor having been treated so. [Note: since I am not an expert in the law or in police procedure, I would not claim to know the legality of this—I just find it disturbing.]

On a lighter side, readers will enjoy the moment from Animal Court. It provides a needed rest from the struggle of fighting an unknown assailant, and gives more than a laugh or two.

Again, Grisham fans will be satisfied, as will suspense and young adult mystery readers. The writing is on par, the action is compelling and the characters are well-developed. I give Theo Boone’s third story The Accused four out of five reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, March 26, 2013

Theodore Boone: The Abduction – John Grisham

© 2011 New York, Dutton Children’s Books

Theodore Boone is back! When author John Grisham introduced the “Kid Lawyer” last year he suggested that he intended to write a series of juvenile books featuring the 13-year-old legal whiz. His purpose: open up his main genre to a younger audience. The pay-off: another generation of readers to get turned on to the likes of The Firm and The Pelican Brief as they get older. Perhaps he’s onto something.

In this episode, Theo’s girlfriend and classmate, April Finnemore, is missing. The entire town of Strattenburg turns out to look for her and is turned upside down as information begins to surface. Distant relative and general reprobate Jack Leeper has coincidentally escaped from prison in California, has been seen in Strattenburg, and has been known to correspond with the eighth-grader. Police find in him a perfect suspect. Theo’s Uncle Ike offers another choice for the eighth-grade boys to focus on: April’s rarely seen, washed-out musician father.

Action begins with the first sentence of the book: “The Abduction of April Finnemore took place in the dead of night, . . .” and continues page after turning page. Young adult readers will enjoy it; intermediate readers will, too; in fact, Grisham fans of all ages will like the fast-paced stories featuring Theo Boone. This great summer fare warrants four and one-half out of five reading glasses. I, for one, cannot wait for the next story starring my favorite teen-aged lawyer.

—Benjamin Potter, July 8, 2011

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer – John Grisham

© 2010 New York, Dutton Children’s Books

In the year 2000, John Grisham did something different. He wrote a novel that was NOT about lawyers. Well, at least it was different for him. The book was originally published in serial form in the Oxford American literary magazine. Subsequently, Doubleday released the book version of A Painted House in January 2001. The author has since released other non-lawyerly stories (Skipping Christmas, also Doubleday 2001; Bleachers, Doubleday 2003; and Playing for Pizza, Doubleday 2007). Now he is again trying something new. This time he is entering the juvenile market—albeit with a lawyer novel.

Theo Boone is the thirteen-year-old son of two lawyers—his father, a real estate lawyer, and his mother a successful divorce attorney who only represents the wife. He loves court and all the drama therein. He even loves to watch old Perry Mason reruns with his parents. His dream vacillates between being a high-profile courtroom lawyer and becoming a powerful judge in that same courtroom. In his eighth-grade class, he is the go-to guy for all problems involving the law (from escaped and impounded dogs to arrested brothers). In the midst of the biggest murder trial to hit the town of Strattenburg, Theo finds himself in possession of the only evidence to guide justice. And he’s promised not to tell anyone.

This is a fast-paced novel which is a great introduction to “lawyer fiction” for most readers. Appealing about this book is the moving story with rich characters and the absence of foul language and sex scenes that permeate courtroom dramas aimed at an older audience. You can almost overlook the main drawback—scenes that seem to drop a line or two, requiring the reader to fill in a bigger gap than he should.

For this excellent effort in introducing his writing to younger audiences, I can award Grisham a solid four out of five reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, June 23, 2010