Book Review: Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theodore Boone kid lawyer by John Grisham

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

Publish Date: May 25, 2010

Hardcover, 288 pages

My Review:
All the excitement of an adult John Grisham novel in a middle grade novel, just easier to understand and read.

I really enjoyed Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer.  It was a cute, and suspenseful novel.  It's not like his adult novels, the twists and turns are pretty evident, but then again I'm a thirty-something, not a middle grader that the book is intended for.  I do think kids will like this one and it will keep them reading until the end.  I know I enjoyed it.  The plot is well done and while the ending is satisfactory, it definitely leaves things open for this series to continue.

Theo is a great character.  He's an eighth-grader who is trying to figure things out, like all eighth-graders out there.  As an only child of two lawyers, the only thing he knows for sure is he wants to be a lawyer. Friends, girls and the rest of it remain a mystery to him.  The lawyer part is what most of the book is based around - Theo helping other kids with legal advice while constantly stating he doesn't have a legal degree.  The other part is Theo trying to figure out what to do when some evidence in a really big case is dumped in his lap.  Otherwise, he's just a kid who wants to help his best friend and be there for her and others.  He is easy to like and feels like a real person.  I love seeing things through him and look forward to more stories with him.

This does have the typical parents that seem to be a little absent, but Theo is a good kid and they do make a point to have supper together every night.  Theo's parents, while distracted, are still interested in his life.  This distracted parent concept is evident in a lot of books now, and probably reflects on the tendency in society at this time to let our kids run without much supervision.  But his parents are there for him when he needs them and that shines through in this book.

Very clean and perfect for middle grades, I'm giving my 9-year-old about a year and then I will recommend this to him.  A great book for boys and girls alike and a perfect summer read.

My Rating:  4.0/5.0

About the Book:


A perfect murder
A faceless witness
A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he’s only thirteen years old
Meet Theodore Boone

In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.

About the Author:
John Grisham is the author of 21 novels, one work of non-fiction, and one collection of stories. His works are translated into 52 languages. He lives in Virginia and Mississippi.

His website
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FTC Information: I checked this book out from my local library for my reading enjoyment.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.