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
Facebook Fan page

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.
 

CSN Stores Giveaway

My husband and I have been making small changes to our house as we get a little extra money.  We'll make/buy curtains, a new comforter, some new furniture, and some improvements to the bathroom.

One thing we have been considering is changing our master bath from a shower only to a garden tub/shower.  To do this though, we will need to make changes in our whole bathroom.  So when the opportunity to host a CSN Stores giveaway on my blog was given to me, I immediately went to the bathroom vanities section to see what we could do in our bathroom to update it the way we want it to be.  I found JustVanities.com which is part of the CSN Stores group and they have beautiful bathroom vanities to suit all decors and price ranges.


One of the ones I found that I like is this one:

This is the Dreamline Modern Glass 23" Clear Simplicity Corner Vanity Set and would help us with our space issues while being attractive and I love the towel racks at the base.


The Giveaway:

Jason, part of the Promotion Team at CSN Stores is allowing me to giveaway one item of the winner's choice at any of the CSN Stores up to a value of $60!  There is a lot you find for under $60 at any one of there over 200 stores.  Check it out and simply enter here by leaving your email address.  Giveaway is open to US/Canada only and ends on 6/30.  Extra entries for following me (rss, twitter, google friend, networked blogs, etc.), tweeting (1 per day), and 10 extra entries for visiting JustVanities.com and picking out a vanity that you like the most and sharing with me (I'm always open to new suggestions - price for this exercise is no option - show me what you like.).

Edit to add:  for the 10 extra entries - just enter it once and I'll keep track of your extra entries - sorry I didn't mention this earlier - I forgot! Do comment for each of the other entries though - it makes bookkeeping easier.

Waiting on Wednesday - June 16

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This one comes out next week and since I live at the beach I'm a sucker for all books with beach in the title or what looks like a beach on the cover.  Beyond that, this one sounds really good too.

Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer

Release: June 22, 2010

Beautifully written, powerfully felt, full of both abundant joy and heart-wrenching sorrow, Beachcombers is an extraordinary novel that centers on the bittersweet reunion of three captivating, very different sisters on Nantucket over one gorgeous, exhilarating summer.

Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she’s jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker’s job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters’ widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock.

Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she’ll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.

So what are you waiting on this week?

Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Publisher:Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: March 10, 2009

Hardcover, 308 pages

My Review:

I have been wanting to read this book since it came out and I finally gave away the copy I bought last year a few months ago, but luckily my library has this one.  So I checked it out and since I got it from the library, I actually made time to read it.

I'm glad I did read it, but honestly it took me a little while to get into the book - I just wasn't feeling it.  It may have been more me at the moment, but I could not get into the characters or what was going on.  I felt like I jumped in in the middle of the story (and as far as I know this is the first book in the series).  As I continued with the book, I started to understand more and started to enjoy the book more.

While I can't say I completely fell in love with any of the characters, I can say I did feel Mary's dilemma through the book.  I never quite felt she was as selfish as everyone made her out to be though - I really just saw her as a teenager trying to figure things out in a very difficult world.  I didn't like Katniss in The Hunger Games at first either, so don't let that turn you off - I eventually fell in love with Katniss.

Forest of Hands and Teeth is another one of the many post-apocalyptic young adult fiction books out now, but it offered a different take and it offered zombies.  I found the world fascinating and the fact that Mary has never seen the ocean and is unsure of it's existence fascinating.  I think Ms. Ryan did a wonderful job setting up the world in which Mary lives.  It's another compelling take on a niche of young adult fiction that fascinates the young and old alike at this time.

All-in-all, I truly enjoyed Forest of Hands and Teeth once I got into it.  So if you start it, make sure you give it about 100 pages before putting it down, because it will take off and then you will find it hard to put down.  Of course it may interest you from page one, as it is an engaging tale.  I look forward to reading The Dead-Tossed Waves, but alas my library doesn't have it and my book buying money is down to very little at this time.  I am going to my library to request it though.

So have you read this series - how did you feel?  Do you have a review, comment here and I'll link to it.  I love linking to other reviews so people can see how others feel as I am just one person and this review is solely my opinion.  Have you read The Dead-Tossed Waves - how did it compare with Forest of Hands and Teeth (no spoilers please)?

My Rating:  4.0/5.0

About the Book:
In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

About the Author:

Carrie Ryan was born and raised in Greenville, SC and is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now pursues her true passion and writes full time. Although Ryan's 2009 novel, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, is set in a world roamed by the living dead, before meeting her fiance JP she was actually a self-proclaimed "scaredy-cat" who avoided horror movies. JP was the one who convinced her to go to her first zombie movie and opened a whole new world up to her, which is why she dedicated her first book to him. Her second novel, THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES, a companion to her first novel, will be out in March 2010. She lives in Charlotte, NC with two fat cats and one large puppy.

Carrie Ryan's website
Carrie Ryan's blog
Follow Carrie Ryan on Twitter

FTC Information: I checked this book out from my library for my reading pleasure.  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.

 

Teaser Tuesday - June 15

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Girls, murder trials, secret witnesses.  Life was suddenly very complicated.

From Theodore Boone, kid lawyer by John Grisham



This book is really enjoyable so far and I'm going to recommend it to my son, though it may be better suited in interest level for when he is a little older (he's going into 4th grade), but I can see where this book would be great for middle-school age children.

Winner - Lowcountry Summer by Dorthea Benton Frank

I only have one giveaway that was ending this week so I'm going to go ahead and announce it. Also stay tuned, I will put up some new giveaways this week.

Thanks for all the entries and comments, I do enjoy reading your comments.

The winner of Lowcountry Summer by Dorthea Benton Frank is: 

Just Mom 

I have contacted Just Mom by email and will be getting the book out to her this week.

Huge TBR Readathon

I am a huge sucker for read-a-thons so when I saw that Bookworming in the 21st Century was hosting this one I had to join in.  The problem - I do have a huge tbr, but I also have review commitments and library books, so I am modifying slightly, and hoping this doesn't break the spirit of this read-a-thon.  This week I am going to try and read as many books from my library TBR pile as I can.  See it's a TBR pile and they need to get read and this will help me also get further along with my Library Reading Challenge as well.

Go check out Bookworming in the 21st Century's blog for more information, see other participants and join in yourself!
So what does my Library TBR look like?  

Here's what I hope to finish:

• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham - done - 6/14
• Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (audiobook)
• Supreme Justice by Phillip Margolin
• Confessions by Kate Brian
• The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

And if I can get those finished then I would like to continue with:

• Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Matchev
• Untouchable by Kate Brian
• The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
• Big Girl by Danielle Steel
• Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

So am I wrong to make the read-a-thon work for me?  I am going to get as much reading as I can done each day, but unfortunately I still have a 40-hour-a-week job and kids and hubby, so we'll see how it goes.  I started by actually taking a lunch hour today and reading, so we'll see if I can keep it up all week.  Good luck all!