Theodore Boone, the eighth-grade legal beagle of John Grisham's Kid Lawyer (9780142417225, $7.99) is back for another round of crises in and out of the courtroom. Young Theo's problems are just theoretical: His best friend April has vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night and no one in town seems capable of penetrating the mystery. It's up to young Boone to piece together the story behind her disappearance and bring any culprits to justice. An engaging suspense story by one of America's most famous authors.
Publishers Weekly
Grisham, a bestseller-list fixture with his legal thrillers, makes his children's book debut with a series opener that lacks thrills. The only child of two attorneys, Theo Boone is an endearing oddball, an eighth-grader who still thinks girls have cooties, but who knows every lawyer, bailiff, and judge in town. There's an underdeveloped subplot about a best friend whose parents are divorcing, but Theo's contacts with peers mainly consist of him playing lawyer--advising one boy to have his parents file for bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure, reassuring another about his brother's drug arrest, and in the main thread, producing an eyewitness to a murder for which the prosecuting attorney, heretofore, had only circumstantial evidence. He's less a real kid than an adult's projection of what an ideal kid might be like--determined to be the "most talented linguist" in his Spanish class and appreciative of the scruffy charms of the local college team's baseball stadium. The book is smoothly written, and there's a mild tutorial on the criminal justice system ("Theo knew that in 65 percent of murder cases the defendant does not testify..."). What there isn't is any excitement. Ages 8-12. (May)
Washington Post Express
Heads up, Harriet the Spy, the Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and even those kids from 'Ghostwriter' (you all have a new crime-solver to add to the crew.)
Scholastic News
Gripping... I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery. I think everyone will be enthralled by Theodore Boone.
Bloomberg.com
Move over, Nancy Drew. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer introduces a new amateur crime fighter to bookstore shelves.
Scripps Howard News Service
Grisham successfully translates his talent for writing fast-paced, emotionally gripping legal thrillers into a book that will have young readers whipping through the pages to see what happens next.
BookPage
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer zips along at a quick pace, and young readers will be intrigued by the showdown of the trial.
The Los Angeles Times
Classic Grisham.
The New York Times
Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist.
