by
3.46 of 5 stars

A perfect murder

A faceless witness

A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he's only thirteen years old

Meet Theodore B... read full description


reviews

Jul 03, 2011
Monique rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This is John Grisham's first foray into the Young Adult (YA) genre, and, true to form, he was able to deliver another engaging legal thriller - this time with a 13-year-old boy as protagonist.

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer is the story of Theo, only child of lawyer-parents, who himself dreams of becoming one day a trial lawyer, just like his parents. He may only be in middle school, but he knows practically more law than any other seasoned lawyer, and this is demonstrated by several of his More...
8 comments like (7 people liked it)
Oct 02, 2010
Truly rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Cewek, sidang pembunuhan, saksi rahasia!
Belakangan hidup menjadi kian rumit bagi Theo


Pepatah yang menyebutkan buah tak jauh dari pohonnya, sangat cocok untuk sosok Theodore “ Teddy”Boone.

Hidup selama 13 tahun dengan seorang pengacara real estate, Woods Boone, sang ayah serta ibu seorang pengacara perceraian (selalu dari pihak istri), Marcella Boone, membuat Theo menjadi anak yang paling tahu seluk beluk hukum dibandingkan yang lainnya. Plus tambahan seorang paman More...
6 comments like (4 people liked it)
Jun 24, 2011
Lana added it
I was interested to see what John Grisham would do with a kids' book. I like the "legal world" setting--that's something new for kids. I like the dilemma that Grisham creates for his character.
0 comments like (4 people liked it)
Jun 17, 2010
Monica rated it: 2 of 5 stars
While there may be kids who will enjoy reading this trial story I expected more from the reviews I'd read. I debated giving this a three because I do think Grisham did a reasonably good job helping kids better understand how trials work. But in the end I felt there wasn't enough action for this sort of book and an awful lot of telling versus showing. Teddy is a likable hero and maybe Grisham will do better by him in future books.

So, on to my problems.

First of all, Gri More...
8 comments like (15 people liked it)
Dec 02, 2010
Steph rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I’m not sure what to say about this book except that it reads like a prologue. Nothing huge or earth-shattering really happened. We didn’t really get much of a conclusion. We got a whole lot of info about all of the characters, and a lot of plotlines were established that were not developed. It really is just an introduction to a series.

Something that’s surprising about this is that Theodore is thirteen, which is an odd age for what I believe is meant to be a YA novel (it seems more More...
0 comments like (3 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2010
Joann rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I didn't want to like this book, but Grisham's first kid's book worked for me; lots of interesting legal bits, beleivable situations, humor, and a good tale. A few missteps--13 year old boy who isn't into girls, yet, are you kidding? And a 13 year old in 8th grade--wouldn't that be 7th grade? Cliff hanger endings on several secondary stories...felt like more to come for sure.
1 comment like (2 people liked it)
Jul 28, 2011
Robert added it
John Grisham's first novel for young adults has much to offer young readers as well as his adult fanbase. Theodore Boone is a 13 year-old only child and the offspring of two highly skilled attorneys. His mother is a divorce attorney and his father is a real estate attorney, but Theo seems most intrigued by criminal law. He has his own office in his parents' law offices, and is friends and acquaintances with judges, bailiffs, clerks and police. He offers sound advice to schoolfriends who come More...
Feb 07, 2012
Bracy rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Theo Boone is a lot like Mike Madison, the main character in my book, Mike Madison, Intrepid Explorer. They're the same age, both smart, curious, relentless in the pursuit of the truth; and, they both know when to bring in Mom, Dad, and friends. I've read everything Grisham has published, but was really waiting for my 13 year-old son to read this one first (he bought it with his allowance). Then today I ran out of reading material and there it was--I finished it in about 3 hours. Admittedly, More...
Jan 29, 2012
Jane rated it: 2 of 5 stars
It’s not fun, mystery, action. It’s show and tell for kids about types of lawyers and how things work.

STORY BRIEF:
Theo is 13 years old. His mother is a divorce attorney. His father is a real estate attorney. Theo knows a lot about the law. His friends come to him with their problems, and Theo gives advice. For example, a boy is sad because his parents are talking about the bank foreclosing on their home. Theo gives the boy the name of a bankruptcy attorney to call. A do More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Jan 18, 2012
Johnny rated it: 2 of 5 stars
(Review contains some SPOILERS)
I don't really make a habit of reading juvenile fiction (save Harry Potter, and oh, The Hunger Games), but I was interested in reading the "Theodore Boone" series because I have enjoyed John Grisham's books over the years, and quite frankly, wanted to keep my bragging rights of having read every Grisham book, even the juvenile series.

I liked the concept of a kids book attempting to spark some interest in the legal world, and Grisham's w More...
Dec 11, 2011
Jackson rated it: 4 of 5 stars
John Grisham was a former lawyer and began writing courtroom dramas after being a lawyer. "Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer" is his first attempt at writing a court drama for younger readers, following Theodore Boone who wants to be a lawyer and is more than once said to know more lawyers, clerks, police officers and judges than most lawyers. "Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer" is a good book especially for younger readers.
At first I was a little apprehensive about reading More...
Nov 29, 2011
Janice rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I'm a fan of John Grisham's legal thrillers and thought I'd check out this book from the library for my son. Needless to say, I read it instead because I wanted to see how Mr. Grisham did in writing a children's book. Well, I honestly have mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, he does an excellent job in explaining how this kid can know so much about the law, as well as having a reputation already established for helping out his friends who may need run of the mill legal advice. More...
Nov 25, 2011
Pnid rated it: 2 of 5 stars
This maybe contain a few spoilers!!!

John Grisham. The man who we know creates some of the best thrillers around. Well, this isn't one of them. He goes and decides to write a YA book. Firstly, he should do some more research about young adults because he got so many facts wrong. Boy are not interested in girls at the age of 13?! Half the year level doesn't have a cell phone?? A 13-year-old can have into a government system?

The worst part of the story isn't the inaccurate desc More...
Aug 26, 2011
Rebecca- rated it: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very different type of book from most YA fiction. John Grisham is known for writing gritty legal dramas for adults in crime, but this one is completely different, where it's aimed at young people or teenagers instead. I think this is what attracted me as it's so far away from his normal literature. And I wanted to know about Theo.

Synopsis: 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. More...
Aug 25, 2011
Tyler rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Theodore Boone is only 13 and he has his sights sat on becoming a lawyer. Both of his parents are just that, which started off his "career" of helping his 8th grade classmates with legal info. He goes to the courthouse everyday, knows every lawyer in town, and can recite hundreds of laws. It's big news to Theo when a murder case comes around his town. Even bigger is the fact he knows a guilty man is to be acquitted of murder.
This is my first John Grisham book, and it certainly wo More...
Aug 18, 2011
Andrea rated it: 5 of 5 stars
John Grisham did a great job with his first book for kids. It had a lot of the Grisham feel, but was definitely written for a younger audience. It lacked some of the Grisham intensity (of course), but it still told a suspenseful story, and was very appropriate for the target audience.

Theodore Boone is the thirteen-year-old only child of two attorneys. He is fascinated by the legal system, and dreams of being either a lawyer or a judge when he grows up.

It's not uncommon for T More...
Aug 01, 2011
Andrea added it
I was browsing in my local library, looking for some Newbery winners to read, when I came across Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer, John Grisham's first book for kids. Of course, I just had to read it, and I'm so glad I did!

I don't know much about law, nor do I really care to, but I am a fan of shows like Law and Order, and this served up a story with a similar feel. Theodore Boone is the only child of two lawyers, an aspiring lawyer himself, who makes a bit of a name for himself giving free legal advi More...
Jul 09, 2011
Michelle rated it: 1 of 5 stars
I know it's horrible to not love this book written by an adult author I occasionally enjoy. I expected this book, written by John Grisham, to be a young adult book that had an interesting story, but no sex and violence. Instead I got a book better suited to those written in the fifties and sixties, only with updated technology. It was so much like the Three Investigators, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys that I really kept looking to make sure it was written by John Grisham. I'd more fully believe his More...
1 comment like (2 people liked it)
Jun 28, 2011
Jessie rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Not a normal John Grisham book, but entertaining. The author is teaching young people lawyer terms and for me it was a bit tedious. I wonder about my students, the age of the boy in the novel. I don't think that they are that clueless about legal terms. I teach 7th grade, and the boy in the story is in 8th grade. I think that it's a bit trite, but I'll have to ask a student. ***stop here for spoilers****
Theodore Boone has parents who are both lawyers and so he naturally wants to be More...
Jun 27, 2011
Moody~blue rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Theodore Boone is about a 13-year-old boy trying to help solve a murder case- did Pete Duffy murder his wife?. It has an interesting concept, but it felt a bit lackluster in a few areas. Allow me to elaborate:
The writing is good; it flowed nicely and there was, perhaps, one instance of choppy writing. Grisham does a very good job with the settings, especially the courthouse, and the story had a believable, city atmosphere to it. He needs to work on his characters though- Theodore and Ike More...
Jun 27, 2011
Cori rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I read this book on an airplane in 3 hours. I would give this more stars if I were reviewing it for my kids (4 or 5 stars) but I've decided to let my kids help me rate their books (or I will assign a rating based on their enthusiasm for a book). I did not read this book to my kids yet, since they are too young. This is a good book for young adult readers. I didn't realize it was YA fiction when I bought it at the airport so I was hoping for one of Grisham's legal thrillers. This book does no More...
Jun 13, 2011
Jessica rated it: 2 of 5 stars
My husband is a fan of John Grisham's adult novels, and so he recommended this book to me though he hasn't read it himself. I have to say, this book was terrible. Not the worst book I've ever read, but it comes pretty close. Not because John Grisham's a bad writer. I refrained from giving this book one star because he does have an interesting plot and has moments of good writing, mostly during the trial scenes, which you can tell are his forte. What I disliked about this book is the fact that Jo More...
Jun 10, 2011
Kerry rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I picked up this book after USA Today covered it on the front page. I like John Grisham. I liked Time to Kill the best. I thought The Firm was a phenomenon when it first came out. I was utterly sucked in, it was a huge page turner. After that one, the quality fell off for me. His subsequent books felt boiler plate, I fell out of the habit of reading him. I can't judge his canon overall. I only read his first four books and then stopped. I'm not that into lawyers anyhow.

From his press, More...
Feb 07, 2011
Julianne rated it: 4 of 5 stars
John Grisham books are usually too long and complicated for me. Not my style. Recently, however, I have read some of his shorter books. This one is written for teens, and it teaches us terms and procedures of our legal system.

Theodore Boone is the legal expert of his local junior high. Kids come to him seeking legal advice to help solve their families' problems. And he knows what to say, as both of his parents are lawyers and he is friends with lots of people at the courthouse, More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Feb 04, 2011
Yearning To Read rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Theodore Boone is one smart kid. With both parents as lawyers, he knows more about the law and what goes on in a courtroom than a lot of lawyers. Certainly more than your average pre-teen. He knows all the judges, what they do, and who works under them. He knows how each trial should go. He gives advice to his eight grade (and under) friends who have legal and financial family issues. He’s a good kid, wanting to help his community through law, and is trying to decide whether or not he wants to b More...
Jan 22, 2011
Carre rated it: 3 of 5 stars
The best thing I can say about this book is that it's a great education in U.S. legal procedure, and if that was John Grisham's aim, he hit a bullseye. The worst thing I can say is that I'll bet it's been a long time since Grisham actually talked to a real kid, because Theo Boone doesn't talk anything like my thirteen-year old or his friends. He's a bit of a goody-two-shoes, the kind of kid who looks at school with a real rah-rah spirit of competition, and loves and respects every adult he meets More...
Jan 15, 2011
Elizabetht rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here
Jan 14, 2011
Austin rated it: 3 of 5 stars
In John Grisham’s first book for teenagers, he brings his trademark legal thriller to life through Theodore Boone, Theo, a 13 year old boy whose parents are both lawyers. Theo has grown up in Strattenburg, spending countless hours dreaming of becoming a great trial lawyer and watching Perry Mason reruns. He’s as familiar to the Strattenburg court house as are his parents. Not only does Theo knowall the judges, clerks, and policeman, he knows the policies and procedures of the court and how to g More...
Jan 02, 2011
Sandy rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here
Dec 28, 2010
Julie rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Grisham does not disappoint. Pages were turned; interest was captured. This will make him accessible to an even younger audience. What he does differently here is explain the legal system more fully, not assuming that kids already know about this stuff. Also, he very much tones down any possible menace of the type that make his other legal thrillers so good. There's only one goon-type character, and he doesn't really do anything except stand around in a threatening way. I think a little peril wo More...