Theodore Boone: The Accused

By: John Grisham

Genre: YAL Fiction (Crime Novel)

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

So, if you couldn’t tell by my reviews lately, I really like YAL novels. There is a great children’s section tucked away in the corner of the library of our little city. It has a wonderful view overlooking the bay. My kids and I go there often (one of the perks of homeschooling), and I “shop” for books. I love browsing the stacks, searching for my next exciting read.

One day when I was there, I was surprised to find John Grisham’s name among the rows of authors. I didn’t know that he wrote juvenile (junior high age) fiction. But there it was—Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, a new series that I couldn’t wait to dig into. After all, Grisham’s adult crime novels have captivated my attention for years; I couldn’t wait to get home and see how this one read!

As it turns out, I loved it so much that I couldn’t wait for the next book to become available at the library (I bought the eBook instead). Teddy, as his mom calls him, is the only child of two lawyers. His father is a real estate lawyer, his mom a divorce lawyer, and his crazy uncle is kind of in the family business, as well. Theo, as he prefers to be called, knows his way around the courtroom and has been known to “handle” a case or two in Animal Court.

In this, the third book in the series, Theo is falsely accused of theft. The book takes a wonderful course of twist and turns to find the true culprits and their motivation behind framing young Mr. Boone. As an outside onlooker, I found myself wishing I could make the story and characters do and say what I know would work for the best outcome. It is like one of those crazy movies where you are yelling at the screen. I just couldn’t stop turning the page!

You may not be a lover of Young Adult Literature as I am, and instead, you prefer more refined taste in reading. But if you enjoy Grisham novels, these books might just surprise you. Or if there is another young reader in your home, as there is in mine, consider passing this one along. I’ve been bugging my eleven year old to check out Kid Lawyer because I want him to love it as much as I do—and great books make for great conversation!