When his best friend April disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, thirteen-year-old Theo Boone is determined to help find her
Where is April?
Theodore Boone is thirteen, the son of two lawyers, and the town of Strattenburg's unofficial expert on the law. His closest friend, April Finnemore, comes from a troubled family, and one night she vanishes from her bedroom. The police suspect an escaped prisoner, and the whole town joins the search. Theo, with help from his offbeat Uncle Ike and his classmates, uses his knowledge of the courts and his skill with technology to follow the clues.
Who will enjoy it
Middle-grade readers who enjoyed Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, young mystery fans, and families looking for a suspenseful but safe read.
What you will get
A suspenseful middle-grade mystery in which a young legal enthusiast searches for his best friend after she disappears from her home in the middle of the night.
Theodore Boone: The Abduction Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Kid lawyer · Missing friend · Small-town mystery
Length
256 pages · ≈ 8 h
More about this book
Grisham writes Theo's world with the same eye for courtroom and police procedure that drives his adult novels, but scaled for younger readers. The search for April involves real legal and investigative details, explained clearly, and Theo's habit of thinking like a lawyer gives the mystery an unusual and engaging angle.
The book also touches gently on harder subjects. April's parents are unreliable and her home life is unhappy, and Grisham handles this with care, showing Theo's concern and loyalty without becoming heavy. Uncle Ike, a former lawyer with a complicated past, is a memorable supporting character.
The resolution is somewhat predictable, and some of the town's adults feel sketched rather than developed. Readers new to the series can start here, though Kid Lawyer introduces the characters more fully. For a quick, suspenseful read with a thoughtful core, it works well, and it may spark young readers' curiosity about how the justice system works. Theo's mix of confidence and worry makes him a believable hero, and his friendship with April is portrayed with real tenderness. The supporting cast of teachers, police officers and courthouse regulars adds colour, and the brisk chapters make it an easy book to hand to reluctant readers. About 256 pages in the Puffin paperback.
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Chasing Vermeer
The Westing Game
Theodore Boone: The Activist
Theodore Boone: The Accused
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
The Hidden Staircase
The Secret of the Old Mill
The Mystery at Lilac Inn
The Missing Chums
The Tower Treasure
The Secret of Shadow Ranch