Theo Boone is used to helping others with legal trouble, but when evidence in a theft points straight at him, he has to prove his own innocence
When the kid lawyer needs a lawyer
Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most adults in Strattenburg, and his classmates often come to him for advice. Then a local shop is broken into and electronic goods are stolen, and the evidence starts pointing at Theo himself. Suspicious clues seem to link him to the crime, and soon the police want to talk to him. Theo knows he is innocent, but proving it is another matter, and he has to work out who is setting him up and why.
Who will enjoy it
Middle-grade readers who enjoyed the earlier Theodore Boone books, young mystery fans, and children curious about how the justice system works.
What you will get
A middle-grade mystery in which a young legal enthusiast is framed for a theft and must use everything he knows to clear his own name.
Theodore Boone: The Accused Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Kid lawyer · Wrongly accused · Small-town mystery
Length
304 pages · ≈ 9 h
More about this book
Turning the series around so that Theo is the one in trouble is a smart move. For once, his confidence and knowledge do not protect him, and readers share his anxiety as the evidence piles up. Grisham uses the situation to explain how investigations, juvenile courts and the presumption of innocence work, clearly and without lecturing.
Theo's parents, his Uncle Ike and his friend April all play their parts, and the book shows a family supporting a child through a frightening experience. The mystery of who is framing him is reasonably well hidden, and the solution is satisfying for the age group.
The writing is plain and the adult characters sometimes explain things at length. The plot is less dramatic than in The Abduction, and some readers may find the middle slow. As an introduction to legal thinking wrapped in a mystery, though, it works well, and Theo remains an appealing hero. The story also offers a gentle lesson about how quickly rumours spread and how frightening it is to be judged unfairly, which many young readers will relate to. Theo's patient, methodical response is a good model for handling a crisis calmly. About 304 pages in the Puffin paperback.
Theodore Boone: The Abduction
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
The Westing Game
Chasing Vermeer
The Missing Chums
The Mystery at Lilac Inn
The City of Ember
The Tower Treasure
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The Secret of the Old Mill
The Hidden Staircase
Hatchet