Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (2010)

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, known as Theodore Boone: Young Lawyer in the United States, is a 2010 legal drama and the first novel by John Grisham for middle-grade children (8–13-year-olds). It is the first in a series about Theodore Boone. Grisham jokingly said in an interview that he wanted to catch up with Harry Potter, since his number one place was taken in the bestsellers.

Plot

Thirteen-year-old Theodore "Theo" Boone is the son of Woods Boone, a real estate lawyer, and Marcella Boone, a divorce lawyer, and cherishes an ambition to become either a judge or lawyer himself. At the beginning of the book, Theo's eighth grade Government class is following the big murder trial of Peter Duffy, accused of strangling his wife for her life insurance money. The crime appears to have no witnesses or concrete evidence, though Theo comes to learn that an illegal immigrant, Bobby Escobar, saw Duffy outside his house at the time of the murder, acting suspicious and dropping the gloves he was wearing in the garbage. Gradually, Theo and Bobby's cousin, Julio Pena, are able to convince Bobby to come forward, file for documentation, and give his evidence, leading to a mistrial until a retrial can be held. Duffy's charges are refiled and Duffy remains free on bond, as he had been previously.

Sequels

John Grisham has written seven books in total in the Theodore Boone series, which were published between 2010 and 2019.