THEODORE
              kid lawyer
BOONE
By John Grisham

Theo Boone, 13, already thinks of himself as a lawyer.  He is the only child of two good lawyers in town, he knows most of the other lawyers, judges, clerks, and bailiffs in town and at the courthouse, and he has picked up a lot of knowledge about the law by hanging around and listening.  It is no wonder that all his classmates at school come to him when they have problems connected with the law--everything from a dog in the pound to an older brother in jail on drug charges. 

The biggest murder trial this town has ever had is going on at the courthouse right now, Judge Henry Gantry presiding, and Theo has a burning desire to be present for every bit of it.  The only problem is that he can't skip school.  Fortunately, he and Judge Gantry are tight, and he gets permission for his government class to be present in the courtroom on the first day of the trial.  After that, he has to rush over after school to watch, and then fill in the gaps by hacking into the court reporters' secure system.  Since there is no hard evidence, it looks like the defendent is going to get off scot free, even though Theo is convinced he really murdered his wife.

For Theo, the murder trial becomes personal when a friend of his tells him he might know something about the murder, and introduces him to an eye witness to the crime.  The only problem is that the witness is terrified of the police and doesn't want to testify because he is an illegal immigrant.  He can't afford to be jailed or sent out of the country.  Theo spends several sleepless nights trying to figure out how to handle this situation before he finally trusts the adults in his life.

This is John Grisham's first novel for kids.  While Theodore Boone is a likable character, the plot is a little slow.  Grisham spends a lot of time setting up the storyline, and then there are few surprises.  Still, it is an enjoyable read and would appeal to some kids who are interested in the law, or who don't need tons of action to enjoy a book.  I'd expect a second Theo Boone offering to be much better.        ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

Marcelo in the Real World

by FRANCISCO X. STORK

Marcelo Sandoval doesn't think like most people.  He struggles in social situations and can't always read the emotions and motivations of others.  Marcelo has a mild version of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, and although he is an extremely bright and knowledgeable 17 year-old, he just can't function well by himself and has always gone to a special school called Paterson.  There, Marcelo works with the school's ponies, a job he loves.  In fact, he has plans to work all summer with the horses, before his senior year begins.  Unfortunately, Marcelo's father, a high-powered attorney in his own law firm, has other ideas.  He wants Marcelo to work in a place where he will be challenged to learn new skills.  He wants him to work in "the real world," in his law firm's mail room for the summer.  The deal is that if Marcelo is successful in the mail room, he can choose where he wants to go to school for his senior year, instead of going to the local public high school where his father wants him to go.

       

          The person in charge of the mail room is Jasmine, a girl not much older than Marcelo.  She is not happy that Marcelo has been assigned to her, but soon grows to understand and even love Marcelo.  Marcelo is pure of heart, and has had little contact with evil in the world.  If there's anyplace where one can learn fast about evil, it's in a law office.  Marcelo hasn't been there long before he is confronted with mean people, evil situations, and moral challenges.  Jasmine helps him navigate these new waters as much as she can, but Marcelo has to meet many of these challenges on his own.  He has difficult choices to make that could ultimately hurt his father, the law firm, and even himself, but he finally makes the right decisions with admirable courage.  Marcelo in the Real World is a wonderful coming of age story with a unique hero it's impossible not to admire.  This book is on the 2010-2011 Tayshas list.

                  ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams