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

The Season

by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford is about to undergo her first "season" in London, along with her two best friends, Vivi and Ella.  Alex's mother insists that she be perfectly dressed and perfectly well-mannered at all times, especially while at the many balls and dinners she must attend in order to catch a rich and noble husband.  Marriage is something that Alex is not at all ready for, and proper behavior not her strong suit, but there is nothing to be done but to go along.  Fortunately, Alex and her friends can have occasional intellegent and witty conversations with her older brothers and their friend, Lord Blackmoor, whom Alex has known all her life.   And the season becmes positively enthralling when the girls become involved in solving the possible murder of Lord Blackmoor's father.  Add to that the intense and surprising attraction Alex feels for Lord Blackmoor, and the London season becomes unexpecatantly fascinating.  On this year's Texas Lone Star list, The Season is a fun Regency romance perfect for girls of all ages.

The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye

by Nancy Springer

 In this sixth installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, Springer has her teen sleuth investigating the disappearance of Lady Blanchefleur del Campo, a beautiful and wealthy lady who was spirited away by a begging old lady down the city subway.  In addition, Enola receives a mysterious package covered with gypsy drawings, delivered to her by her famous brother, Sherlock Holmes, with whom she has developed a fragile relationship.  The package is obviously from her mother who disappeared a year earlier, leaving 14 year-old Enola to her own devices.  The package contains ribbons of paper with writing upon them, which must be deciphered before the message can be read.   With some misgiving, Enola teams up with her two brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, to solve the mystery of Lady Blanchefleur, which involves slogging through the filthy underground tunnels of the London subway system. She also recognizes how to read her mother's letter which contains a startling message.  Enola shows her usual ingenuity in solving the crime, and the  reconciliation with her two brothers adds an interesting subplot to an already appealing series.  This novel stands alone, but would be better if the reader is familiar  with the other titles in the series.  --reviewed by Mrs. Sams                                                                          

The Case of the

Bizarre Bouquets

by Nancy Springer

In this third installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, the famous Dr. Watson goes missing from the London streets, and 14-year-old Enola Holmes, Sherlock's precocious younger sister, investigates his disappearance.  To aid in her search, and to stay hidden from her brothers, Enola must reinvent herself into a beautiful, stylish lady.  Her disguise is perfect.  Enola passes herself off as a former patient of Dr. Watson, and visits his wife in an effort to get the information she needs to find the good doctor.  While in Watson's home, she notices a bizarre bouquet of flowers and plants which provides the clues she needs to begin her investigation.  Enola's knowledge of herbology, her street smarts, and her ability to decode ciphered messages, saves the day as she encounters a crazy woman who has no nose and travels around the city incognito.  Springer has created an appealing character in Enola Holmes and a surprisingly intricate mystery for so short a book.  It woulde have helped somewhat to have read the first two books in this series.  Questions like "why is Enola hiding from her family?" and "where does she get her money to live?" were probably answered in those first installments.  However, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is a fun read even without those answers. A title on this year's Texas Lone Star List.                         --reviewed by Mrs. Sams The Case of theBouquets

Me, the Missing, and the Dead

by Jenny Valentine

An amazine first novel by Valentine, Me, the Missing and the Dead, has a clever plot, well-developed, dynamic characters, and a surprise ending. What more could you want? Here's the story: Peter Swain, the father of our narrator, Lucas, disappeared without a trace five years ago. His wife and three children don't know if he's alive or dead. They just know he never came home one day. Lucas feels like he's the only one who cares, who is trying to keep his father's memory alive. In a seemingly unrelated event, Lucas wanders into a cab company early one morning to catch a cab home, and notices an urn sitting up on a shelf. It contains the ashes of Violet Park, and she and her urn were left in a cab five years ago and never claimed. For some reason, that makes Lucas really sad, and he is determined to take possession of Violet's ashes and sprinkle them in a nice place. He just can't rest until he's done it; it seems that Violet is calling to him. With the help of his grandmother, Lucas claims the ashes and begins doing research on Violet Park. She was a noted pianist, in several movies, and craziest of all, she had known his dad. Lucas begins to wonder if there is a connection between Violet's death and his father's disappearance. On this year's Tayshas list, Me, the Missing, and the Dead is a great novel about seeking the truth and learning when to let go. Highly recommended.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

The London Eye Mystery

by Siobhan Dowd

The London Eye is one of the most recognizable landmarks of London. Perched on the edge of the Thames, it is an enormous Ferris wheel-looking thing, only not, because you can't see the wheel turning. It goes so slowly, it takes 30 minutes for the wheel to to make one complete revolution, and on a clear day, those who ride can see all over London. Ted, the narrator of this book, and Kat, his not-always friendly sister, take their cousin Salim to ride the Eye, when he makes a visit to London. Since a strange man offered them a free ticket, and Kat and Ted had already ridden the Eye before, they decided to let Salim ride by himself, while they waited for him below. Keeping their eye on the capsule Salim had entered, they waited for 30 minutes till it came back around. And when it did, Salim did not emerge from the capsule. Ted and Kat waited for the next capsules, then started frantically searching all around the area, but Salim had disappeared. The next day the police are called in, and soon Salim's parents decide to make an appeal on TV. All the while Ted and Kat are doing their own investigation and coming up with their own sometimes hilarious theories. Ted, our narrator, has Asperger's Syndrome, which means his brain works a little differently than most people's. It also means he is very literal, which leads to some pretty funny explanations on his part. But it also means that he is very helpful in the investigation, because he looks at the situation from a very unique perspective. While doing their best to find Salim, Kat and Ted become better friends, and both of them do some growing up. The London Eye Mystery is a serious story, because Salim could really be in danger, but Ted's funny commentary, keeps the story light. A fun, quick read, and on this year's Texas Lone Star list. ~reviewed by Dail Sams