Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade legal thriller
• Originally Published: 2010
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 790L; grades 5-8
• Structure/Length: 22 chapters; approximately 240 pages; approximately 5 hours, 3 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel introduces Theodore (Theo) Boone, a 13-year-old aspiring lawyer. Theodore’s knowledge of the law and passion for justice make him a trusted figure among his friends and in his community. When a high-stakes murder trial takes place in his town, Theodore becomes deeply involved, helping his friends and family navigate the legal system. The central conflict revolves around Theodore’s determination to seek the truth, solve the case, and uphold justice.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Legal proceedings; courtroom drama; murder (strangling; in backstory); mentions use of alcohol; immigration; people who are unhoused

John Grisham, Author

• Bio: Born 1955; American author known for his legal thrillers and suspense novels; extensive legal background influences his writing; often explores the legal and ethical dilemmas faced by lawyers and the justice system; widely regarded as one of the best-selling authors of the modern era, with millions of copies of his books sold worldwide
• Other Works: A Time to Kill (1989); The Firm (1991); The Pelican Brief (1992); The Client (1993); The Runaway Jury (1996); The Whistler (2016); Camino Island (2017)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Family as a Support System
• Understanding What Justice Means
• The Sense of Satisfaction in Helping Others

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social contexts regarding the legal system that impact protagonist Theodore Boone’s handling of the murder trial at the center of the novel.
• Read paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Family as a Support System, Understanding What Justice Means, and The Sense of Satisfaction in Helping Others.
• Plan and act out a mock trial that illustrates the complexity of the legal system and the relationship between justice and the trial process as represented by text details.
• Analyze plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses about Theo’s education, Theo’s sense of justice, the Boone family, and other topics.