Fresh off assisting with a murder trial in Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (2010), 13-year-old legal enthusiast Theo is plunged into another case when his best friend, April, vanishes. All signs point to kidnapping: a distant cousin to April recently escaped prison and is arrested in their small town, but he won't give up any information without a cushy deal from the authorities. After the alarming false alarm of a dead body dredged from the river, Theo can wait no longer and embarks upon his own investigation. As with the first book in the series, Theo frequently turns to adults for help a welcome jolt of realism in a world filled with superpowered young protagonists. At the same time, though, this dims the excitement level, as does the relatively low-key second half of the book, in which the solution to the mystery is revealed to be pretty much what the adults had guessed. The pages turn quickly regardless, and there is so little pure crime fiction for this age range that this series has intrinsic value.--Kraus, Danie. Copyright 2010 Booklist

Theo (Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer) returns for another investigative page-turner full of accessible legal jargon and kid-appropriate ethical issues. When best friend April mysteriously disappears, Theo and friends take matters into their own hands, scouring their town for clues and stepping on police toes. Sharp-witted, strong-willed Theo persists as an entertaining protagonist in Grisham's second suspenseful thriller for middle graders. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 6-8-John Grisham continues the story of Theodore Boone, 13-year-old son of two lawyers who wants to follow in his parents' profession and would rather spend time in the courtroom than the classroom (or sports field). In this sequel (2011) to Kid Lawyer (2010, both Dutton), Theodore is the last person to have talked to his classmate and friend, April, before she was abducted and he decides to investigate. With the help of his friend and his uncle Ike, he uncovers the mystery of April's disappearance. While the subject matter is serious, and at one point a body is found, Richard Thomas's soft voice never really conveys the sense of urgency or mystery that one would expect, and the narrative doesn't maintain the tension that the subject matter demands. After Theodore is interrogated by the police at 4:30 in the morning, he and his parents go out for breakfast as if nothing has happened. And Theodore's search for April is interrupted when he appears in Animal Court to defend his classmate's cranky parrot that has terrorized the customers of a nearby business. This diversion, along with Thomas's understated reading, causes the story to lose focus and intensity.-Edith Ching, University of Maryland, College Park (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.