The Accomplice (Theodore Boone #7)

Grisham, John. The Accomplice (Theodore Boone #7)
May 14th 2019 by Dutton Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

Theo's friend Woody Lambert is having a hard time. His mother works two jobs, there's very little food in the house, and his older brother Tony isn't setting a great example for him regarding school work or general behavior. When Woody accompanies Tony on his pizza rounds, they meet up with Garth, who asks them to go joy riding, complete with beer. After having a few too many, Garth goes into a convenience store and comes out with more beer... and over $200 that he "borrowed" from the clerk. The boys do not get far before they are arrested and put in jail. Garth's family has money, so he is out on bail, but Woody's mother doesn't have the money. Theo gets out of school a lot to check on Woody, and even tries to meet with his public defender to get information, but is unsuccessful. Since his parents aren't criminal lawyers, they are not able to help very much. Luckily, one of the boy scout leaders is a Youth Court advocate, and is able to be of some assistance. In the meantime, Theo defends a lop eared Rabbit who is accused of breach of peace, and is again triumphant. Eventually, after a number of difficulties, the Lambert brothers are free, and plan to use this experience as a wake up call to do better in school.
Strengths: There are very few, if any, legal thrillers for tween readers, so students interested in law and criminal defense find these to be a must read. Theo has supportive, alive parents who give him a lot of leeway as long as he gets his homework done, and that is also rare! Theo and his classmates are good friends, the other adults are helpful, and there is a lot of information about posting bail that will be new and informative. The rabbit case was good comic relief.
Weaknesses: This is not as much of a mystery as the other books, and is more concerned with getting Woody and Tony free, which might disappoint some readers.
What I really think: Grisham is a good writer, but I enjoy his adult books more than his middle grade ones. He just isn't as convincing with the middle grade voice for me. My students don't notice that much.

SCHEDULE

PART ONE: Theodore Boone: The Accomplice

WEEK ONE

May 6 – InRandom – Review

May 7 – Homeschool on the Range – Novel Study

May 8 – Min Reads and Review – Spotlight

May 9 – Picture Books to YA – Listicle: Non-fiction books + TV Shows for kids who are interested in law

WEEK TWO

May 13 – Reading Corner for All – Crossword/Word Search + Review  

May 14 – Two Points of Interest – Review

May 15 – Homeschool by the Beach – Creative Instagram Picture

May 16 – Little Homeschool on the Prairie – Review

PART TWO: Alex Rider: The Secret Weapon

WEEK THREE

May 20 – Createexploreread – Creative Instagram Picture

May 21 – Alohamora Open a Book – Review + Playlist

May 22 – Somethewiser – Review + Video Clip

May 23 – Lost in Storyland – Listicle: Teenage Spy Survival Guide

WEEK FOUR

May 27 – @gobletoffiction – Creative Instagram Picture + Review

May 28 – Randomly Reading – Review

May 29 – Amanda Seghetti – Creative Instagram Picture  

May 30 – Ms. Yingling Reads – Memorable Moments in Alex Rider History