Kid Lawyer a Good Read

A new summer classic is born, says this Kid Reporter.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Author: John Grisham

Publisher and date of publication: Penguin Group USA 2010

Number of pages: 288 Hardcover

Recommended ages of readers: Ages 12-15

Theodore “Theo” Boone lives in the small town of Strattenburg. He is your average eighth grader except for one thing: He dispenses legal advice.

Theo comes from a long line of lawyers that includes both of his parents and his uncle. He has taken it upon himself to get to know everyone who works at the courthouse and learn just about everything that has to do with the legal system.

When the biggest trial in town history hits Strattenburg, Theo immerses himself in the case, trying to learn every last detail about the murder of Myra Duffy. But when a classmate comes to Theo for help, he learns of evidence that could change the course of the trial, causing him to become more involved then he could have ever imagined (or wanted).

The book boasts a colorful cast of characters ranging from Omar Cheepe, sleazy private eye, to Ike Boone, disbarred hippie tax lawyer. Theo has to deal with them all to make sure the city he loves remains safe.

Even being caught up in the trial of a lifetime, doesn’t keep Theo from continuing to come to the legal rescue of his fellow citizens. Along the way he helps his best friend, whose parents are going through a rough divorce; a girl whose dog is imprisoned in the pound; and his school’s secretary, whose brother has been arrested for drunk driving.

A best-selling author of adult legal thrillers, John Grisham does a masterful job in his debut novel for young adults. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is a fresh idea that combines all the aspects of a great novel with an informative overview of our nation’s legal system.

I found it so suspenseful, I stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it—reading under the covers with a flashlight.

What's your favorite read this summer? Send in your reading recommendations in the comment section below!

—Andrew Scarafile

PHOTO: (TOP) Book cover Courtesy Penguin Group USA. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Andrew Scarafile reads during the daytime—when he doesn't need a flashlight under the covers! (Photo Courtesy Andrew Scarafile)

The Keys to the Kingdom

Garth Nix series a great summer adventure!

There is not a dull moment in any of the books in The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix.

In the first book, Arthur goes through the front door of The House (the center of the universe), and into the realm of Mister Monday. There he meets Suzy Turquois Blue, who becomes his friend and partner.

Suzy lives in The House and has more experience with magic. They join up with a talking frog who is actually part one of The Will of the Architect. They find Monday in his lair and after a small battle Arthur takes the first key from him.

In book two, Arthur is back in The House and (almost) ready to tackle the faithless trustee, the grim Tuesday. But he’s tougher than Monday, so complications arise. First he must enroll as a worker, and then sneak off past the armed guards to where The Will is being kept. Arthur finds the mariner, one of the architects sons, and they fly off on a Sunship before Tuesday finds them.

On a distant sun, Arthur finds part two of The Will of the Architect. He then goes with the mariner back to grim Tuesday’s place where he must face Tuesday in a contest for the key.

Make sense yet? It will when you read this fascinating series in which Arthur must wrest keys from Mister Monday to Lord Sunday. He is helped on his quest by friends Suzy, Doctor Scamandros, Dame Primus, and Leaf (a human girl he befriended on earth).

Nix is a master of words, with plots so intricately crafted that he almost always has to have more than one screen open at a time, showing both the characters on earth and the ones in the house. I couldn’t pull myself out of the pages.

What are you reading this summer? Use the comment section below to let us know!

—Kaj Lund Olsen

PHOTO: Kaj Olsen has his summer reading piled around him at his home in Washington State. (Photo Courtesy Kaj Lund Olsen)

Summer Reads: To Kill a Mockingbird Turns 50

Three Kid Reporters moved by classic American novel

To Kill A Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Publisher: J.B. Lippincott & Co.

Publishing Date: July 11, 1960

Number of Pages: 323

Recommended Age of Readers: 11 and up

It has been 50 years since Harper Lee’s great novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was first published. The book became a bestseller and then won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Lee’s story was also been voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by Library Journal.

Over the years, millions of copies have been sold. It has never been out of publication. People have enjoyed this story on every continent, but I may be the biggest fan. I love To Kill a Mockingbird.

I feel a strong attachment to this story because it is beautifully written and it’s told from the perspective of a girl, Scout. The story is set in the 1930s in a town called Maycomb. The dialogue between characters is written in a rural southern style, and it made me feel like I was in Alabama listening to a real conversation.

Scout, who is very smart, observant, and a tomboy, lives with her dad (Atticus) her older brother (Jem), and the family cook (Calpurnia). Her mom died when she was 2 years old.

Scout, who’s full name is Jean Louise Fitch, is not perfect. In fact, she gets into fights and has problems at school.

The story Scout narrates takes place over the course of three years and she learns many important lessons during that time. Maybe the biggest lesson of all is that she learns the importance of tolerance and looking at things from another person’s point of view.

“Climb into his skin and walk around in it,” Atticus tells her.

In this story of good and bad, love and hate, the mockingbird represents all things good. 

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” her dad says.

Atticus, a lawyer, teaches Scout that the world can be a better place when people make an effort to understand each other. She learns from her dad to have compassion for those less fortunate. These are timeless lessons, whether you are in Alabama, New York, or Tokyo, which is where I happen to be right now.

The story is still relevant today because love and hate still exist and human nature remains much the same.

—Cecilia Gault

To Kill a Mockingbird Reviewed

When people define a book as a classic, it usually has three important attributes: a fascinating story, an expressive way to portray the story, and an important message. To Kill a Mockingbird is that and much more.

Written by Harper Lee as a simple reflection of her colorful childhood, it was published 50 years ago on July 11, 1960. It went on to be a bestseller.

Along its journey, the book won Lee a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The book itself is a fine work of art, which shows life through the eyes of a curious young girl who lived during the Great Depression. 

Set in 1935, Atticus Finch, a wise lawyer, lives with his 6-year-old daughter Scout in a little town in Southern Alabama. Scout and her older brother Jem meet a boy named Dill. Together they make a small gang that roams the town looking for something to do.

One thing they become obsessed with is trying to lure the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his house. Since he is not often seen, the children’s imaginations are fueled and they believe he is a hideous looking monster. (He is not!)

At the same time, Atticus is working to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been charged with a crime he did not commit. If convicted, he could be given the death penalty. The trial is set during a time of racial inequality. Tensions between the black and white communities create a dangerous situation not only for Tom, but also for Atticus and his family.

I recommend this novel because it is very well plotted and written. The suspense grows as the story develops. When you start reading this novel, you will not want to put it down!

To Kill a Mockingbird is simply the best, and after so many years, it is still a completely relevant to read.

—Andrew Liang

A Timeless Classic

To Kill a Mockingbird, a timeless classic and deeply moving novel, turned 50 this week, and still remains a beloved story even after half a century.

The classic novel, originally published on July 11, 1960, was written by American author Nelle Harper Lee. Known more famously as simply Harper Lee, the young writer was a dropout law student from Monroeville, Alabama.

In her life, Lee only ever completed a single book, but this one story has had an extraordinary and lasting impact on Americans of all ages. Soon after its original publication in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize. It went on to become an enormously popular motion picture in 1962.

Both humorous and solemn, heart-warming and heart-wrenching, To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those classic novels that everyone relates to. Although it deals with issues prevalent during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the tensions and moral problems are still relevant today. To Kill a Mockingbird still leaves a deep impact and lasting impression on readers, even in today’s world.

A classic of the 1960s, and a classic today, To Kill a Mockingbird will forever have a place in the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. This novel is a must-read for all!

—Elizabeth Conway 

Summer Read: Here Today

An Ann Martin page turner keeps the action moving.

Here Today

Author: Ann M. Martin

Publisher/ Date of Publication: Scholastic, 2004

Number of pages: 308

Recommended age: Grades 4 - 8

Here Today by Ann M. Martin is about a girl named Ellie Dingman, who lives in Spectacle, New York, in the 1960’s. She lives on Witch Tree Lane, which is named for a tree down the block with knots in the shape of an old witch’s face.

Living on Witch Tree Lane pretty much means you’re an outcast, fitting in only with your neighbors. Ellie’s mother, Doris Day, who is always running off to singing or dancing auditions, leaves Ellie to take care of her sister and brother, Albert and Marie.

Just as life at home is hard, so is life at school. She and her best friend Holly are either shunned or abused by the more popular girls. When Ellie thinks it couldn’t get any worse, sabotage occurs on Witch Tree Lane. Rocks are thrown through windows, mailboxes are glued shut, and the witch tree is painted purple.

Then one day, Doris goes off to an audition, but never returns. Where did she go? Will she ever come home?

Here Today is an-action packed book, with many surprises and twists. It all adds up an awesome page turner, great for summer reading.

I enjoyed it very much, and could relate to the characters. It was very detailed, making me feel as if I was with Ellie on Witch Tree Lane. I never wanted to put it down!

I think many people would like this book because it’s packed with drama. Preteens will especially like this book because the characters experience events that they are likely to encounter themselves.

—Caitlin Wardlow

PHOTOS: (TOP) Book cover for Here Today by Ann Martin. (Image Courtesy Scholastic) (BOTTOM) Caitlin Wardlow's favorite place to read is in a comfortable chair. (Photo Courtesy Caitlin Wardlow)

Summer Read: Shiver

A summer romance that makes you shiver!

Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press, June 2010

No. of Pages: 400

Age Range: Teen

I love a good horror story and I also enjoy a well-written love story. I doubly enjoyed reading Shiver because it’s both!

Shiver is the story of a 17-year-old girl named Grace and a yellow-eyed boy named Sam—who just happens to be a werewolf.

Grace loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home where she gets to see “her wolf” with the yellow eyes every winter. She is sure the wild wolf saved her from an attack by a pack of wolves when she was 9 years old. Over the eight years since, they watch each other from a distance as their interest in each other grows.

When a local teen is killed by a pack of wolves, a hunting party is assembled. Grace discovers a wounded and handsome boy, Sam Roth, shivering on her back porch. When she sees his yellow eyes, she immediately realizes this is her wolf in human form.

Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, but only for a short time. Once his wounds heal, the winter cold will turn him back into a wolf.

Sam and Grace’s romance is sweet and wonderful, even as he realizes he could loose the ability to transform back into human form forever.

The story’s narrative unfolds from both Sam’s and Grace’s points of view. Using that narrative style successfully conveys the sense of longing and intensity that the characters feel toward each other.

This book is a must read book for teens who love an intense, romantic, horror story.

—Cecilia Gault

PHOTOS: (TOP)The book cover for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. (Image Courtesy Scholastic) (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Cecilia Gault in one of her her favorite reading spots—the New York City subway. (Photo Courtesy Cecilia Gault) 

Summer Read: The Catcher in the Rye

What makes this 59-year-old book such a classic?

The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

Date of Publication: 1951

Number of Pages: 277

Recommended age of readers: 13 +

Almost every ninth grader reads The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger as a school assignment. My sister read it, my mom read it, I think even my grandmother read it. It is a classic coming-of-age novel, where the main character changes, or grows up, by the end of the story.

The main character in The Catcher in the Rye is Holden Caulfield, who does a lot of changing in this book. He starts out as an immature teenager who has been kicked out of three boarding schools.

During a three-day joy ride around Manhattan, he contemplates thoughts of running away permanently. He turns into a thoughtful young adult as the story unfolds and he gets wise advice from two people he truly cares about. An important lesson for Holden is that he finally learns to listen.

For me, Holden’s wit and his sarcastic sense of humor make the book. Actually in the beginning, I didn’t like this character very much. He was unappreciative of what he had in life. A lot of kids would love to have his opportunities, but all Holden does is complain. He is incredibly whiney!

As soon as Holden starts to mature, his wit and humor are revealed. Now I think that we could be great friends because we are both good with sassy comebacks and one-liners—mostly under our breath.

Aside from some of the slang that no one really uses anymore, this book could have been written today. Holden Caulfield is as interesting now as he was in the 1950s. That’s what makes The Catcher in the Rye a classic.

—Chloe Anello

PHOTO: (TOP) Book Cover for The Catcher in the Rye. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Chloe Anello reads The Catcher in the Rye in her favorite place to read any book—the pool! (Photo Courtesy Chloe Anello)

Summer Read: The Red Pyramid

This Fun Summer Read battles the ancient gods of Egypt.

The Kane Chronicles Book 1: The Red Pyramid

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher/Date of Publication: Disney, Hyperion Books, 2010

Number of Pages: 516

Recommended age of readers: 9-12

I decided to read The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan for several reasons. I chose the book because I'd read other books by the author and liked his writing.

I also am an Egyptian mythology buff so I thought it would be right up my alley and it was! If you like the Harry Potter series or the Percy Jackson books, you will like The Red Pyramid because it is filled with action, comedy, Egyptian sorcery, and magic.

The Red Pyramid is about two siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane, who were separated at an early age after an accident kills their mother. As it turns out, they share the blood of the pharaohs and they have magic powers beyond belief!

When their father disappears after a run in with Chaos, the Egyptian god of evil, the pair will have to work together with the good gods to overcome Chaos.

Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking and the worst God, Set, has a scheme to wipe out the entire continent of North America with a storm 10 times more powerful than the storms of the Sahara Desert!

To save their dad, the siblings have an awesome adventure and meet many friends along the way. They face danger and discover truths about their family when they find out about a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

This is a great book that will keep you turning the pages to find out what is going to happen next!

—Jacob A. Schroeder

FROM THE EDITORS: What are you reading this summer? Use the comment section below to send in your recommendations or discuss this review.

PHOTOS: (TOP) The cover of The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. (Image Courtesy Disney, Hyperion Books) (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Jacob Schroeder's favorite place to read is a hammock! (Photo Courtesy Jacob Schroeder)