Theodore Boone: the abduction

Theodore Boone: the abduction

By John Grisham

This book is on the NY Times Bestseller’s List, July 2011.

Thirteen year old Theodore Boone’s best friend April disappears in the middle of the night, sometime after their normal nightly phone call. The police are trying to determine who might possibly have taken her. Her mother was not at home at the time; her father was out of town on a gig with his old hippie band buddies.

Theo, as the last person who had had any communication with her, is the only source of timely information about his friend. But he also knows that she is very unhappy with her family situation and school, and has talked about running away. Since both of Theo’s parents are lawyers who ask very precise questions, he has to try to find his friend without giving away all of her secrets.

The police suspect a distant cousin of April’s, a convict with whom she has been exchanging letters who shows up on surveillance video in town after escaping from jail in California. A body pulled from the river heightens the tension, especially since the police won’t release any information about it. Theo and his close friend Chase, use all their budding detective skills to try to track down and eliminate all the possibilities, and to determine what has really happened to April.

Finally Theo’s Uncle Ike helps the boys think of yet another possibility. They scour the internet and find a picture of her with her dad’s band in the next state. The three of them secretly borrow Theo’s dad’s SUV and drive 14 hours straight to bring her back.

Theo’s mother decides to force the situation with April’s family by becoming her temporary guardian. This causes both parents to promise to change their ways and become the parents that April needs.

This book exhibits the literary quality of a well-defined character in Theo Boone. Right from the first page, he displays the characteristics of a very intelligent child in his search for his missing friend April. The book also has a compelling plot in the mystery surrounding April’s disappearance and all the possibilities of what may have happened to her.

 Grisham, J. (2011). Theodore Boone: the abduction. New York: Dutton Children's Books.