Theodore Boone: The Fugitive
By Barbara Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Suspenseful installment explores death penalty, immigration.

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What's the Story?
On an eighth-grade class trip to Washington, D.C., Theo, now 13, sees Pete Duffy, the defendant in the previous book's murder trial, who had skipped town and is hiding out. Using his detective skills, Theo follows him on the subway, only to lose sight of him. With the help of his Uncle Ike, Theo contacts the FBI, which helps extradite Duffy back to Strattenburg to face trial. As is typical of this lawyer-in-training, Theo manages to attend Duffy's trial as well as communicate with and influence the key witness for the prosecution.
Is It Any Good?
Like all good detective stories, this one is hard to put down. The suspense will keep all ages engaged. As is typical of the Theodore Boone series, there are a lot of good insights about the law in THE FUGITIVE. And there's always a little humor with Theo's frequent trips to animal court to help out friends with animal disputes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the death penalty. What are your family's values and religious beliefs around this issue?
How do you think The Fugitive compares with other books in the series? How has Theo's character developed over time?
Do undocumented people from other countries have a right to work in the United States? How does that affect American workers? Why do these foreign workers leave their home countries?
Book Details
- Author: John Grisham
- Genre: Mystery
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Penguin Group
- Publication date: May 12, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 256
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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