Theodore Boone: The Fugitive

The murder in question is a bloodless strangulation, and not many other gruesome details are described either at the crime scene or in court. A couple of shady characters are threatening.

Theo's Uncle Ike, a disbarred lawyer, usually has a beer in the afternoon and looks as if he lives a hard life. He plays a weekly poker game and drinks regularly with his buddies.

Parents need to know that The Fugitive is the fifth installment in John Grisham's Theodore Boone series. This time, characters debate more mature topics, such as the death penalty and undocumented workers. Although there's very little actual violence, this is a murder mystery, so there's mention of a strangulation, and the prime suspect has escaped and is hiding out. Some very sketchy characters threaten Theo, and the involvement of the FBI and criminals may be too frightening for younger children and some tweens. Theo knows the rules but increasingly ignores them when they get in the way. In particular, he lies to his parents and teachers when following a case. Although he usually confesses in the end, he doesn't always, and he also doesn't always get caught or suffer any consequences for his lying. These situations help Theo's character seem more like a real teen and less two-dimensional than in the earlier books.