Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The American legal system is a common topic in US government or history classes. What is meant by “the legal process”? What are the main components in this process, and what does each involve?

Teaching Suggestion: The Theodore Boone series can introduce readers to the legal system through familiar story elements and characterization devices; it may also challenge readers’ understandings of justice and how it is carried out by the law. In the first installment in the series, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, a murder case is central to the novel’s plot. Students might work with a partner to address the prompt; they can begin by listing known facts such as roles involved (lawyer, judge, detective) and steps in the legal process (e.g., arrest, charging, arraignment, hearing, trial). These and similar resources may provide needed context and can be referenced throughout the reading of the novel.

• The Judicial Learning Center outlines the main components of a trial and what is involved at each step.
• The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas offers a list of key legal terms that often appear when it comes to discussing a court case.

2. Education is meant to help to prepare young people for the world around them. What subjects are the most crucial in one’s middle school or high school education? What are the most valuable skills young people gain from them?

Teaching Suggestion: Education is a recurring motif in this novel. Theo’s two favorite classes are Government and Spanish, both of which serve him well as the novel’s plot unfolds. Small groups might work together initially to brainstorm lists of classes or subjects commonly taken in middle school, junior high, and high school; then students might move to independent workstations to reflect on and write about the most important of those subjects and the most valuable skills associated with them. Shared responses and points of commonality might be listed or tallied on the board.

• But Why offers the podcast “Why Do We Have to Go to School?” on the importance of school that is aimed at school-aged children.
• The Conversation’s Curious Kids series incorporates into this brief article common questions children ask about their lives and activities.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Reflect on an interest, hobby, skill, or activity that you passionately enjoy. What makes this interest fulfilling to you? How might this interest benefit other parts of your life? What are your plans for this interest in your future?

Teaching Suggestion: Theo Boone is passionately interested in the legal system and conveys his desire for justice in his actions and conversations. Students might respond in a journal entry to this prompt during pre-reading, then return to their entry during reading as they observe Theo’s strong feelings regarding his interest in legal matters to make comparisons and draw parallels.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners might sketch and caption their area of interest or convey their feelings about it through a brief comic strip or graphic story.