Theodore Boone: The Activist

Product Description Book 4 in the thrilling young mystery series from intrenationally bestselling author John Grisham Theodore Boone is back in action! As all of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself right in the thick of it. The county commission is fighting hard to change the landscape of the town, and Theo is strongly opposed to the plans. But when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one--not even Theo--is prepared for the risks--and potential harm--at stake. Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right. Review Praise for the Theodore Boone series Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist. -The New York TimesClassic Grisham. -The Los Angeles TimesSmartly written. -- USA TodayGrisham is an absolute master.--Washington Post Edge-of-your-seat drama, sophisticated plotting, and plenty of spunk.--Chicago Sun-Times Gripping . . . I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.--Scholastic News About the Author John Grisham is the author of a collection of stories, a work of nonfiction, three sports novels, four kids' books, and many legal thrillers. His work has been translated into forty-two languages. He lives near Charlottesville, Virginia. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.  Chapter 1 The opponent was the team from Central, the &;other&; school in town and the great rival of Strattenburg Middle School. Whenever there was a game or a match or contest of any sort against Central, the tensions were higher, the crowds were bigger, and things just seemed more important. This was true even for a debate. One month earlier, the SMS Eighth-Grade Debate Team had won at Central in a packed auditorium, and when the decision was announced by the judges the crowd was not happy. There were a few boos, though these were quickly hushed. Good behavior and sportsmanship were expected, regardless of the contest.Strattenburg&;s captain was Theodore Boone, who was also the anchor, the closer, the go-to guy when the pressure was on. Theo and his team had never lost, though they were not quite undefeated. Two months earlier, they had tied with the SMS girls&; team after a rowdy debate on the issue of raising the driving age from sixteen to eighteen.But Theo wasn&;t thinking about other debates at the moment. He was onstage, seated at a folding table. Aaron on one side and Joey on the other, all three young men in coats and ties and looking quite snappy, and all three staring across the stage at the team from Central. Mr. Mount, Theo&;s adviser, friend, and debate coach, was speaking into a microphone and saying, &;And now, the final statement by Strattenburg, from Theodore Boone.&;Theo glanced at the crowd. His father was sitting in the front row. His mother, a busy divorce lawyer, was tied up in court and upset that she was missing her only child in action. Behind Mr. Boone was a row of girls, including April Finnemore, one of Theo&;s closest friends, and Hallie Kershaw, the most popular girl in the entire eighth grade. Grouped behind the girls were a bunch of teachers: Madame Monique, from Cameroon, who taught Spanish and was Theo&;s second favorite, after Mr. Mount, of course; and Mrs. Garman, who taught Geometry; and Mrs. Everly, who taught English. Even Mrs. Gladwell, the principal, was there. All in all a nice crowd, for a debate anyway. For a basketball or football game, there would have been twice as many spectators, but then those teams had more than three contestants per side, and, frankly, were more exciting to watch.Theo tried not to consider these things, though it was difficult. An asthma condition prohibited him from participating in organized sports, so this was his chance to compete before spectators. He loved the fact that most of his classmates were terrified of speaking in public, while he enjoye