As previously announced, Dutton will publish John Grisham's first book for young readers on May 25. Now the publisher has unveiled the cover for that book—Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer—as well as its first printing: one million copies. Aimed at readers ages eight to 12, the book centers on a 13-year-old amateur attorney who gets involved in a murder trial.
Penguin bought the series in a two-book deal with Grisham's longtime agent, David Gernert of the Gernert Company. Don Weisberg, president of Penguin Young Readers Group, and Julie Strauss-Gabel, associate publisher at Dutton, acquired North American hardcover and paperback rights, and Strauss-Gabel will edit the books. The second book is due in 2011.
