To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Cover:

Bibliographic Information:

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

ISBN:  978-0446310789

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Copyright: 1960

Reader’s Annotation:

Sometimes kindnesses can be found in the most unlikely places.

Summary:

Scout is a young girl living with her father, Atticus, and her brother, Jem, in Maycomb, Alabama.  During the summer, her friend Dill comes to visit, staying with a relative in town; Scout, Jem, and Dill are fixated on the town recluse, Boo Radley.  Fall comes, and Scout goes to school.  Scout has some difficulties in school, because her father is a lawyer, and is represented Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of rape.  Eventually, Tom’s case goes to trial.  Scout and Jem sneak in to see the action.  Tom ends up getting convicted, and the town is left divided.  The father of the girl allegedly raped by Tom begins hassling Atticus.  As Scout and Jem return home after a Halloween program at school, they are attacked, and rescued by the most unlikely person.

Critical Evaluation:

The setting of this book, the south in the 1930s, is integral to the story.  It explains a lot of the poverty the characters encounter, as well as the racism that runs throughout the plot.  Lee does a wonderful job setting the scene; the text states that nothing much changes, with the same families having been around for years.  It results in a setting that feels isolated from the rest of the world, where things are much slower (or more resistant) to change.

Scout serves as the story’s narrator, which means we get to know her quite well over the course of the story.  She, much like many of the other characters in the book, is developed in a way that feels so genuine.  Her narration, from her perspective as a small child, is very honest, even if that means she sometimes does not always understand the gravity of the injustices going on.  We, as the reader, are still able to ascertain the things like the injustice in Tom Robinson’s fate.

A large portion of the plot deals with the trial of Tom Robinson, so readers may anticipate that the story will end there.  However, the injustice and inequality in the story are not limited to Tom Robinson and his situation.  There will be fall-out from the trial, which we see in the story’s climax and conclusion.

Harper Lee has created a vivid story that has staying power.  For many years, this was the only book Lee had released, yet she is still regarded as one of the most loved American writers of the 20^th century.  This is due, in part, to the strength of the setting she created, and the realistic way in which she developed her characters.

Author Biography:

(from author’s Amazon page)

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and numerous other literary awards and honors. She died on February 19, 2016

Genre(s):

 Adult Crossover, Historical Fiction,

Curriculum Ties:

Pennsylvania State Standard CC.1.3.9-10.K

Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Booktalk Ideas:

A discussion on racism from a historical perspective, how far we have come, and how far we have to go.

A discussion comparing the book to the movie adaptation.

          

Reading Level:

AR Reading Level 5.6

Interest Age: 

14 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based scenes of violence, descriptions of rape, and racism/racist language.

  If this book were challenged I would:

·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge

·         Consult the library’s collection development policy

·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 

·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials

·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus

·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received

·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights

·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:

I wanted to include one YA/Adult crossover title in my collection.  This title was one we used in the library this year as a part of the NEA Big Read, and it continues to be a favorite among patrons.  Additionally, this is a title that is frequently taught as a part of high school AP or honors English classes, so I think it is important to include it.  It also paints a good historical picture of institutionalized racism.