To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most widely read novels in
American literature. It's also a perennial favorite in highschool
English classrooms across the nation. Yet onetime author Harper Lee is a
mysterious figure who leads a very private life in her hometown of
Monroeville, Alabama, refusing to give interviews or talk about the
novel that made her a household name. Lee's life is as rich as her
fiction, from her girlhood as a rebellious tomboy to her days at the
University of Alabama and early years as a struggling writer in New York
City.
Charles J. Shields is the author of the New York Times bestselling
biography Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, which he has adapted
here for younger readers. What emerges in this riveting portrait is the
story of an unconventional, high-spirited woman who drew on her love of
writing and her Southern home to create a book that continues to speak
to new generations of readers. Anyone who has enjoyed To Kill a
Mockingbird or Go Set a Watchman will appreciate this glimpse into
the life of its fascinating author, which includes photographs of Harper
Lee, her family, and the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird
starring Gregory Peck.
I Am Scout is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.