Summer Reads: To Kill a Mockingbird Turns 50
To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Publishing Date: July 11, 1960
Number of Pages: 323
Recommended Age of Readers: 11 and up
It has been 50 years since Harper Lee’s great novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was first published. The book became a bestseller and then won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Lee’s story was also been voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by Library Journal.
Over the years, millions of copies have been sold. It has never been out of publication. People have enjoyed this story on every continent, but I may be the biggest fan. I love To Kill a Mockingbird.
I feel a strong attachment to this story because it is beautifully written and it’s told from the perspective of a girl, Scout. The story is set in the 1930s in a town called Maycomb. The dialogue between characters is written in a rural southern style, and it made me feel like I was in Alabama listening to a real conversation.
Scout, who is very smart, observant, and a tomboy, lives with her dad (Atticus) her older brother (Jem), and the family cook (Calpurnia). Her mom died when she was 2 years old.
Scout, who’s full name is Jean Louise Fitch, is not perfect. In fact, she gets into fights and has problems at school.
The story Scout narrates takes place over the course of three years and she learns many important lessons during that time. Maybe the biggest lesson of all is that she learns the importance of tolerance and looking at things from another person’s point of view.
“Climb into his skin and walk around in it,” Atticus tells her.
In this story of good and bad, love and hate, the mockingbird represents all things good.
“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” her dad says.
Atticus, a lawyer, teaches Scout that the world can be a better place when people make an effort to understand each other. She learns from her dad to have compassion for those less fortunate. These are timeless lessons, whether you are in Alabama, New York, or Tokyo, which is where I happen to be right now.
The story is still relevant today because love and hate still exist and human nature remains much the same.
To Kill a Mockingbird ReviewedWhen people define a book as a classic, it usually has three important attributes: a fascinating story, an expressive way to portray the story, and an important message. To Kill a Mockingbird is that and much more.
Written by Harper Lee as a simple reflection of her colorful childhood, it was published 50 years ago on July 11, 1960. It went on to be a bestseller.
Along its journey, the book won Lee a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The book itself is a fine work of art, which shows life through the eyes of a curious young girl who lived during the Great Depression.
Set in 1935, Atticus Finch, a wise lawyer, lives with his 6-year-old daughter Scout in a little town in Southern Alabama. Scout and her older brother Jem meet a boy named Dill. Together they make a small gang that roams the town looking for something to do.
One thing they become obsessed with is trying to lure the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his house. Since he is not often seen, the children’s imaginations are fueled and they believe he is a hideous looking monster. (He is not!)
At the same time, Atticus is working to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been charged with a crime he did not commit. If convicted, he could be given the death penalty. The trial is set during a time of racial inequality. Tensions between the black and white communities create a dangerous situation not only for Tom, but also for Atticus and his family.
I recommend this novel because it is very well plotted and written. The suspense grows as the story develops. When you start reading this novel, you will not want to put it down!
To Kill a Mockingbird is simply the best, and after so many years, it is still a completely relevant to read.
A Timeless Classic
To Kill a Mockingbird, a timeless classic and deeply moving novel, turned 50 this week, and still remains a beloved story even after half a century.
The classic novel, originally published on July 11, 1960, was written by American author Nelle Harper Lee. Known more famously as simply Harper Lee, the young writer was a dropout law student from Monroeville, Alabama.
In her life, Lee only ever completed a single book, but this one story has had an extraordinary and lasting impact on Americans of all ages. Soon after its original publication in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize. It went on to become an enormously popular motion picture in 1962.
Both humorous and solemn, heart-warming and heart-wrenching, To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those classic novels that everyone relates to. Although it deals with issues prevalent during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the tensions and moral problems are still relevant today. To Kill a Mockingbird still leaves a deep impact and lasting impression on readers, even in today’s world.
A classic of the 1960s, and a classic today, To Kill a Mockingbird will forever have a place in the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. This novel is a must-read for all!
Wow, I've got to read this book! I just saw the movie and I was totally moved by it - I even cried. Good Job!
Posted by: KR: Miranda | 07/14/2010 at 08:14 PM