Boo.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reviewed by Joie


It's deep south in 1930, and to any person with status, an African American person is below them. Step into the world before Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. This world is racist and discriminatory, splitting the people by the color of their skin. Many turn their noses up at the African Americans, thinking them to be inferior beings. This is the world America tried to change. And one young girl, untarnished by such prejudices, is soon to realize the pain that the people bring to one another. Her father, a lawyer, fights for yet unheard of ideals, and through his spirited defense, she begins to see the world isn't a perfect mixture of black and white.

Scout is merely six, but she can read, write, and play as well as her older brother Jem. Her father, Atticus, is fair to them and treats them well. But through her innocent and clear eyes, something is brewing. Atticus has accepted the duty of defending a black man. The crime? He is accused of raping a white girl. Soon, Scout finds the ordinary people of her town, Maycomb, looking down at Atticus the same way that they do to the African Americans. And, during the painful trial, the true ugly face of segregation and discrimination rears its head.

A message in the title, To Kill a Mockingbird is more then your average book. Oh sure, one has probably heard it being assigned in 9th grade, as a Literature assignment, but don't let that fool anyone. This book, rich with detail, precision, and a realization for all, is a classic story for a reason. It tells of the time before the true melting pot of America, and echoes lessons of the past. Cutting through all twitters and chirps, the book is true to the view of Scout, and never would you think Scout is not alive and telling her story. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize and made into an amazing movie, it's not just another English assignment book; It's a classic.