To Kill a Mockingbird : The 40th Anniversary Edition of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel

Rating:
Summary: this book would be enjoyed by all teens
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird. It was a great story and i would recommend it to anyone intersested in reading a fast paced,sometimes funny and definitely an unraveling mystery. Reading a bout the way the children thought and reacted brought back memories of a time when i was their age, and I was extremely afraid of ab old man that used to live in my neighborhood because of my wild imagination. After reading this stoy, I accepted Atticus' advise that "you never know a man untill you stand in his shoes and walk around in them." I would recommend this book to be read by anyone in their early tens but, I'm sure this story could be enjoyed by people of all ages. Jem and Scout lived with dad, Atticus and Calpurnia, the housekeeper. They meet Charles Baker Harris or Dill, which is his nickname, when he comes to visit his aunt Rachel for the summer. the kids keep themselves busy finding numerous ways of getting into trouble. They spy on Mr. radley, who reacts by trying to shoot them. Curious to what Atticus does all day, they peek in the courthouse until Atticus sends them home, and they're always late getting home, and Scout tends to insist on using unlady-like language. Summer ends, and Dills returns home to Meridian. Jem anxiouly rretuns back to school and Scout begins first grade. Scout meets many new children and starts troulbe with many boys. Scout especially doesnt get along with Walter Cunningham. Walter is from a poor family and Scout quickly learns many life skills from her teacher and her new school environment. Atticus believes taht everyone should be treated equally and agrees to represent Mr. Robinson, a black middle-class citizen who is accused of raping Mr. Ewell's daughter. Mr. Ewell's family is a poor white family from the same community. The story leads you to believe that Mr. Ewell's family invents the entire rape situation to gain a higher status in the community and to ruin the Robinson family reputation. The trial draws much attention to Atticus and his family, and the community because it was unusual case. Many folks shared their opinions about the trial making life complicated for Jem and especially Scout. Atticus patiently explains his morals and beliefs to his children to help them try to understand society. Mr. Robinson is convicted if rape and is sent to jail. While trying to escape he is violently shot and killed Mr.Robinson. i didn't except this to happen, and I was shocked and sad. Jem and Scout are attacked while walking home one night from a play. The book leads you to believe that it was Mr. Ewell who drunkenly attacks them and breaks Jem's albow. Mr. Ewell is later found dead of a stab wound. The story laeds you to believe that Mr. Ewell could have been killed by a vendictive suspect, but Atticus explains to the children that Mr. Ewell accidentally fell on his knife leaving me to wonder what might of have really happened in that community on the night of Mr Ewells death.

Rating:
Summary: Could read it an infinite number of times!
Review: I read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This classic book is about a little Southern girl Scout and her experiences growing up in the 1930's. It begins with a set up of things to come,such as Scout's experiences and the people she observes. Her guardians, her quiet, lovable lawyer father Atticus, and her Negro cook Cal help Scout and her tough,yet caring brother Jem through these experiences in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout, Jem and their curious friend Dill make up plays about their reclusive and mysterious next door neighbor Arthur "Boo" Radley. He is the cause of scare and mystery and their lives. This sets up the ending, as does the racism of the town, shown by the neighborhood gossip, the piggish lazy Mr. Ewell, Scout's strict Aunt and the tyrant down the street Old Mrs. Dubose. The children learn many things about the town in which they live from their neighbor, sweet, tough Miss Maudie. One thing they learn is that they should never kill a mockingbird because those birds are just there to make people happy and they never do anything wrong at all. In the second half the children learn more about their father's trial defending a Negro being tried for rape. This man Tom Robinson is going against the lowlife Mr. Ewell who says Tom raped his daughter. The citizens are against Tom for the most part except for a handful. In the courtroom Atticus makes his case so strong that Scout, Jem, and Dill(who are watching)think that he cannot lose. However it is a white man's word against a black man's... The rest you have to read for yourself because from the trial it grows into such an exciting climax, and ends so meaningfully, pretaining to why you should never kill a mockingbird. Definitely think about this quote reading the book, it helps your understanding a lot. I found I couldn't put it down. The beginning goes slow but it forshadows things to come. You think how unfair and unpleasant life can be sometimes and these children learn this at a very young age. It made me want to change thingsso it couldn't happen anymore, and it made me very angry at such unfairness, such as in the lives of African-Americans, like the innocent Tom Robinson. The ending was so perfectly lead to and meaningful that I had to go back and read it again(and again)! I recommend the book for people 14 and up because I feel you should be old and smart enough to grasp the conflicts and the complex plot. However this book is timeless and everyone above 14 should read it at least once in a lifetime. This can teach you about life and growing up better than anything you will ever read so pick it up...soon.

Rating:
Summary: This is a book that taught many great lessons for life.
Review: I thought that this book overall, was a good one. I found several things that i didn't like though. The first was that I thought it had a slow beginning. I found it hard to get into. Harper Lee explained each of the characters and made a setting, but it was boring. Second was I felt it could have been shorter, but was dragged out a little. You knew what was going to happen, or the outcome of a situation, but you had to wait several pages. And last, I didn't understand Dill really fit into the story. I thought he was a wasted character. I don't mean that I didn't like the little love story between him and Jean Louise, but it wasn't of major importance. I also realized how he brought about the intrest in Boo Radley, but that could have been done without him. There were many good things though. For example, the racial hatred was true to the time and the area. I felt it was portrayed VERY well, even the children could see the racism. For example, Jem states, "...but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black." I also liked how the story was told through the little girl's perspective. She had good insight, but left things for you, the reader, to figure out. She told things in an innocent way and made you think and look at things from other people's perspective. For instance, Atticus says, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view." Third I enjoyed how the story tied the two tales of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson together. While I was reading, I noticed how they left Boo out of the story line for a while. I wondered why, but at the end, making him the hero really made a great ending! Finally, I liked how it showed that there are good and bad people of every race. Mr. Ewell had wanted fame, but Atticus knew better, and put him to shame. Mr. Ewell took revenge by hurting Jem and Scout, but in the end he hurt himself the most. The supposed "bad" African American man, Tom Robinson, was not guilty in my eyes, but had to pay. He was only trying to help, and ended up getting "shot down!" The world can be twisted at times. This book was written for people of all ages and from every background. It sends so many great messages from stand up for yourself, to seeing other peoples' point of view before making an opinion, to noticing what's on the inside not just on the outside. People can be so cruel sometimes and not even realize it. I feel that this book should be read and respected by all.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: I think that the book To Kill A Mockingbird was a very well-written, and exciting book. I must admit though, that at the beginning of the story, I found it hard to pay attention to the plot. The first few chapters explain the main characters and their backgrounds so the story is slow at the beginning. You will begin to get into the book a few chapters later. That is when the pace of the book picks up and new characters, places, and events get brought into the story. Part Two is very exciting. The story really begins to heat up and get interesting. Once you start to read, you can't put the book down. I found the book to be very interesting. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best books I have ever read! To Kill A Mockingbird is told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in the town of Maycomb with her older brother Jem and her father Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer who defended Negroes, which caused some events to arise throughout the story. This story shows how they all grow together and how the people of Maycomb live and grow together as well. The Finch's encounter many hardships, the Tom Robinson case being the biggest of all, but with ecah other they are able to overcome anythng thrown at them. This story shows the true value of the meaning of a strong, loving and caring family. It is no wonder that To Kill A Mockingbird is known as a timeless classic. The author, Harper Lee, shows her skill of writing by taking a simple family like the Finch's, and an ordinary town like Maycomb, and turning them into an unforgettable masterpiece. Harper Lee takes realistic facts about the relationships between black people and white people and it illustrates it through the characters in the story by using her talent of writing and explanation. To wrap things up, I believe that if you love to sit down and read a good book, To Kill A Mockingbird is the book for you. I do suggest though that if you intend on reading this book, that you are in the age area of fourteen and older, for this book can be complicated in many areas due to the elaborate plot. I can honestly say that I am not big into reading books, but To Kill A Mockingbird is like no other book I have ever read. I recommend it greatly. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: This book should be read by only teenagers or adults.
Review: I think that no younger then age 14 should read this book, it has extenxive language. The situation the book evolves around is a topic for teenagers and/or adults.I strongly think that rape is a topic for high school and older students. I didn't really enjoy To Kill A Mockingbird as much as I thought I would.I would have to say the best part was the end of the book,and I also think there is too much prejudice in this book. Examples of some of the prejudice in the book were people making fun of black people,being racist and seperating blacks from whites.In the book they categorize the families from wealthy to poor. Finches came first,then,the Cunninghams,then,the Ewells and last,the Robinsons. The book was mostly based around the trial of Tom Robinson raping the Ewell's daughter. The first half of the book talks about Dill,their new neighbor and Boo Radley,their other neighbor.The second half deals with all new characters coming into the story such as Mrs.Dubose,she was another neighbor that was a morphine addict and died in her sleep.Some of the characters in the book had that kind of weird side to them like Mrs.Dubose did.It seemed to me that each character in the book had a problem all the time but that makes the book better because some books make the characters sound so perfect and the author makes you think that these people never have problems,so in this book it shows that no one is perfect and that everyone has problems all the time.That's another thing I like about this book.At the end of the book I think that they could've found a better way of dealing with Tom Robinson then how they did. Over all the book was ok.I'm not one to read books,I actually hate reading but some of the things in the book kept me reading but other things made it seem like the book was dragging on with the same subject.In the book they changed the subject a lot so it made it kind of confusing at times.I think if they didn't change the subject a lot then the whole book would have seemed like it was dragging on not instead of just little parts here and there. I feel that the second half of the book was more interesting then the first half,there were more details and more excitement then the other half of the book. I recommend this book to high school and older students.

Rating:
Summary: I think that this book is for older readers
Review: I think that To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a good example of Literature for High School kids, I dont think that anyone under this age should read this due to content. At the begining of this book I thought that I wasn't going to like it but once it got to the trial of Tom Robinson, I found it very interesting. I agree with what everyone said in the book about Atticus being the only person that could give question that Tom Robinson wasn't guilty. I thought that Atticus was definately an excellent father and almost just as good as a mother to Jem and Scout. I feel like this book really explained what was going on during this time, especially when Aunt Alexandra had all the women over there house for there church meeting. I do not know how Scout sat there listening to everyone disgracing the person her father was representing. My favorite character in the book was Dill. I thought that he was so adorable and there was something mysterious in him that I liked. In a brief summary this is what the book was about. Jean Louise Finch is the narrator of the story and she is describing the events of her childhood before she was 10. She lived in her house with her father Atticus, her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, and there black maid Calpurnia. When the story starts it is summertime and they meet there childhood friend that comes down every summer, Dill. The children all summer are fascinated by Arthur (Boo) Radley by the end of the book they meet him and become frinds with him. Next, Scout started school and there was problems in the begining but then she started liking it. Next in the story we meet Atticus's family and another summer comes and goes with Dill. Then the trial came and all of Maycomb County was there. Mr. Ewell (the lowest family, under blacks, and he was white, in Maycomb Coutny) accused Tom Robinson(he was black) of raping his daughter Mayells. Atticus was appointed lawyer and he put up a good fight for Tom, but since he was black he was proven guilty. During this time Scout and Jem were getting made fun of by kids at school and even their own cousins. Tom Robinson was sent to jail, Atticus thought they had a chance but Tom couldn't take the stress anymore, he tried esaping jail and he got shot 17 times. During the trial Aunt Alexandra had came down to take care of Jem and Scout and to teach Scout how to become a proper girl and not a tomboy. The end of the story is my favorite and you will have to read it to see why I think it is, and when you do I think you would agree. The only complaint I have to say about the end of the story is that I thought that the book should have had a little more closure to it. I like closure to stories. Overall this was a good book, I would recommmend it to other teenagers.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book About Life in the South
Review: The award winning nove, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a piece of literature I believe is appropriate for all people older than 13. This book is the story of a little girl named Scout growing up in a small, racial biased town called Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930's. It includes her childhood adventure with her brother Jem and their best friend Dill. It includes the wisdom of her father, Attikus and her maid Calpernia. Even thought Attikus was quiet, mild mannered he was a very strong man. Also, the story came in contact with many peopel such as Miss Maudie, Miss Rachel Harris, , Miss Stephanie Crawford, Mrs. Dubose, Mr. Radley, Boo Radley, Reverend Stykes, and Mr. Ewell. This book illustrates racism of the deep south. Also, points out how children have to learn to deal with bigotry at a young age, and that predjudice can play more of a role than the obvious truth. Two examples of predjudice are against a misunderstood neighbor, named Arthur "Boo" Radleyand a black man that the falsely accused of a crime because of his race, Tom Robinson. The kids had specific experiences that taught them not to be prejudiced toward a person, despite what they may have heard about them. This book includes many charactors, but they all fit together very tightly in the end. I learned a lot from this book and found it hard to put down while reading it. To Kill a Mockingbird is an extremely well written piece of literature and I suggest everybody read this at least as once in there lifetime.

Rating:
Summary: A story about growing up that we all can all relate to
Review: Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird shows a white family struggling for justice in a small town. It's easy to read, but to actually get something out of it is something else. For instance, the meaning of the mockingbird. The story was set in the 1930's during the Depression and the hard times of American people. Diseases were widespread and horses were used for transportation. Prejudice plays of huge part in the story. The trial of Tom Robinson showed this. Atticus, Jem and Scout's father gave his children advice about life and that it's okay to have fun but respect other people even though you might not know them. Scout being the main character and narrator is portrayed by a girl of 5-7 years old. Her names means seeking and finding. Everything that happens is seen through the eyes of Scout. An audience for this book is anyone who has the time and mind to appreciate a book like this of such strong writing. It is for anyone who can understand prejudice and the meaning of the mockingbird. The age group is 14- years old. Overall, this was an excellent book about life. Anyone can relate to this book in some way because we were once a child like Scout Finch and saw the world as we wanted to see it. It shows different ways to look at life. I could read it again and again and still get meaning out of it.

Rating:
Summary: This book starts off slow, but gets exciting at the end.
Review: Harper Lee did pretty well with the book To Kill a Mockingbird. At first, he started slow, introducing characters and telling stories about their past. When he got going, however, the book got very interesting. There was a trial involving a black man with one of the main characters as his lawyer. Of course, it was not a good thing at this time for a white man to be defending a black man in a trial. The trial becomes very exciting and brought the book to a great ending. As for the title, Atticus, the person who defended the man in the trial, told his children that you shouldn't kill a mockingbird because all they do is sing and provide entertainment for people. This quote tied in to the trial very well and made the book very effective. In conclusion, I do not reccomend this book for anybody under the age of fourteen.

Rating:
Summary: A good book that teaches about things like racism
Review: The book "To Kill A Mockingbird" was mainly about two kids named Jem and Scout. It's about the adventures that they have and what they went through. Their father was a lawyer. Peope in Jem and Scout's town accused a black man named Mr.Ewell of raping a little white girl. Jem and Scout don't think that he did it but the people in the town did. Their father defended Mr.Ewell. This book teaches about how some people can be so prejudice against inncocent people just because of their race. If you want to know the conclusion to Mr.Ewells case, then i suggest that you read "To Kill A Mockingbird"...you won't be upset!