To Kill a Mockingbird
Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
Another favorite Banned Book is Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Set in depression-era Alabama, it is both an endearing story about two children and their father, and a compelling examination of Southern race relations. Atticus Finch is a defense attorney with two young children, Scout and her older brother Jem. As an adult, Scout narrates the story of her childhood spent trailing after Jem and their summer friend Dill. One summer, their father is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a poor white woman. Atticus is criticized by many for taking the case seriously; his commitment to justice and equality in the face of threats and insults is a lasting lesson to his young daughter who idolizes him.