I Am Scout The Biography of Harper Lee

A biography of the author of
To Kill a Mockingbird and
Go Set a Watchman-adapted for young readers by the
New York Times-bestselling author of
Mockingbird.
A 2009 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most widely read novels in American literature. It's also a perennial favorite in high school English classrooms across the nation. Yet the author Harper Lee was a mysterious figure who lead 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 was 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 bestseller
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 will appreciate this glimpse into the life of its fascinating author.
"Readers will come away with the sense not only that they know the writer of [
To Kill a Mockingbird,] but also that she is someone that they would quite like." -
The Bulletin
"An absorbing and easy narrative style." -
Kirkus Reviews
"A fascinating look at the unconventional Lee." -
Booklist
"A surprisingly fascinating read." -
School Library Journal
"A page-turner." -
ElleGirl