I Am Scout : The Biography of Harper Lee
Author(s): Charles J. Shields
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most widely read novels in American literature. It's also a perennial favorite in highschool English classrooms across the nation. Yet onetime author Harper Lee is a mysterious figure who leads 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 is 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 bestselling biography 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 or Go Set a Watchman will appreciate this glimpse into the life of its fascinating author, which includes photographs of Harper Lee, her family, and the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird starring Gregory Peck.
I Am Scout is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review(s):
“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
Long-listed Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Maste, Long-listed ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009), Long-listed Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
ISBN: 9781250082213